The Importance of Human Connection in the Workplace During the Pandemic
The COVID crisis has infected so much of society including our businesses and how we operate. We are all being forced to live a different life and with that has come changes to how many of us work. Business leaders, including founders, are being forced to pivot their business plan, strategies, and structures. The wise employee recognizes that with these changes must come a focus on intentionally nurturing our workplace relationships. We may not all be “managers” but we all need to manage our relationships with our colleagues. And managing our relationships in today’s climate must involve a high level of kindness and compassion.
The good news is that an intentional focus on workplace relationships has great potential for personal reward. Our personal and professional relationships are keys not just to business efficacy but personal well-being. Particularly now, we need each other more than ever. Unfortunately, our social distancing and remote workplace realities have furthered our separation from one another. We have to work extra hard to transcend the physical distance and intentionally re-create our past “water cooler” exchanges. And this is essential because healthy and secure relationships facilitate not just our emotional well-being but our actual business success.
“This is the time in history to take pause and ask ourselves how are we doing with our relationships? How is your colleague really doing? Do you know? Do you care?”
This is the time in history to take pause and ask ourselves how are we doing with our relationships? How is your colleague really doing? Do you know? Do you care? The other day, a client told me that her team had run out of “personal things to ask each other,” a new meeting ritual that was implemented, to help workplace teammates connect. I challenged her that this is not possible.
My call to action to you is to go out of your way to connect with your colleagues, to intentionally manage your workplace relationships. Yes, it will take time, it will take effort, but the ROI will be great. And if you are at a loss for how to do so, here are a few tips: embrace an attitude of openness, curiosity and interest in the other; listen without interrupting or anticipating what the person might say; show genuine empathy; ask if there is something that you can do to help (even if they don’t need help); let them know that you care; express appreciation for them. It’s through strengthening our relationships that we will get through this time. And it may even be the silver lining.