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What's Harder: Working From the Office or Working From Home?
by Mike Figliuolo, thoughtLEADERS, LLC

A reader poll asked: What’s harder: working from the office or working from home? Here are the results:

  • Office: lots of distractions. I focus better at home and doing things on my own. 41.4%
  • Home: lots of distractions and temptations. I need the structure and social aspects of an office. 58.6%

Working from home is hard. Many participants reported being challenged working from home. It seems like a great opportunity until you actually try it. Distractions, lack of structure, and lack of coworker contact are all huge challenges. Here are some suggestions to incorporate into your WFH routine:

  1. Set and maintain a schedule. Hit your desk at the same time every day. Finish work at the same time.
  2. Manage family expectations. Tell them if your door is closed, you’re not there or available.
  3. Have a hard break away from work at the end of the day to signal you’re “home” again. Work out. Take a walk. Make it a consistent routine.
  4. Make time to socialize. Call or video chat with at least two coworkers per day. Carve out the time to do it. 10 to 15 minutes is all it takes.

The more structure and routine you can build around working from home, the easier it is to avoid temptations and deal with distractions.
Is It OK to Turn Off Your Webcam in the Middle of a Call?
by Wayne Turmel

Is it okay to turn your webcam off in the middle of a team call? That seems like a reasonable question, but it always seems to get people worked up. It should be a binary answer: yes or no. But the real answers are “sometimes,” and “it depends.” Click HERE to learn about the pros and cons of using webcams, and simple guidelines to help you make intentional decisions about when you need to be on camera.
The 7 Emails You Should Send Every Week to Get Ahead in Your Career
by Michael Thompson

Most people see email as a strictly transactional tool, using it only when they need something or owe someone something. That’s exactly why you should use it to stand out. Taking a moment to send these seven emails every week can help you strengthen your connections, stay top of mind as opportunities come up, and learn about industry trends. None of these messages should take more than five minutes to write, yet each of them will go a long way in helping to advance your career. Click HERE to learn more.
Home Prices in Virginia Keep Rising: Should We Worry That We're in a Price Bubble?
by Dr. Lisa Sturtevant, Chief Economist, VirginiaREALTORS

There are growing concerns in some corners that we are in another price bubble and that there is a risk that home values will fall in the months to come. In January, the median home price in Virginia was up 12.5%, reflecting the sixth consecutive month of double-digit price growth here in the Commonwealth. Nationally, home prices are rising faster now than at any time since 2004. However, the situation we are in now is much different than the post-2004 world, and a housing bust is extremely unlikely. Click HERE to learn more.
7 Easy Ways to Find Your Joy
by Diane Gottsman

Many people believe they can only find happiness when they have the right job or perfect home. Or that a fat bank account will help them sleep at night. They put off enjoying what is in front of them while they are looking over the fence at someone else’s greener grass. Not so surprisingly, research shows that postponing joy until conditions are perfect is a losing game. Click HERE to learn more about Gottsman's recommended seven easy ways to find your job.
A People-Centric Approach to Change Delivery in Financial Services
by Heidi Boyle & Dan Costa

To succeed in the post-pandemic environment, financial leaders will need a new framework for managing change. They must reimagine workplace practices, compliance protocols and technology governance, and in many cases, turn to new technologies and change analytics — all with an eye toward improving the engagement, efficiency and productivity of their employees. We call this a data-driven, “people-centric” approach to change delivery. Click HERE to learn more how to achieve this approach.
For Successful Small Business Lending, Learn From 2008
by Michael Slater

We are in the kind of economic environment that activates banks’ natural instinct to tighten credit. But for small businesses, limiting their access to capital when they need it most can create a negative feedback loop – as they struggle, and in some cases even shutter, the economy further weakens, which makes banks even more cautious. Bottom line: The country simply cannot afford for financial services providers to stop lending to small business. But this doesn’t mean that banks and credit unions need to take unnecessary credit risks as an act of public service. Click HERE to read on.
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Patti L. Dickerson
Director of Operations & Marketing
Virginia Title Center, LLC
1.800.468.5811 or 540.772.0585
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