This past Sunday I took a morning bun break at Faria Bakery (@fariabakery) prior to heading to the UC Davis GATEway Gardens for a walk with my partner and a couple members of my inner circle. As we sat socially distanced, our conversation turned to 2020 and the usual themes of this extraordinary year. I love these professionals and found myself listening closely as they shared their experiences working from home.
They made it clear that they are missing connecting with people in a casual and less orchestrated manner. Their companies, like many others, are encouraging virtual meetings and social hours on Zoom to relieve the isolation experienced when working remotely. While they appreciate the efforts that their respective companies are making during these challenging times and the opportunity to wear joggers to work, there were two needs voiced by all.
Spontaneous connection and deep work. Brief communications about family or personal news, the latest sitcom to binge, and personal story telling collectively support the interweaving of a tighter community at work. We, as individuals, seek connection at a deeper level with our work as well. This group clearly expressed gratitude for the ability to maintain connection with their teams and clients through platforms such as Zoom and Teams. However, they also want time to put their heads down and work without interruption. When we are working in the same office, everyone can see when an individual is in deep work and respect the flow that this creates for the individual. We respect those in deep work and opt to circle back later to connect and have our questions answered. When we can’t see each other, we are more likely to chat or email without the thought of interruption, we can’t see that an individual is in deep work.
As I listened, I heard these needs as a necessity for an organic experience when working remotely. This was the thought running through my mind as I walked through the GATEway. How can businesses provide the required structure to achieve the business outcomes desired and support the organic growth of connection to build strong virtual teams? Like the GATEway, leaders (both formal and informal) can build bridges of social hours or pathways such as blocking time for deep work to provide the bones of the virtual work experience. Also, like the GATEway, the seeds of spontaneous interaction grow organically and fill the garden with the beauty of connection. It’s these organic business principles that will serve our organizations for years to come.
What is challenging you as an employer during this virtual work experience? Reach out to us! We want to assist you to design and build the framework that supports the people of your organization.
