Getting Personal with Personnel

The human spirit has shown that in the wake of challenging and tragic times, we are fiercely resilient. We are also responsive and make changes, as we pivot and make quick adjustments, allowing us to thrive through crisis. While we have always felt that our colleagues at Environmental Standards are an extended family, something new has happened – we are connecting more frequently with our extended families, their pets and our clients.

Whether it is a conversation with a client or between co-workers, we are taking the time to talk about life. Our conversations thoughtfully evolve from, “How is your business doing?” to, “How are you doing?” We are sharing fears, challenges, hardships and victories. Our concerns for each other’s well-being, as individuals, has become striking.

Every Friday during this pandemic, as a company, Environmental Standards has a video conference with all employees. Our 9:30 a.m. calendar appointment reads, “How u doin’? How we doin’? We discuss the usual business matters, but the technology of video conferences has enabled us to share things as we have never shared before. We are virtually visiting each other’s homes. Whether logging in from a home office or a kitchen table, we are seeing details of each other’s lives that we would not typically see. A toddler in arms, a surprisingly vivid wall color, a curious spouse or a demanding cat, we are seeing aspects of our co-workers outside the work environment, and it has brought us closer with a better understanding of the uniqueness of every person.

Environmental Standards has succeeded because of the excellence in what we do and the priority we put on understanding our clients and building relationships. During these trying times, when we must physically disconnect from each other, we have connected in alternative ways that are resulting in stronger relationships and a better understanding of each other.