Editorial

Abstract

This past week marked the one-year anniversary of my staff and me working from home. When we packed up our cubicles and offices in March 2020, no one expected to be working remotely from home for long. We honestly expected to return in a few weeks or at least by the end of April. In the meantime, the university kept extending our work-from-home agreements. During the past year, we have acquired new skills and ways of working. For example, we have mastered how to use WebEx and Zoom for meetings and have realized that this technology can make our meetings more effective. Although some people complain of Zoom fatigue, we have found that our meetings are shorter, and no one lingers afterward. We may start meetings with small talk, but when we are done, people are ready to sign off. Participants who may have difficulty speaking up can choose to use the chat box, and entering terms like “stack” in the chat box helps to ensure that everyone gets a chance to speak and in a predetermined order. It avoids having everyone try to speak at once and ensures all have a chance to speak.