How our engineering, surveying, and support teams all work together to forge a new normal

When it became clear the COVID-19 pandemic was going to have a significant impact on our professional and personal lives, FOCUS leadership quickly gathered to plan and prepare for changes we didn’t yet fully understand.

General Manager Ron Paul and department managers carefully evaluated the needs and abilities of each department. From Land Planning to Transportation to Marketing, they reviewed the firm’s capability to have staff work from home, job-specific modifications and responsibilities, protocols for moving forward, and how FOCUS could assure clients and partners of uninterrupted service.

Communication is Key

Whether working from home or in the field, our engineers and field surveyors are accustomed to adapting to a variety of circumstances. Shifting to a remote workplace model for some staff means the need to work together and communicate has never been more important. Using new tools for communication and an altered staff/office workflow, we have increased communication with each other and with clients.

Safety is Critical

Our utmost priority is to keep employees and clients safe. Many of us derive not just a paycheck but some of the meaning in our lives from the work we do. And we consider our teammates to be part of our extended family. While some staff has worked from home, those who have remained in the office have either taken an office or been given a new seating arrangement to facilitate proper social distancing. Field crew assignments have been adjusted to keep the same crew members together and in the same assigned vehicles. This approach helps to reduce the number of other employees a crew may come in contact with.

We’ve taken steps to reduce the risk of exposure in the workplace. It starts with a requirement to wear face masks in the office. We also perform temperature screenings of all employees daily and any employee who is exhibiting symptoms is expected to stay at home. In-office meetings have been limited to five individuals.

Staying Current

FOCUS leadership has been meeting weekly to gauge workloads as well as employee and client needs. We’re also regularly adjusting our protocols according to recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, World Health Organization, and the State of Utah.

Keep it Light

Amid all the caution and care, we recognize the need to stay lighthearted. To that end, we recently held FOCUS Masquerade, a mask contest with both in-office and remote team members. Our many participants really showed their creativity and sense of humor!

New Normal

As the state begins the process of re-opening businesses and loosening restrictions, we will be bringing our staff back into the office. As always, FOCUS is open for business. We’re committed to and passionate about the success of our clients. Our core principles continue to guide our decisions and actions. As we continue to forge a new normal, we see these moments as opportunities to learn how we can be more effective advocates for our clients and their projects. We know that we can come out of this better than ever before.