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Coronavirus News & Resources
- Law.com reported that Above the Law founder David Lat is still in ICU in treatment for COVID-19. He and his family are in our thoughts.
- The New York Times gave dos and don'ts for video calls for work.
- Harvard Business Review explained how to manage people who are suddenly working remotely.
- Vox provided tips for gathering with friends online.
- Meanwhile, The Cut proclaimed, “We all have Zoom hangovers.”
- Serious Eats offered an extensive guide to coronavirus food safety, including information on takeout and delivery.
- Here are a couple of fun home fitness challenges: 28 days of squats, planks, and lunges (from MyFitnessPal), and 30 days of push-ups (from Shape).
- For your Laugh of the Week, McSweeney's presents “Self-Quarantined: The Adult Activity Book.”
In Other News…
- Refinery29 wondered, “What if more women designed running shoes?”
- Insider had details on Colourpop's new Mulan-inspired makeup line.
- Kitchn rounded up the best kitchen tools and cookware for 2020.
- The New York Times explained how to freeze just about everything.
On CorporetteMoms Recently…
- We provided tips on how to work from home when school is closed for coronavirus.
- We talked about coronavirus, childcare, and working moms — a discussion inspired by this Atlantic article.
- We offered some clothes for working moms, including some maternity basics and washable workwear.
FinanceBossLady
Any tips for a first time manager? I just received a job offer at a new company and will have a direct report for the first time. My new boss sent over a candidate for the direct report (he is interviewing her but wanted feedback since she will report to me. I haven’t started the role yet – 2 weeks out) and she has three years on me and has a very similar background to me. Need some advice on managing her given we have pretty similar background experience and then on top of it, managing her remotely since we wont be in office for some time.
I know I was hired into the role due to my variety of industry experience, but I def have some imposter syndrome going on and the remote situation isn’t helping.
Anonymous
Don’t get caught up in comparing your skills against this individual. You were picked for your position for a reason. You aren’t in competition. Instead, view any similarities as a positive in that you’ll likely have a similar foundation of understanding that can help give shorthand in conversations. Think of yourself as a coach instead of simply delegating: Your job is to help this person perform at their best. Don’t just tell them what to do. Ask how they would do it and then walk through what does and doesn’t work. Overtime, this will mold someone to be more of a problem solver to help you excel in the long run.(Difference between saying “go get me Solution X” and having them come back saying they couldn’t find it vs. someone who can’t find it but looks for Solution X alternatives. Set up regular meetings to touch base on progress, identify what’s coming down the road and check in on her satisfaction. Pay attention to her communication preferences. Read about stay meetings–they’ve been valuable to me. People work much harder when they feel ownership in a project and connected to the organization and those around them. Don’t be afraid to give negative feedback when you need to, but always do it in a way that is respectful to the person and honest. Sugarcoating may feel better in the moment but does both of you a disservice in the bigger picture. Work hard and lead by example.
Belle Boyd
Regarding the article on freezing foods — you can also freeze butter and margarine. Both may crack after they’re thawed, but they’re still fine to use. Milk may turn a slight yellowish color, but is also fine to use, too. Flour is also able to be frozen. It won’t freeze solid and you need to bring it up to room temperature before you use it for best results. If you buy flour and don’t use a lot of it, it’s helpful to store it in the freezer so it doesn’t get bugs. Same thing with oatmeal.
Senior Attorney
And you can and should freeze your yeast, too. It only takes 10 minutes or so for a packet of yeast to thaw and come to room temp.
anon
I have always frozen butter for years. Real butter does not crack. It thaws perfectly.
Anonymous
Frozen butter is actually better for grating. Why do you grate butter? So you can make perfect pie crust…
anon
Frozen butter is actually better for grating. Why do you grate butter? So you can make perfect pie crust…
Monte
This is helpful — I have always frozen butter because I go through maybe a stick every quarter or two, but freezing flour has never occurred to me. I always buy flour for one recipe, use it once or twice, and then it is expired or has bugs the next time I want to use it (like this week, when I decided I should jump on the homemade bread train and discovered I had not used flour since 2017).