April 2020 Issue

Welcome

Welcome to our inaugural newsletter: The WWLF Connection!

The WWLF Connection will come out on the first Friday of the month. You'll also get a once-a-week events email. Our goal is to provide more value in fewer emails.

In each newsletter you can expect to see:

Professional development

Each quarter we'll cover a particular topic. And each month will support that topic in a different way.

From now through June, we'll be focusing on work-life balance. This is especially important (and difficult) right now.  

We'll share resources. And we'll encourage Impact groups to host (virtual, for now) events to discuss the focus areas on a more intimate level.

Technical Development

We'll be including industry-related technical development, through webinars, videos, and guest posts.

Our membership covers many different specialized fields. We want to help everyone get a bigger picture of our industry.

Member Engagement

We're going to need your help...and we want to hear from you more often. So you'll see polls, like the one below, to help us deliver articles on topics relevant to you.

We hope you'll enjoy the new format (and a less cluttered inbox).

Letter from the WWLF President

We've entered this new decade with unexpected and unprecedented challenges. These affect our nation, our industry, and our own communities.

This industry is no stranger to change. Our colleagues in telecommunications have adapted to change year after year. Now we're challenged with implementing creativity to drive efficiency.

The Women’s Wireless Leadership Forum is committed to being an asset to our members and community. We will encourage and support you as we navigate through this uncharted terrain.

For over 20 years, WWLF has promoted the theme of “keeping women connected”. Our public events are postponed, but we will still work to serve you. We'll provide webinars and audio conferences until our public spaces are reopened.

Our leadership team is encouraged by the positive and creative initiatives we’ve already been seeing.

Our members have shared their stories of resiliency and resourcefulness, and they are inspiring.

On behalf of our board and committee members, let us know how we can support you.

Be well,

Carolyn Hardwick

President Women's Wireless Leadership Forum

Webinar Recap: The Myth of Work/Life Balance in Uncertain Times

Barb Teicher once again delivered a truly helpful webinar yesterday. In case you missed it, here are some important takeaways.

Experiences are very different across the country. And yet, we’re all facing this difficulty together.

Nearly 60% of participants indicated they were having trouble adjusting to this new working environment. So if you are having a hard time, you are not alone.

Right now it’s important to:

Take a step back to look at the bigger picture. What is really important right now…and who do you need to stay connected to?

Give some gratitude. It can be hard to find in the gloom, but gratitude is a proven mood lifter.

Get in tune to your needs. Do you need a structured schedule? Create a routine. Prefer more flexibility? Go with that.

If you are in a position of leadership, take time to find out how your team is doing…not just with work. How are they really doing? We all need each other right now. This is the time to build relationships.

Tap into your creativity to find solutions to the problems you’re having. What are new ways you can do old things? Take calls outside while the kids play? Take yourself on a walk when you’d normally be commuting?

Think about this particular FOCUS:

Family- Set expectations for what you need. And this may change week to week.

Organization- Communicate with your team and be clear about what you need.

Charity/Care/Church- What contribution can you make to help others?

U (You)- Carve out 30 minutes each day for yourself. Depleting ourselves helps no one.

Soon: If you had more time, what would you do? Put that thing on the calendar for yourself. And soon.

And, perhaps the most important, be gentle with yourself. It’s okay not to be perfect.

If you'd like to hear more, you can follow Barb on LinkedIn. There you'll find information on her open-forum discussions about this timely topic.

Resources

A lot has been published recently—it’s hard to wade through it all.

Here are a few that might be particularly helpful.

1. That Discomfort You're Feeling is Grief, Harvard Business Review.

We're feeling more than just the stress from all the change.

"We’re feeling a number of different griefs...The loss of normalcy; the fear of economic toll; the loss of connection. This is hitting us and we’re grieving. Collectively. We are not used to this kind of collective grief in the air." 

2. Why You Should Ignore All That Coronavirus-Inspired Productivity Pressure, Chronicle of Higher Education

Feeling like the only one who hasn’t completely cleaned out every closet during the quarantine yet? (You aren’t.) And this article shares why you should stop trying to do the impossible.

3. How To Embrace Remote Work: The Complete Guide to Setting Up Your Team For Remote Work Success, Trello

You—or your colleagues—may be new to remote work. But some companies have embraced remote for years. This guide from Trello has tips (and myths) about remote work from companies that know it best.  Note: This was written pre­pandemic, so the tone is more playful...which might be a welcome relief.

Member Poll

We know your top concern is the well-­being of your family, friends, and colleagues. But it's normal to wonder about what will happen to our professional lives. To help us serve you better, we'd like to know what your top professional concerns are right now.

You can find the simple, one-question poll here.

Thank you for your input!

Not a WWLF member yet? Sign up now.

Upcoming Events

South Wireless Summit has been rescheduled for June 28 through July 1, 2020 in Nashville, TN.

Keep an eye out here for other upcoming and rescheduled events.