Here is the latest submission for our Day in the Life of a Nonprofit Communicator.
Tricia Maddrey Baker is still working at home. Let’s see how she is adapting.
Tricia’s Bio:
When our second child was born, I had no idea that dealing with his special needs would lead me to a career, although not as you might expect. Because I had to stay out of the workforce due to his needs, I volunteered with several organizations, and started to learn about fundraising through these experiences. When I could re-enter the working world, I parlayed this experience into a position for marketing and development for a small nonprofit. Although I’ve worked for various organizations since then, including a Big Box Store and an Association, my heart remained in the 501 (c) 3 sector, where I run social media and communications today.
Before 8:00 a.m. Do you immediately grab your phone when you wake up? Are you taking the dog out? Breakfast with the family? Do you get dressed right away if you’re working from home?
First thing: make get up at 5:27, make coffee and breakfast. I check my personal news boards while eating breakfast.
Then I scroll through happy things on my iPad before showering.
8:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. When do you normally start your workday? Are you on the computer now or getting the kids set up with their school work? Do you create a to-do list or just react to what comes your way?
I boot up my work computer between 6:35 and 6:45 to start my day. Starting early helps me, especially since others at my organization start early as well. I work through emails, then each social media stream, then to YouTube to check for comments. On Mondays I prepare the KPIs for the Monday meeting.
After I finish with social media listening activities, I turn to Google Analytics, to make sure that the entire websites functioning correctly. Then I move to Google Ads, to review the daily ad status and recommendations, dealing with any issues that arise.
10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. What systems are you using to stay organized? If working at home, is someone else in your house also working from home? How are you getting along? Do you eat at your desk for lunch?
I use the content calendar on the shared drive for half of the scheduling. The remainder is up to me, since I was assigned to one of the teams in the office.
I just bought a new, snarky, desk calendar, with sassy stickers, which is helping me more than I expected! I have several journals next to my desk to for notes during discussions.
COFFEE is a big help! Because my office space is on a different level than the coffee pot, heating or filling my mug helps prompt me to move.
I don’t have an idyllic setup; both of our adult children are with us during the pandemic, so we have boxes in the “family room” where my “office” is. One thing I did for myself: I bought a $109 desk from Amazon so I could spread out more to assemble all my tech. That, and moving my desk to a different orientation, has truly helped my mental outlook, in spite of the boxes!
12:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. Are you still on schedule for the day? How are you communicating with your co-workers?
I take a lunch break, away from my desk, for a half-hour, usually starting around 11:30am. During the day, I use email, MS Teams, and mobile to communicate. Since I am the whole Comms staff, I serve multiple clients, so being able to reach everyone is essential. I’m finding it easier to reach people when we are all remote than I did in the office.
I tend to use afternoons for graphic design and social media scheduling, depending on any urgent needs that arise.
2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Any later afternoon planning sessions? Power naps or coffee breaks? How do you wrap up your day?
I try to wrap up my day around 3:30pm to 4pm. Starting early helps me, especially since others at my organization start early as well.
I touch base with the other members of the team to make sure that I have all their needs under control.
After 4:00 p.m. Did you finish everything you needed to do? When does your workday actually stop? How do you prepare for tomorrow?
I work ahead so that my next-day’s list is already programmed into my calendar. I make notes during the day, and put “ticklers” into Outlook if there are specific tasks to perform on a specific day.
Thanks for sharing your day, Tricia!
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