How is business continuing for the industry now working from home is the new normal? Source talks to Maxine Lister, head of licensing, about how Natural History Museum has adapted.
With the licensing industry now working from home due to COVID-19 restrictions and lockdowns, Source talks to key licensors, licensees and agents to find out how they are keeping business going.
Today: Maxine Lister, head of licensing, Natural History Museum.
How is the team’s day now structured, with everyone working from home?
We tend to catch up every morning via email/Teams to check in with each other and sense check the priorities. Planned 1-2-1s are done via Teams as it is important to call and not just email all the time. I am constantly either on the phone or email to Georgie [Britton, creative development manager] all day; the way we work is very collaborative – we are constantly chatting, just not across a desk at this moment in time. We both work from home one day a week so this is not something we have had to adapt to luckily – it is just for a longer period of time. It is pretty much business as normal as much as it can be and we are lucky we are busy!
Within the wider heads of department within the commercial area of the Museum, we have a Team meeting twice a week to keep each other up to date with the business and again planned 1-2-1s continue as normal, but I am on Team chat with various parts of the Museum on and off during the day.
Could you provide a rough timeline of your day?
I am still doing my usual hours at my laptop by 9am checking and responding to emails that have come in overnight, checking news and then working on existing plans/projects or building new strategies. One thing that this situation has given us is some breathing space to plan for the rest of 2020 and beyond. I usually have a number of video calls per day so still busy and logging off depends on what has happened during the day.
How is the communication with licensees and retailers continuing? How important is it to continue keeping these lines of communication open during this time?
We are talking to all our licensees and retailers regularly and it is vital that we do keep the communication open as much as we can dependent on their situations and to understand the challenges that they are facing currently. We want to be able to support them as much as we can.
Which projects are you able to move forward on right now?
We are lucky that we have just launched our Finisterre capsule clothing line on April 22, which is a menswear/womenswear sustainable clothing collection and are working on another launch for June. Longer term projects are still ongoing so we are working to keep as much of our planned product development moving as is possible. We have projects for A/W 20 and also S/S 21 which we are continuing to work on so we are still busy which we are thankful for.
The wider Museum teams are producing educational resources and we have a virtual Museum tour – Nature Live Online – where scientists are interviewed regarding their work which you can view on YouTube. We are working hard to maintain the public programme even in lockdown as much as we can.
This week Wildlife Photographer of the Year is running #WPYFromHome encouraging people to take images of wildlife from their windows, balconies, gardens, homes, etc. to try to engage people with nature through photography during lockdown. This will be going out across all WPY social channels, in conjunction with LUMIX.
What piece of advice would you give about how best to continue to feel like a team while WFH?
Communication is key and not just about work but just checking in for a chat and being there if someone needs to vent. Also talking to the teams that we share our office with – we tend to do a Friday coffee meeting and end up laughing and talking rubbish which is so important!
How are you keeping up morale?
Within the licensing team and with the wider teams we work with at the Museum we have had Team video coffee breaks to catch up with everyone. There have been quizzes and our scientists are doing Nature Live talks via YouTube that we are tuning in for so there is a lot going on to keep everyone connected which is really important.
Also in the heads of meetings there was some walkthroughs of our houses/flats (for those that were willing!) and introduce everyone to the pets so that has been good fun.
Best thing about WFH?
Not having to commute has been great, but I do miss the office environment. The fact that I am having a proper lunch break every day is lovely.
What’s the one thing you’ve discovered about each team member since WFH that you didn’t know before?
I knew this already, but the positive attitude to just get on with the job not just by Georgie who works in the licensing team, but by the whole Museum, has been amazing and something the Museum should be proud of.
If you have children, how are you managing keeping them entertained/educated while you work?
I have no children and can only imagine how hard it is to juggle work and family life right now. I love the fact that activities such as PE with Joe Wicks and now David Attenborough teaching geography via the BBC have been produced to help with this. There is a lot of resource out there that can help but it is still a difficult situation right now.
What advice would you give to people in the business who are worried about the future?
I don’t think I am in a position to give advice as we all have different challenges at this present time. All I do is try to remember that this situation will pass and all we can do is support each other through this difficult time both personally and professionally.
If you or your team would like to take part in this feature, simply email Samantha Loveday on saml@max-publishing.co.uk.
