Tahnee LaShaundra

Ok, so there are people who are going to test the limits. Their performance will suck either way. Whether they are scrutinized, micromanaged or given freedom. Some people have no boundaries, and their work ethic is trash. Yet, if you work in the field that I work in, numbers highly influence our life and the numbers, Don’t LIE.

For three years, I lived in harmony. No, Covid was in no way a great time, but for corporate professionals that had the ability to work remote, we learned something…

Most of us learned how our children are learning and performing in school. I was able to watch my kids and understand how they interacted with their teachers. Especially, my daughter who is older. My son was just entertaining Kindergarten the Fall of 2020.

There were things I did not like. I was able to see the gaps in learning and how I should assist my kids in their learning journey. For instance, I learned that my daughter had a teacher that never had an actual lecture/lesson. The teacher would just assign work. That bothered me. Just assigning work was not helping the students actually understand the material, let alone retain it. I was able to discuss with the teacher my concerns and join in the live sessions.

As a parent who was participating in the virtual sessions, I was drained but I learned a groove. I actually became more content being involved in my children’s daily learning sessions. It helped me know what I should be teaching them more outside of their regular school curriculum. I am still trying to figure out how I got the strength to do so much and commute every single day prior to covid.

I also learned who my children were. Sounds weird right? Yes, when you are at work all day, you are missing out on your children’s daily development, personalities, and growth. It gave me time to actually engage with them all day. We had breakfast, lunch and dinner together. My children were their happiest and healthiest. They were able to spend time with their family. The hustle and bustle at a standstill for a moment.

As far as my career, I was working more efficient, happier and no commute allowed me to work over without feeling guilty. Dinner was already in the crockpot and the laundry was done on lunch breaks. My dog was attended to, and I was able to pick the kids up from school when they returned part-time in person. Life was just better.

Returning back to the office on a mandatory hybrid or completely onsite schedule really created chaos for many workers. Some employees, especially new moms decided to seek new employment or to just chose a stay-at-home career instead of juggling a demanding schedule with a new baby. I understand their decision especially because of how costly childcare is these days.

It is amazing how that many companies are so concerned with forcing workers to return to onsite (fulltime or part-time), it seems as though they have not weighed the pros and cons. We understand that there are people who don’t perform well, and they should be penalized. However, there should be options and incentives of a more flexible schedule for responsible, contributing employees who are self-sufficient and assets to their teams.

I do believe that there will be changes in the future forcibly on corporate companies due to the newer CEOs with a mindset for change. These new minds will not only better the company, but they will help improve the lives of their employees. The CEO’s who understand one band, one sound. The CEOs who understand that happier employees perform better. As for me, I will continue to adjust to the corporate changes and always put my family first. However, I will always find ways and opportunities that will be beneficial to my professional growth, my mental well-being and my family.

-Tahnee Cole