Creative Energy Multiplies When We Collaborate
The COVID-19 pandemic gave us the need and opportunity to work from home. Remote work benefits employees in some ways, like skipping the commute to the office, work-day flexibility, and for some, an increased sense of work-life balance. However, the downsides of not being together are worth considering.
Collaboration among team members takes a back seat now to sweatpants and a tee shirt. The energy that helps us solve problems, become more efficient, or enjoy working on a project together is hampered in our makeshift office space facing our computer screens.
We probably agree that virtual meetings in a pinch are adequate. But, waving at each other and then hoping we don’t make any noise and pull the camera in for a close focus on us, quickly loses its charm.
During the video meeting, the kids may be fighting in the other room (or hopefully in the other room), or a loved one is “just grabbing something” from the file cabinet. We continue trying to focus with the dog sniffing, the cat on the keyboard, and emails popping up on another screen. Suffice it to say; there are a lot of distractions!
Surprising Collaboration Come from Unplanned Conversations
Unplanned, short conversations between coworkers in the hallway or after lunch can supply unexpected answers and solutions to problems. What works at work seems to be more tangible when we are together and focused on, well, the work! It’s easier to be enthusiastic about work-related ideas when we are not doing some laundry or hauling the recycling bins inside while talking with our teammates on the phone.
If you think about it, about all engagement and interaction between coworkers get scheduled now on our digital calendar when we are working from home. As a result, we lose spontaneity, with the exception, of course, of the countless emails you have received while reading this article or listening to the audio podcast!
It’s those unexpected moments when we are working in our actual workplace (quick trip to the bathroom, maybe?) when we run into someone down the hall, and they have just the resource we need when we need it!
We Understand Our Place in The Organization Better in Context
Having those spontaneous conversations with colleagues will not only help you to learn a thing or two about your company and the operations, but it can add insight into your own role within the organization.
Your presence at work often creates unexpected situations where you nurture relationships with your boss, the IT technician, and even the accountant at the end of the hallway.
Impromptu conversations in the workplace can offer you opportunities you would not otherwise enjoy.
There is a Social Benefit of Proximity
There are more benefits to collaboration than idea sharing or problem-solving. I think we underestimate how colleagues help to satisfy a need for social interaction. We connect as part of the team and laugh, swear, and make progress (or mistakes) – together.
Ideas get more attention and traction when we share them across the desk. Our face-to-face interaction involves the senses, the nuances that speak to our subconscious as much as our conscious mind. That is hard to do while “zooming.” Instead, our body language, eye contact, and sensory intelligence are relegated secondary to bare-bones communication.
Technology may have made it easier to mimic those in-person meetings and conversations, but like ice-cream substitutes, it loses the essence of what makes those moments meaningful.
The Importance of Body Language
We have learned a lot about body language this year and what happens when we don’t have it. Misunderstood texts, messages, and emails abound, creating havoc not only in our group productivity but the overall company morale.
For example, the posture we assume during an interaction, our eye movements, hand gestures, even our breathing patterns has the potential to convey far more than we realize in any given moment. In fact, our bodies can send out hundreds of signals during a conversation. The body speaks louder than words.
These important nuances of body language and tone are lost in a phone conversation. And, it’s not possible to pick up the hidden cues in a 4-inch version of your teammate during a video call.
We Have Adjusted and We May Need to Re-Adjust
Although the global pandemic has obliged many of us to adapt to remote work, I urge you to recognize the fundamental and beneficial reasons we all need to return to working alongside one another – collaboration being an important one.
The future may bring a hybrid model, where we divide our time between the office and our home throughout the week. That may be a positive solution as a compromise may benefit us with a bit of both worlds.
