We may be quarantined and working remotely, but Pinnacle continues to fuel our company culture, find innovation in our work, and connect with our community. Pinnacle had staff working remotely in the Portland area before the pandemic, so the transition to all remote working hasn’t been an extreme shift. We’re focused on communicating more and keeping spirits up!

Remote Construction Site Walks

Just 20 miles away, Red Canyon Redmond, a 67-home affordable housing community, is well into construction. With such a huge need for affordable housing in Oregon to house the vulnerable, the governor’s orders allow these critical projects to continue. Previously in-person site visits are now virtual construction site walks with Project Architects at home and the construction crew onsite using the Google Duo app.

Virtual Kudos During Quarantine

Back at the office, we have a bulletin board where staff exchange kudos for going above and beyond. With more reliance on Microsoft Teams for interoffice communication, we are taking advantage of the praise function and passing long, both peer-to-peer and leadership-to-staff kudos.

Team Meetings and Afternoon Happy Hour

What was once monthly staff meetings, now are biweekly zoom calls to both communicate firmwide news and keep connections. Recently, the team enjoyed an afternoon happy hour, where we shared stories of our first cars and favorite bands and sports teams. Our managers are checking in with staff daily. Still, we also check on folks during team meetings with either anonymous polling or a one out of five ratings on your fingers. Everyone is in a different situation – some alone at home, others homeschooling – so it’s helpful for all staff to understand how their coworkers are faring. The better our team, the better we can deliver to our clients!

Community Engagement

Pinnacle’s mission is to enhance lives and communities. Last month Pinnacle wrote over 100 letters to staff and residents at Cascades of Bend Retirement Community. This month we celebrated Earth Day. Pinnacle’s Earth Day plans looked a little different a few months ago. Instead of a group project, we encouraged staff to take time and engage in an activity of their choice, from creating a bee house and planting bee-friendly plants to picking up trash and making bird feeders. The results were fantastic.

Our staff is eager to return to our new normal after the quarantine is lifted. Until then, we’re doing our best to find the silver lining!