Yolofsky Law - August 2020

Yolofsky Law - August 2020

Insider MARCH 2020 If the memes are right, we’re all wondering what 2020 has left for us. We could easily let circumstances turn this into a summer of discontent. However, there might be another way. From the Yolofsky Office THE HERO www. yo l of sky l aw. com (305) 702-8250

Making You a Hero to Your Family and Business

There is a regular bombardment of reactions, not an analysis. Likes, comments, retweets, and news reports only provide someone’s “reaction”. None of these are physical impacts to our bodies. We choose to react to them – or not. This decision is a powerful tool to resist the influential attempts of the world around us. If we can rise above the verbal fray, not react, and then engage with empathy, more solutions will become apparent. Are we people who are overrun by circumstances? Or, are we positive problem solvers and solution finders? The legacy of 2020 is yet to be written. Will you write your own story? A special note - Congratulations to our colleague and good friend, Robert C.L. Vaughan on his election as President of the Broward County Bar Association! He’s the first Jamaican-American to hold the post.

Every day, it becomes more obvious that the COVID-19 pandemic has radically changed how many businesses operate. Public safety measures made working from home the norm for several months, but even for those businesses whose workers are still trickling back into their communal office spaces, the lessons from working remotely are proving to have long-term effects, the most prevalent of which is to company culture. The ways work and personal life intermingled has brought new priorities and necessities to light, leading to more empathetic practices. Employee concerns were global concerns, which provided the opportunity to foster understanding and build great relationships. Healthy company culture has been, and is still being, reshaped. Leaders can embrace and influence the positive changes that have emerged by doing the following: PROVIDE SUPPORT Technological support may be the key to keeping a remote workforce functioning at a high level, but it became clear that emotional support is the key to keeping that workforce happy and efficient. If leaders create a culture of mutual support, then they’ll cultivate employee happiness, which leads to a higher quality of work from each person. Not every single chat or email needs to relate to business, and encouraging employees to look out for each other by checking in on each other’s mental well-being can provide the necessary emotional reprieve to push forward with work. COMPANY CULTURE IS BEING RESHAPED Leadership for Positive Change

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COMMUNICATE FREELY Team leads and employees working from dozens of different locations have already led to a stronger emphasis on better and more consistent communication. In some instances, over-communication is becoming necessary in order to keep operations afloat, but it has now created cultures open to videoconferencing, extra telephone calls, and better ways to stay in constant touch via chat or messaging apps. Communication keeps everyone connected, which increases responsiveness, attention spans, and collaboration. EMBRACE THE PERSONAL Working from home personalizes the workplace and there’s simply no way around that, so find ways to embrace it. With the imaginary line between work and family essentially dissolved, team members are coming out of their shells and becoming more relatable. Colleagues are sharing family moments on video calls —whether accidental or not — and instead of causing disruptions, those moments can build team bonds that are stronger than ever before. A glimpse behind the curtain that reminds team members that the people they work with are more than cogs in a business machine leads to increased empathy. The blending of personal and professional can be liberating, not hindering. ENCOURAGE COLLABORATION Fighting a common enemy — COVID-19 in this case — created a new type of bond within a team. When people work together in the face of

the same challenge, they bring a new level of connection to both colleagues and customers. Studies have also shown that during isolation, collaborating via videoconference can actually improve workers’moods and work ethics. Enthusiasm for teamwork increases when teams have to take extra steps to work together, solve problems, and be proactive during difficult times. These fundamentals have always been in place, but working remotely proved just how effective and positive they are. The pandemic has provided a pivot point for company culture, whether you and your employees are still at home or are back in the office. The shift has been sudden but profound, and businesses are still making major changes that are leading them to see their work environment differently.

HELP YOUR KIDS HANDLE STRESSFUL SITUATIONS With These Sensory-Rich Activities

You can see it happening, almost in slow motion: Your child goes from playing and laughing to frowning in less than a second. They start to cry, and suddenly, a meltdown is underway. Is this just the way raising young kids is? Does a lack of sleep, change in routine, or intense hunger always have to lead to a meltdown? While it’s human to feel emotions

and express them, you can use certain strategies to help your child navigate major emotions and calm down. The key is helping them tap into their central nervous system with activities that engage their senses. Just like adults, younger kids sometimes need support to regulate their emotions, especially in situations that are stressful for them. That’s where activities that engage the five senses can be

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Make a pile of pillows and jump into it.

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Put on some fun music and dance.

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Bounce your little one on your lap or an exercise ball.

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Take them for a spin around the house in a box or laundry basket; kids can even race each other.

really beneficial. Sensory activities that utilize the five senses can help your little one connect their body to their immediate surroundings and the larger world around them. Here are some sensory- rich activities that can help kids feel calmer in stressful times:

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Create a slide by propping a mattress or exercise mat against the couch.

These are activities you can use right where you are to help your child find their calm again, even in a meltdown. According to early childhood development expert Alyssa Blask Campbell, sensory input stays in the system for about two hours, meaning even just five minutes of these types of activities can give you and your child hours of calm throughout the day.

