My first great-niece was born in June last year. It recently occurred to me that for the entirety of her time on earth, she has seen only two live and in-person faces—those of her parents. Nearly all other human faces have either been on a screen or behind a mask. Like all of us who are trying to avoid the risks of COVID-19, her tradeoff for staying safe has been the loss of our face-to-face human connection.
That realization got me thinking about the leaders and teams whom I coach, particularly the impact our all-virtual work is having on our work relationships. While the introverts among us may have relished the quiet work-from-home time over the last year, it’s clear that Zoom is no replacement for the face-to-face human connection that many of us crave.
Backing up that observation with some hard data, a recent Harvard Business Review (HBR) article reported on over 50 studies conducted by teams at Microsoft. Looking into how the nature of work has changed since early 2020, they found that, “while employees report more meetings than ever, they also report more isolation and less connection…. People consistently report feeling disconnected.”
How can team leaders counter this problem? Here are five strategies for creating connection while working from home:
- Build in moments for personal connection – At the start of your next team Zoom session or one-on-one phone meeting, take a few minutes for a personal check-in by sincerely asking, “How are you?” Or, if you want something a bit more creative, try a “weather check” the next time your team is together by asking if people are feeling “sunny, partly cloudy, or chance of rain.”
- Make time for small talk – This HBR article reminds us of the importance of small talk, suggesting that it plays a “crucial role in making us feel emotionally connected at work…, putting us at ease and helping us transition to more serious topics.” Office work creates natural moments for small talk to arise—at the start of a meeting, during elevator rides, or while waiting for our food to warm up in the kitchen microwave. Team leaders need to think creatively about how they can create space for small talk in the virtual environment.
- Give people the opportunity to speak up – As I’ve heard Patrick Lencioni say, “If people don’t weigh in, they won’t buy in.” It’s especially easy for team members to hide in our virtual environment. Leaders need to be intentional about asking for opinions, feedback, and ideas from each person on their team. Ideally, they can find a way to do this without making the introverts feel like they are uncomfortably being put on the spot.
- Make meetings meaningful – While small talk is important, remember that everyone is spending a lot of time in meetings these days. Consider if and how your meetings are positively creating connection and acting as a valuable use of everyone’s time. Meeting agendas, clear action items, and reflecting on the meeting’s accomplishments can ensure that everyone leaves every meeting feeling like something important was accomplished.
- Turn on the cameras and smile – While seeing each other on screen doesn’t take the place of face-to-face interaction, it’s the best we have right now. Leaders should encourage their team members to turn on their cameras whenever possible. Celebrate the dog barking and the toddler peering into the camera. Seeing smiling faces, even on a computer screen, lifts our spirits and helps us make it through the day.
While some teams will be heading back to the office later this year, others might be working virtually permanently. Still others will be adopting some sort of hybrid model. Regardless, these strategies can help foster the human connections that we all need to do our best work when some or all of our team members are working from home.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a FaceTime date with my great-niece.
