Last week, we reached the first phase of reopening. Getting there was not easy, and COVID-19 challenged us a company in a way we had never been tested in the past. The pandemic is not over, but we have returned to our buildings and are continuing construction and serving our customers. None of this would have been possible without our fantastic team. Today, I want to thank them.
Flexibility
We all had to juggle personal challenges with our work during our time of shelter-in-place. In a day, we had to move our work from our offices to our homes. We had to adapt with whatever we had available at home, from dining tables to children’s bedrooms, to create new office spaces where none were ever meant to go initially. I know it was not easy, especially for parents, yet everyone managed to adapt to their new physical environment and new work rhythms.
Our Celaque team members working at our offices in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
Some of our team members also had to change roles. Because a part of our work is presence-based, some people had to move to different departments to make sure everyone had work to do. Everybody adapted with no questions asked. Some people were brought in to implement systems, while others negotiated procurement contracts. Many did things they had never done before, but they did it anyway.
Working in this new mode was not easy, and the working-from-home model extended many more weeks than we thought it would. There were days when we did not see the end in sight. The pandemic is still not even close to over, and some people are still working in their homes. It has been hard to keep going, walking along with no visible light on the other end. We have seen some of our clients’ companies close, and many people lose their jobs. Yet everybody has maintained their focus and continued with their responsibilities in the best way possible.
Teamwork
People moved seamlessly to become members of teams they had never worked in before. I want to thank them for supporting whatever team they had joined. In doing so, they demonstrated a commitment to the larger company, not just to their previous teams. They also quickly adapted to the group’s reality at that moment.
We even formed our new cross-functional creative team to find ways to generate new income streams for our company. Along the way, we also found strategies to improve our operations. For all of this, I am grateful.
Commitment
Our teams are now at the frontlines, building our projects and serving our customers. Their commitment and dedication to their work and purpose are clear. At Celaque, we are committed to our country and to improving our city, in whichever ways we can.
Today, we are adapting to doing that same work in an altered environment. It is not easy to have to brave a virus in a situation where the pandemic is still not under control, although we are applying all the necessary measures. We continue to adjust, and that is because of that shared commitment.
Our Celaque team members work at one of our construction sites in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
We are nothing without our team, and I am grateful to work with them every day. Together, we create products that are much bigger than the sum of each person, and it is an honor to belong to and actively participate in this organization with them.
Thank you for all your hard work, thank you for your commitment, and thank you for adapting. We will come out on the other side — together.
