Mika: Amid COVID-19, it’s time for a Know Your Value reset

It’s time to press reset.

Summer has largely come and gone, but our stress and anxiety as a result of the coronavirus pandemic lingers on, at least for now. Many of our kids are not physically in school. Essential workers continue to juggle low pay while putting their lives on the line. And many of us are either still working from home (like me) or looking for a job.

Life has shifted dramatically and cruelly over the past six months. One thing we have learned is that this pandemic isn’t going anywhere. What does that mean for us practically? It means we need to pivot and adapt.

The status quo has changed at work – from how we apply for jobs, negotiate our worth, interact with colleagues and bosses, self-promote and push back in real time and more.

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Our personal lives have changed radically too – our relationships with our partners and family, how we socialize, our eating and exercise routines, hobbies and more.

We have two choices. We can look down, sulk and just keep on doing what we’ve been doing (and have little to show for it). Or we can pivot and adapt with grace and clarity – and truly grow our value both at work and at home. I hope you’ll join me in choosing the latter.

Here at Know Your Value, we’re revamping and retooling our message to adapt to our new normal, to truly help you survive and thrive during this difficult time. This is just some of what we’ll cover over the next few weeks:

On career:

Get your Zoom face on.

The days of going into a job interview with a firm handshake and looking your potential boss straight in the eyes is over. Your interviews, meetings and networking will all primarily be done via videoconferencing. We’ll teach you how to get comfortable on camera and how to present and communicate your work and value effectively.

Be content and thrive where you are.

This is a big departure from the Know Your Value message. In the past, I’ve always been about aggressively going after that raise. I always want you to care about equal pay and getting your value. But because of COVID-19, the landscape is more nuanced. This is probably not the time to lobby hard for a raise or promotion. I’ll explain what to do now so you can advance later.

Connect with your boss.

When you’re working from home, it can feel like you’re lost at sea or that no one is noticing all the hard work you’re doing. We’ll go over how you can maintain a good relationship with your boss and make your accomplishments known.

Stay on track

It sounds funny, but pandemic blobiness is a real risk! What do I mean? At home, it’s easy to be pulled in a million different directions. You stop keeping a schedule. You don’t change out of your pajamas until noon (if at all). Your workplace becomes your eating place, and so forth. And as a result, your work output and your mental health takes a hit. We’ll help you come up with a schedule to stay on track.

Ask for what you need (within reason)

Maybe you need to shift your hours to take care of a sick loved one. Or you need to make adjustments due to your kids’ distance learning. How do you successfully make your “big ask”? We’ll tell you.

Tidy up your social presence

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On lifestyle:

Maintaining optimal health

I hit a low point during lockdown. I ate unhealthily and went off my normal fitness routine, and as a result I gained the quarantine-15. I’ll share my story and what I’ve learned about setbacks and getting back on track (without judgement!).

Finding a way to get quiet time

This can be hard, especially if you’re a working mom. More than ever, we need time and space to prioritize ourselves.

Trying something new

I’m not talking about huge endeavours, like becoming fluent in French or doing a gut-renovation on your kitchen. For me, it’s been gardening. Little things count. I’ll share what some of my friends have been doing as well, and how it’s helped them find joy when life can feel asocial and a bit monotonous.

Family and relationships

Many of our personal relationships have been strained, either as a result of too much distance or not enough. We’ll go over how to keep these relationships healthy during this challenging time.

The power of pets

I’ll share the story about how my pets (including a recent adoption) have changed my outlook on life and have been instrumental for my mental health.

Over the next two weeks, we will dive into these new ways of approaching life and work. Much has changed, and we need to change too. Knowing your value means knowing when your stock is UP or DOWN. And at this moment, our value is being put to the test.

The uncertainty in our professional worlds has injected a whole lot of stress into our personal lives. Given our new reality, we need to regroup. We will help you do that with clear tangible advice, adapted to this extremely tough landscape we find ourselves in today.