Corona Connections

As the Covid-19 epidemic continues to spread across the US and the rest of the world, businesses and employees are continuing to adjust to the new normal. To combat the threat, people are embracing remote technology to conduct their business, educate their children, and nurture their spiritual life.

Among the many lessons being learned as more than a quarter of the US population is under orders to shelter in place is the importance of sustained social connection. In the last week alone, Facebook recorded a 70% surge in the volume of video calls hosted on their platform. Social bonds are not only important for those coping with social isolation they are critical for businesses as well. In fact, personal relationships (or the lack thereof) are among the most frequently cited reasons that employees choose to leave or remain with an employer.

For businesses and teams that are embracing remote work in response to the outbreak, here are a few strategies to help keep your team productive, connected, and ready to emerge on the other side of this thing stronger than ever:

• Create a digital water cooler:

  • Create space to focus on relationships and build social capital through a weekly team Huddle meeting. This YouTube video from Simon Sinek’s team provides an effective example on which to model your own.

• Embrace business-casual beyond the dress code:

  • Its one thing to work remotely from an empty house or apartment. But for employees that are married, have kids, or live with roommates, they are having to figure out how to share the same physical space with multiple other people AND get their work done. Be realistic and expect that kids and spouses are likely to walk into video calls and connectivity may become an issue as multiple users divide up the bandwidth. Employees and meeting attendees will do their best, but be proactive and let them know that these incidents are OK. We’re all dealing with this together.

• People over profits:

  • Avoid the temptation to draw conclusions about remote work and profitability. If you have been thinking about embracing remote work in your business, this is an unprecedented opportunity to test the resiliency, connectivity, and tenacity of your workforce. However, with schools closed, grocery stores on limited hours, and medical concerns abounding there are simply too many complicating factors to draw reliable conclusions about remote productivity and profitability for your businesses. Leave that issue on the table for now and come back to it when the outbreak is over.

Stay safe, stay productive, and stay connected.