This is a critical moment in the world. Here’s Boldranians Take on COVID-19. The COVID-19 pandemic has pushed us into a new reality of working from home, quarantines, and social distancing. In these trying times, people, as well as businesses, need to do everything possible to stop the virus even at the cost of comfort and profit. Before all this, it was easy to say that Boldr is a purpose-driven company with a mission to make a positive impact for our clients, employees, and community. Never have our values been tested more than now… until COVID-19.
In the past few weeks, we have done everything we can to make sure our people are safe and able to work remotely, and that our commitment to our clients remains as strong as ever. Every Boldranian has stepped up and made a contribution, without which we wouldn’t be as ready or have been as flexible and adaptable to respond to the pandemic. People have shifted their schedules; sheltered together; taken on extra work; reached out to support and check-in on team members—every single person at Boldr has leaned in and lived their values.
Related Read: How Mission-Driven Organizations Responded to COVID-19
Today, we want to share a handful of stories that encapsulate the commitments of our team members as a way of saying thank you; and when we find ourselves against future challenges, giving ourselves a reference point for what we’re capable of because of the incredible team that makes us who we are.
Thank you to all Boldranians! #boldrtogether
Boldr wouldn’t have been able to act as swiftly as it did if not for Jon’s dedication in keeping up with the global news and updates from the Philippine government. Before the quarantine was put into place, we were able to start planning for when (not if) our entire team had to work remotely.
The Implementations Team (Chatty, Gabi, Jasper, and Rob) were at the heart of Boldr’s Contingency Planning. Any large organisation needs a control center to organise the information, design protocols, and enable team leaders to act swiftly and efficiently. These Boldranians were not experts at crisis management, nor have ever faced a situation like this before. But they used what they knew about implementation planning and execution to develop Boldr’s COVID-19 Contingency Plan. They knew who lived where and would be affected by border control, who needed what device so they could work from home, and the like. Their contribution was critical in transitioning our entire team to remote work.
Not everyone is able to work from home. One needs a laptop/desktop and a decent internet connection. Before the quarantine measures took effect, our IT team, Omar and Eli, rushed to buy all the equipment needed before the malls closed. Because of their diligence, we were able to acquire and deliver equipment to our people.
Due to quarantine measures, many hotels were closing. But Jaze managed to find accommodation in the nick of time for 16 members who were unable to work-from-home and needed to move to Ortigas (Boldr HQ). It wasn’t part of his job description, but he didn’t hesitate helping others to get the support they needed.
The moment the lockdown was announced in Metro Manila, Alex brought food supplies to the office, helped carry PCs down for members who needed the equipment to work-from-home, and managed the Client Services team to appraise clients of the situation. Hours before midnight, the hour when the lockdown was to take effect, no public transportation was available. So she hailed cabs for members just finishing their shifts so they can go home safely.
Several team members still reported to the office despite the lockdown. And since there was no public transportation available, Jay Ann drove her team—15 stranded members—home. She also helped deliver desktops and internet devices to their doorstep to make sure they’re all equipped to work-from-home.
It takes a great deal of love to sacrifice your own comfort for others. That’s what Richelle did for her team. She was already safe and sound in her home, all set up for working remotely. As Manila’s public transportation shut down, she chose to drive back to the office to pick up and drive each of her team members because they were stranded in the office and had no way to go home.
Sacrificing one’s own preferences to do what needs to be done is a decision that Hannah made for her team. The week before the quarantine, Hannah was supposed to transfer from Operations to the Implementations Team. Moving to the Implementations team meant she could work from home until the end of the lockdown. But Operations was experiencing a high volume of tasks and asked her to stay on. Even if this meant she would have to go to the office again, Hannah still said yes.