From where and what are you working on right now?
The kitchen table at home here in Sørkedalen serves as an office, with a nice view of the outside bird life. Compared to an ordinary day in the office, the kitchen office is very quiet and unfamiliar. My focus right now is to organize all the consequences of closing the campus for the department - teaching, operations and information to all our employees. Currently it is all about a multitude of Zoom meetings and sitting in front of the PC all day. However, video conferencing is also incredibly effective. This Tuesday we had an institute meeting via video link. The meeting had over 110 participants, more than the usual attendance!
Your best tips for succeed in working from home?
My best tip is to use your day effectively. Get up at the normal time, eat breakfast and have a plan for your day at work. For my own part, I take a trip out every afternoon to enjoy some fresh air and to underline that the workday is over. The borders between “office” and “home” can get blurry. I notice that I get excited about keeping my surroundings tidy at home, so currently it is actually a lot nicer in my house than normally.
What has been most engaging for the past week?
What has surprised me most has probably been how quickly everyone has accepted that we are in a completely different situation now than just a short time ago because of Covid-19. These days we always need to think outside the box. Everyone is very loyal to the necessary changes, although they involve a series of difficulties and problems. I also think it is very positive that digital tools actually make things much easier.
What are you looking forward to when all this is over?
I am looking forward to being able to go back to our jobs without uncertainties or worries about the future. I am also very much looking forward a return to normal social life with family, friends and colleagues.