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3 HABITS ENTREPRENEURS USE TO EXCEL DURING COVID-19 Battling Mental Hurdles

Why did some companies thrive during the COVID-19 pandemic while others had to shut their doors forever? The answer is simple: Successful companies embraced creative solutions to overcome the obstacles of the shelter-in-place orders. Creativity is key to a profitable business. Innovative problem-solving is how business leaders come up with new ideas, address unexpected issues, and inspire their teams during difficult times. Here are a few habits that resourceful entrepreneurs share.

helps you dedicate more of your mental energy to solving problems or refining big ideas. THEYTAKE TIME TO RECHARGE. This doesn’t mean spending all day watching Netflix. Recharging your imagination is an active process. If you’re feeling creatively drained, go to a place that inspires you. This couldmean taking a walk around a park, going on a hike in the woods, or visiting your local library. Immersing yourself in others’ ideas can also help recharge your creative batteries. Swing by an art museum, pick up a new book, or treat yourself to a solo

movie date. Ask yourself why a particular piece of art inspires you, what makes it worthwhile, and if you would have done anything differently. THEY PRACTICE CREATING. You don’t have to wait for inspiration to strike. Cultivate creativity by making something every day, even if it has nothing to do with your projects at work. Doodle during lunch, sing along to the radio during your drive home, or write a few sentences of a short story each night. Don’t worry about whether these personal projects are“good,” just focus on bringing them into the world. Practice makes perfect. If you believe that creativity is something that only a select few are born with, then youmight find yourself struggling to be imaginative during difficult times. However, when you view it as a skill that can be strengthened, you’ll develop habits to see you through what might otherwise be a creative drought.

THEY MAKE A SCHEDULE. Though it may sound counterintuitive,

structuring your day actually improves your ability to be creative. Establishing a schedule in advance allows you to avoid having tomake small, inconsequential decisions. You won’t be distracted by wondering when you’ll get lunch or if you’re missing a bigmeeting. It’s all already on the calendar. Reducing daily decisions gives youmore time to think about what matters and

Take a Break

Ingredients Peach and Arugula Pasta Salad

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8 oz penne or fusilli pasta

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2 large fresh peaches, diced or sliced 1/2 medium red onion, thinly sliced

2 tbsp olive oil

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

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1/2 tsp sea salt Pepper, to taste 2 tbsp lemon juice

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1 pint heirloom cherry tomatoes, halved

3/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

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1 cup corn

6 cups arugula, packed

Inspired by AmbitiousKitchen.com Add peaches, red onions, tomatoes, corn, and arugula to the pasta mixture. Lightly toss to mix well. Add more olive oil, lemon juice, salt, and pepper to taste. Directions 1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta for approximately 9 minutes or until al dente. Drain pasta and place in a separate bowl. 2. In a small bowl, whisk together olive oil, red pepper flakes, salt, pepper, and lemon juice. Drizzle the dressing over the pasta and toss with the feta cheese. 3.

Camping Fair Firepit Friendship

Peridot Poppy Rafting School

Sundae Thunderstorm Virgo Watermelon

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INSIDE THIS ISSUE From the Yolofsky Office PAGE 1 How COVID-19 Is Reshaping Company Culture for the Better PAGE 1 The Best Activities for Helping Kids Cope With Stress PAGE 2 Cultivating Creativity to Optimize Efficiency in 3 Steps PAGE 3 Take a Break! PAGE 3 Peach and Arugula Pasta Salad PAGE 3 Private Wojtek, Heroic Brown Bear of WWII PAGE 4

Private Wojtek, Heroic Brown Bear of WWII

Many brave soldiers answered the call to bear arms during WWII, but one Polish artillery supply company took things a step further and armed a bear. That’s right — among the countless animal heroes of WWII was a full- grown brown bear from the mountains of Northern Iran namedWojtek. Wojtek first joined the Polish soldiers as a cub. A young Iranian boy found him after a hunter most likely shot his mother. Then, when a group of Polish prisoners of war, recently released from Soviet gulags to join the Allied forces, passed through the town where the boy and the bear cub lived, they traded some of their rations for the cub and took him with them. The soldiers loved the cub and named him Wojtek, which means “happy warrior” in Polish. They nursed him with condensed milk from a vodka bottle and fed him some of their limited

rations. Over time, the bear grew to be 6 feet tall and over 400 pounds, but because he had grown up around humans, he was a gentle giant. He learned several mannerisms from his human friends and even took a liking to beer and cigarettes. For the many soldiers who had lost or were separated from their families, Wojtek was a welcome boost to morale. When the soldiers reached the coast of Egypt, where they were to embark by boat to Italy, British soldiers wouldn’t let Wojtek on board because he wasn’t a soldier. So naturally, the Polish soldiers gave Wojtek a service number, and he officially became a private in their company, complete with a rank and a paybook. Private Wojtek’s moment of fame came when his company fought in the Battle of Monte Cassino. The bear saw his human counterparts carrying crates of artillery shells, and he began

mirroring their actions. Throughout the entire battle, he calmly carried crates of ammo, which would have required four men to lift, to his comrades. In honor of Wojtek’s service during the battle, the company changed its emblem to an image of a bear carrying an artillery shell, andWojtek was promoted to the rank of corporal. After the war, Wojtek was moved to a zoo in Edinburgh, Scotland, where he lived until he was 21 years old. There is now a bronze statue of Wojtek in Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens, ensuring that this brave bear will not be forgotten.

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