At this point, roughly six months after the pandemic started in the United States, it is not a secret that our lives have entirely been turned upside down. From the way we socialize, to our dining experiences, how and where we travel, the way we shop, and where/how we work…to say the least. It seems to have shown us how many simple pleasures were present on the day to day that we often didn’t even notice. As an aside and in all fairness to our humanness, it isn’t until something like this happens that our perspectives shift. How do we know what another reality looks like if we’ve never taken a second to imagine it?
That being said, my focus today is on workplace camaraderie and connectivity during these unprecedented times. Through my own personal research and the information I’ve been absorbing over the last few months, what I’ve discovered is that people miss people! The lack of face to face interactions seems to have truly impacted the way people feel…. and who can blame them.
So what do we do about it?
Connect!
Might be easier said than done but here are a few ideas I’ve come up with to help increase human connection in the workplace ‘environment’. I don’t assume everyone will be comfortable with these ideas, nor is that the point, but more so to stimulate out of the box thinking.
Coordinate and connect
- Schedule a monthly or bi monthly outdoor get together for work, play, or both
- Plan a picnic with safe shareable foods while the weather is nice
- Create pods to form smaller work groups and schedule a get together
- Plan outdoor bonding activities that allow for social distancing but connectivity (kayaking, hiking, paddle boarding, scavenger hunts etc.)
- Rent a conducive workspace or go into the office once a month (utilize the pods to execute this safely if needed)
- If face to face interaction isn’t an option, schedule a happy hour Zoom call every other Friday.
Make time to be human–show empathy and curiosity to the people who work with you, next to you, or for you.
- Ask how co-workers and employees are doing–schedule it, make it a priority.
- Allow people to express without judgment
- Allow grace where needed and assist with problem-solving
- Share resources
- Bring employees back to the mission, to the why
- Adapt where needed, listen to the people’s concerns
- Send personal development articles or daily quotes to help improve motivation
Some ideas to get the ball rollin’ and to foster socialization even in the middle of a global pandemic. Remember the following please: this too shall pass, you’re human, you’re allowed to have needs, and you’re allowed to be heard. Take it a moment at a time because technically, right now is all we have.
