The Power of Togetherness

 Why it’s important to stay connected during Covid-19

During these tumultuous times, businesses have had to cope with shifting working environments and making compromises. No longer can we experience the simple joys of shaking hands with a new client, talking to peers around the office, or going out for drinks at the end of the day. It’s easy to see how we have taken advantage of the socialization we gain from the workplace, including the identity the employee has to their peers that separates them from their home life. Now that these spaces are forcibly combined, mental/emotional strain is the unfortunate byproduct of working safely from home.  Working from home can cause feelings of isolation and disconnectedness. Employees may be feeling unrecognized and unmotivated, or in the jaws of the new phenomena: Zoom Burnout. Because these networks are no longer available, we believe that it is important to maintain connections however we can.

Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash

Now more than ever, it is important to connect with the team and keep positive spirits. Interacting with your peers ensures that everyone feels supported and recognized.  Keeping employees happy makes for more productive days and builds healthy working environments. It’s important to feel like an active contributor to the workplace, instead of feeling like the disillusioned employee at home.  As tactfully described by Michael Lee Stallard and Katharine P. Stallard, 

“In connection cultures, those individuals with power or authority care about others and invest time to connect with them. They foster an environment in which people feel connected to one another and to the work they are doing. ... higher employee engagement,tighter strategic alignment, better decisions, a higher rate of innovation, and greater agility and adaptability to cope with faster changes taking place today. … Connection is cultivated when leaders communicate an inspiring vision, value people and give them a voice.”

With everyone spread out and at home, we think that a good leader will take this opportunity to harbor stronger connections with the team, fostering a happier and compassionate dynamic to combat the chaos of the world outside the home. To invest time in your team is investing in the success of working from home. Reaching out, checking in, and staying connected is what it’s all about! 

We also firmly believe that being creative is the best way to both communicate with others while being engaging and interesting. When people are subjected to a repetitive system, the brain gets accustomed to the same stimulus and thus it loses significance. Stimulating different parts of the brain with a surprise or a new form of communication makes it easiest for someone to want to stay engaged.  Personalized messages are all the better to communicate with, because it ensures that the receiver feels important and acknowledged, which best combats the distance created by working from home.