Turning’s Kevin Herrholtz: Enjoying Work-at-Home Schedule

Kevin Herrholtz, vice president of client services at Turning Technology in Youngstown, is hanging tough. You can learn more about him and the company at its website.

What are some ways the COVID-19 outbreak has changed your work life? 

It’s interesting because you definitely have to use alternate ways to be efficient with your time. Conversations that used to take place informally at the water cooler, or at a colleague’s desk, now have to be a scheduled meeting on a calendar. It makes the day very structured and somewhat more predictable. It also presents the added layer of requiring essential leadership to ensure accountability and a high level of performance. As a leader, you discover how much you truly trust that each person is maximizing his/her time. This goes for me as well! I typically utilize daily check-ins and goal-directed initiatives to keep myself and team on track.

Overall, I don’t actually mind the adjustment of working from home. It allows me to be more present with other non-work related activities and attend to household responsibilities quickly. I’ve adapted to the environment pretty well, and to be honest, I wouldn’t mind that when things get back to normal (whatever that is), we adopt, at the very minimum, a hybrid work-from-home setup.

How about your personal life? 

You know, I actually think this has been a welcomed adjustment. I’ve always made it my number one job to be a great dad and parent. Being home allows me to check in with my kids between meetings and phone calls.  I find that I am more connected to what is happening in the house and with my kids’ life. However, the real superstar is my wife. On top of being a professional herself, she is the leader of the household in every possible way. I think we take a solid team approach to ensure our kids stay focused on their school work, but still have some fun during the week.

What steps are you taking to hang tough?

Does lifting weights and drinking a generous amount of vodka count here? Besides that, I am trying to stay focused on reaching mini goals throughout the day and maintaining a relatively structured schedule. I’m of course spending as much time as possible with my family (do we have a choice?), which is essential for me and “I think” for them to get through this.  

What advice are you sharing with the people you love?

I think we all know that this, too, shall pass. I am fortunate to be surrounded by family members that understand the complexity of the situation and are doing their part as socially responsible citizens to flatten the curve. We need to continue to follow the guidelines of the medical professionals to ensure we’re providing relief to our healthcare workers.