Article | Performance & Productivity

A day in the life of… Taryn Trass, Lenovo National Practice Manager, Data#3

Taryn Trass, Lenovo National Practice Manager of Data#3, like most people never suspected that any COVID-19 work-from-home public health orders and restrictions were going to last as long as it did. Or, in some circumstances remain permanent or as part of a hybrid arrangement even after work-from-home orders were lifted.

As a quick response to the hasty orders, Trass set up her home workstation temporarily on her kitchen table for six months, only to realise the new way of flexible working was going to be embraced by Data#3. In response to this, Trass equipped herself with a range of Lenovo Go accessories to allow herself to be set up for flexible working for the long term.

8AM: Kickstarting the day at home

While Trass’ initial workstation was set up on her kitchen table, she has since moved into a dedicated office space within her home. Trass says she uses a combination of the Lenovo Go Wireless Split Keyboard and Vertical Mouse.

“These are a comfortable option for all-day use as it takes the pressure off my wrists with their great ergonomic design.  The design allows me to get through my workday while easing pressure on my muscles and joints,” she says.

“The keyboard allows me to rest my wrists on the cork palm rest that provides a natural typing posture. The vertical mouse is programmable with six buttons. I also love the look of the units as a stylish choice in my home office with the sustainable cork addition.”

Trass shares her home office with her husband, so to ensure that she can concentrate while her husband is in a meeting, she relies on the Lenovo Go Wireless ANC Headset.

“I am a fan of the leather finished earcups which make it comfortable to use, even for long periods of time. This headset provided amazing clarity of sound. When the noise cancellation is activated the background environment noises seem to disappear, which makes it great for use in my shared home office,” she says.

She adds that like any work-from-home situation, she finds herself spending most of her time in virtual meetings. Besides a strong internet connection for these meetings, it’s important to be able to seamlessly adjust the volume, make calls, answer them, mute yourself, and hang up – features that can be added as shortcuts to the programmable buttons on the mouse.

“I can personalise it the way I would like it to operate. For example, I have a specific folder and website which I always access throughout my day. With the combination of two buttons on my mouse, it allows me to jump to my folder and website. It is so convenient,” Trass says.

11.30AM: Reconnecting with the team in the office

Similarly, when Trass is in the Data#3 office, she relies on the same accessories that she uses when she’s working on the go, as the office has a hot-desking setup, and the technology has been optimised to facilitate people working from different areas within the office, including communal spaces.

For example, while Data#3’s boardrooms feature VC capabilities, the smaller meeting pods are now equipped with the Lenovo Go Wired Speakerphone, which enables Trass to simply plug in her laptop and her meeting experience is immediately enhanced. It also ensures there’s no more awkward laptop positioning when she jumps on a call. The Wired Speakerphone is a Teams-certified device which allows her to easily control the application with its dedicated controls.

When working from other parts of the office, Trass prefers the Lenovo Go Wireless Multi-Device Mouse that can be switched between three devices seamlessly. This allows her to easily manipulate windows and programs across multiple devices to increase productivity without needing to have a complex setup.

“For times when I am on the go, the Wireless Multi-Device Mouse is the perfect accessory.  It is so lightweight, portable and fits easily into the palm of your hand. Like all the Lenovo Go mice options, you can store the dongle within the unit to keep it secure while you travel,” says Trass.

3PM: Staying connected while running errands

As a parent, Trass finds herself frequently running errands and picking her kids up from their after-school activities in the afternoon. In these moments, she relies on the ANC Headset to take calls on-the-go and the Lenovo Go Wireless Mobile Power Bank to charge her phone while using the hotspot function.

“The Lenovo Go range of accessories has been a great enabler for me to embrace the hybrid work lifestyle,” says Trass.

“The thoughtfully designed products offer high portability and comfort, which means that you can use them for leisure activities as well.”

Future of work

The disruption caused by COVID-19 presented a variety of challenges. However, it has also demonstrated that the future of work is hybrid. According to research by PWC, 60 per cent of Australian workers prefer a mix of virtual/remote and face-to-face working arrangements moving forward. While organisations navigate how to restructure their workforce and business model, it is clear technology will play a key role in facilitating hybrid work.

Commenting on how Lenovo can support hybrid workers as they navigate from home to office and everywhere in between, Business Development Manager for Commercial Accessories at Lenovo ANZ, Takuro Mizuno said, “Lenovo understands that work has transcended the boundaries of the home and the office. There is a growing demand for portable devices that do not compromise on functionality. The Lenovo Go range of accessories has been purpose-built to be versatile and portable.”

“Designed based on direct feedback from our consumers, our aim is to provide the best technology to help facilitate maximum productivity from anywhere, anytime,” said Mizuno.