Adapting our Operating Model Whilst Keeping the Heart
The last four months have been a whirlwind for everyone. Firstport has been busier than ever, with hours across the staff team growing, whist developments in FirstImpact to recruit a wider staff team and expand services were paused as the pandemic unfolded. And now, as the staff across the group finalise a service re-design journey that engaged with our clients and customers listening to how the last 15 weeks have re-shaped their enterprises and programmes, I want to take this opportunity to share what this has it looked like for us as a team.
Across the companies, the epidemic and lockdown forced us to adapt and pivot, changing the style and focus of our work. My hope is that this will paint a picture that is not dissimilar to yours and help you learn from some of the decisions we made through the rapid re-shaping of our business.
It has not been easy and is still far from perfect, but we are learning alongside all of you how to adapt whist remaining a people-centred organisation.
Supporting our staff’s ability to work from anywhere
Whist Firstport already had a generous working from home policy with many staff already spending at least one day a week at home, nothing could have prepared us for the lockdown and closure of our offices. Like many other organisations, there was a scramble to make sure everyone had laptops and mobiles. But as the weeks carried on, we made a commitment to making home working the default workplace for our team into the medium and longer term.
After carrying out an audit of our team’s home offices (often a kitchen table) we worked to ensure that everyone had access to the same things they would in the office (from a comfy chair to a high-speed internet connection), and are giving a stipend for additional costs they incur.
Supporting our staff’s mental health through resources and maintaining relationships
Prior to the pandemic, we started researching deeper ways of supporting the team, but with the mandatory lockdown, their personal needs — beyond a desk chair — became amplified, and it was important to invest in their personal wellbeing.
So, from the start of April we’ve providing our team with access to Croner’s Employee Assistance Programme. This programme gives our staff and their families access to external health and wellbeing resources to help them deal with personal problems that might adversely impact their work performance and health and wellbeing. This may involve getting support with issues around mental health, family, work life balance, financial, or simply having someone to talk to openly and confidentially.
We have also built numerous check-ins throughout the week, with morning project teams stand ups, weekly all team check-ins, virtual coffee breaks, and even maintained our Friday prosecco with purpose. What this means is that our Scotland-wide team is seeing each other more often than they did when we were in our various offices. And whilst digital tools like zoom and slack will never fully replace all the benefits of being in person, these activities provide everyone a chance to keep up with each other in both social and professional ways.
Incorporating new digital tools
Having been heavy users of Office 365, Salesforce, and Slack for the past couple of years one might be mistaken to think we had the digital tools cracked. But what became apparent early on was that those things alone, at least in the ways we had been using them, were not sufficient either for a fully digital collaboration for our workforce nor for our clients. We have spent the last few months experimenting with different tools and have now become heavy users of things like Miro and Zoom and have started overhauling how we use Salesforce, already eliminating hours of duplicated work.
The lesson for us was to not just use whatever is out there, but really understand what is needed and strategically choose what works for us, our clients, and not simply just put someone on camera in front of a whiteboard.
Recognising and addressing exclusion in a digital-first world
Moving to a primarily digital service delivery emphasises access and exclusion issues both for our staff and our clients. The project teams have been going back to the drawing board over the past couple of months and engaging with individuals like diversity specialists Pheona and Michael Matovu from Radiant and Brighter, disability activist Zara Todd, and innovation & user design expert Peter McColl, formerly of Snook, to re-shape the style and focus of our mainstream programmes.
The goal has been to name and consider issues such as unconscious bias, accessibility, emerging needs of communities, as well as the growing digital divide. Only by acknowledging and addressing these issues, we can ensure that our evolved digital-first processes don’t overly disadvantage certain communities.
None of us can predict the future, but what we can do is adapt now and start moving our organisations forward. Before the end of the July some of both Firstport and FirstImpact’s programmes will begin to re-open for new clients with an adapted style. But we know this transition will not follow even the best plans, there will be a constant evolution process and we need you to tell us how to continually improve.
