Your Social Distance Digest — March 20, 2020
Greetings from the kitchen table.
Let's face it: Our lives have changed abruptly, and for most of us, it will be no easy task settling into our makeshift at-home desks for the first time. COVID-19 has disrupted our workplaces — and not in a sexy “Silicon Valley” kind of way.
As companies go remote to flatten the curve of this grave and uncertain crisis, the Brady Bunch-ification of the water cooler has become the new norm. Waking up in your office is no longer frowned upon. Pants? Those are now optional. Bring your Child to Work Day may begin to feel more like Groundhog Day, but hey, you can’t beat that commute.
For our network of 8,000+ remote analysts located across 15 time zones, the concept of working from home is just another day in Wonder-land.
In the wake of these rapidly changing times, we’ve been thinking a lot about what it means to be a knowledge provider — while we will continue at full-capacity to deliver fast and impactful insights for your most pressing questions, we are also carving out a space for shared learning across our network.
Twice a week, we will highlight research from our client community, remote working tips from Wonder’s People team, unique takes on the COVID-19 questions no one else is asking, and a little distraction because, well, we could all use that.
It’s on your mind. What’s on theirs?
Wonder was built to be a place that questions can call home, so they don’t take up space while you’re working in yours. See what some of our clients have been pondering as they prepare and position themselves for COVID-19:
A national healthcare leader asked: What major initiatives are U.S. health insurance providers rolling out in response to COVID-19? view research
A marketing agency in Florida asked: What kinds of messaging are leaders at major restaurant brands deploying in the wake of Coronavirus? view research
A research company in New York City asked: What are the risks for pregnant women and why are children less vulnerable? view research
Remote Tip of the Day.
From Rhett, Wonder’s Head of Community:
Hi! I manage researcher performance and communication for Wonder’s network of 8k+ remote researchers. Our global network spans over 90 countries and our platform operates 24/7, with researchers completing projects at all hours of the day and night.
How does our community stay connected, supported, and engaged?
Over-communicate. Physical distance can translate into perceived emotional distance and that makes intentional, proactive communication paramount. We share platform updates months before launch so our community can prepare and weigh in. We rely heavily on Slack for day-to-day comms and share our most important updates directly on our website so they can’t be missed.
Help team members feel as supported as possible. We quickly respond to challenges raised by individuals but they also lean on other researchers to get answers and support. Collaboration is fundamental to our community - researchers learn from community leaders and actively answer one another’s questions.
Create routines and reinforce team-level goals to encourage accountability. Providing team members with structure and tools to stay on track. Utilize intentional goal tracking, frequent check-ins, and clear expectations around performance.
Want more? click here.
A Different Take.
We know there’s a lot of news out there and sometimes that can be overwhelming. Here’s a deeper dive into something you may not have thought about to help stay ahead and be informed:
Coronavirus: Black Swan or a Grey Rhino?
Popularized by risk analyst Nassim Taleb, a Black Swan is an extremely rare event that is unexpected and out of the norm with severe and widespread consequences capable of destabilizing an economy.
Alternatively, Michelle Wucker’s Grey Rhino theory introduces the belief that these events are highly probable, high impact, yet neglected threats — not random surprises, but occur after a series of warnings and visible evidence.
So was COVID-19's spread truly unexpected or could its impact have been avoided?
Take a deeper swan-dive into our analysis and decide for yourself: view research
Daily Distraction.
Non-COVID-19 rabbit-hole, because #balance.
Sushi: Fun Facts and Future Trends view research
The Fascinating History of the Internet view research
How much time is wasted searching through Netflix? view research
Wonder is a place where the curious come to connect and we’re here for you now more than ever. Your 8,000+ strong team is ready - Have a project you want to kick off?