Tatiana Kovalchuk is the Workplace Experience Manager at digital writing assistant tool Grammarly, where she is focused on creating a collaborative and effective work environment.
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1) To kick things off, could you tell us a little about your career background and current role?
My career path started with a receptionist position, and I’ve grown from there through different administrative roles. For a while, I worked with technical teams, but I realized I wasn’t very passionate about my activities in that role.
I felt very enthusiastic about coming to the Workplace Experience team at Grammarly, where I get to focus on what truly inspires me: creating a collaborative, efficient, and effective workplace for the team.
2) What does a day in the life look like for you? Can you take us through a recent workday?
Due to restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, all Grammarly team members have been working remotely, which has significantly changed my work routines and schedule.
My day now starts at 8 a.m. with a family breakfast and some “me time,” then at 10 a.m. I focus on work. My usual workday is full of Zoom calls, emails, and written communication.
My team handles a variety of requests from colleagues and is also in charge of maintaining company culture, facilitating remote onboarding, monitoring team engagement, and supporting the team with mental health resources.
I usually spend the beginning of the day on “big rocks” tasks or by using the “eat the frog” technique, check in with my team, and review plans.
After lunch, I follow up with specific people on Slack or in Zoom meetings, check emails, and learn something new for my professional development.
My evenings are always dedicated to my family, friends, and reading.
3) Does your current role allow for flexible or remote working? If so, how does that fit into your life and routine?
It does, and I really enjoy this availability. Usually, much of my work is related to a physical office.
With all that has changed during the pandemic, I’m grateful that my productivity and ability to add value hasn’t decreased but instead has transitioned into more focused types of work.
4) What does work-life balance mean to you and how do you work to achieve that goal?
For me, life is not only about work. It is very important to be able to stop and look around—so as not to lose myself or my loved ones who need me in their lives too.
I intentionally set boundaries for when I start and finish working because I know that work could fill as much time as I allow it.
5) In the past 12 months, have you started or stopped any routines or habits to change your life?
I used to be in a hurry all the time, trying to do as many different tasks as fast as possible. Now I make a list of all the important things I need to do in the near future, set priorities for a week ahead, and try to focus mostly on those.
I do not make separate priority lists for work and personal life. They go along together in the same list. Also, I have stopped being a perfectionist, which saves me a lot of energy and time.
6) Do you have any favorite books, podcasts, or newsletters that you’d like to recommend?
I’m reading Becoming by Michelle Obama now, and I’m enjoying it a lot.
I also consistently read several newsletters from LinkedIn, including The Future of Work, Workplace Evolutionaries, Performance, Elevate, and several others.
7) Are there any products, gadgets, or apps that you can’t live without?
Even though I work there, I would definitely say Grammarly’s writing assistant—it is my main helper when communicating.
I also like the Momentum extension on the Google Chrome browser, which provides a daily inspirational photo, a quote, and a personal dashboard featuring to-do lists, weather, and focus for the day.
8) Do you have any last thoughts on work, life, or balance that you’d like to share with our readers?
The balance needs to be constantly maintained. Set boundaries and follow the schedule. Stay curious. Make time for loved ones and friends. Live your life today.
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