Ahhh 2020, the start of a new decade. I could still remember a lot of hopeful posts in social media… “This will be our year”! How quickly we found out that this year would definitely be memorable and not for the reasons we thought. (sigh)

Hello everyone! I’m Beth, and I’m part of the PH Corporate Team.

Like every other company, we had to respond quickly to the pandemic situation, trying to make wise decisions along the way. We did not have all the answers but we understood the impact it would make to the business and more importantly -- our people.

Thanks to advancements in technology, we can “make it work” at home but building your culture and keeping members motivated is another story.

Question: how do you Make Parties Start when you are apart?

This was YOYO’s strategy:

• Touch Base - Everyone’s ‘usual’ lives have been changed in an instant and people were still trying to make sense of the new routines. One of the first things we prioritized was to check up on the team while remote-working, a quick random “how are you and your family doing?” or “do you need help?”. This simple effort made management more human. It implied that the company not only cares for them as an employee but as a person. Though we have different circumstances and are physically separated, you are not alone.

• Do your Homework - To be honest, a very few people alive today have experienced a pandemic of this magnitude. There was, however, no shortage of materials online on how to weather this storm. Topics on resilience, mental health wellness, managing remote teams and even employee engagement, etc. were some of the references which gave inspiration to our ideas and actions. In times like these, it’s important to keep learning and finding new creative ways to achieve your goal.

• Over Communicate - The biggest ally of fear is uncertainty. Even before the crisis, YOYO has tried to maintain transparency to all members. Yet, we also had to improve in this area all the more so. We were continuously reminding members to approach HR or their superiors for any questions and we made sure to address them asap. Our CEO also frequently conveyed any important updates through various platforms, keeping everyone in the loop. Given more timely information, they are able to prepare and even adapt their plans individually then as a team.

• Plan to Have Fun - Though it seems unnatural to ‘schedule’ a fun time, we found it absolutely necessary. Enjoying everyone’s company in and outside work was conventional in the office: casual chats, lunch time board games, buying ice cream in the nearby Korean store, game nights, company dinners and so on. Those were the things that brought us together and we believe we can still keep creating those moments while WFH. Kudos to our members for being game and even hosting those activities in the past months, it really helps to unwind and build camaraderie. All of you truly keep our core values, OPO & HRT, alive!

Final Thoughts:

I wish I could say that we don’t miss being in the office and seeing each other face-to-face daily… but no. For now, we try to focus on what we control and we will keep finding ways to stay connected. ‘Cause you know what they say, you can take the people out of the party (follow physical distancing, guys) but you can’t take the party out of the people. Wherever we are, this party will keep on going!

Taking it one day at a time,
(Ate) Beth