How to Foster Meaningful Connections in a Virtual Work Environment

When the COVID-19 pandemic forced offices to close, organization across the world were tasked with coming up with new virtual, remote work environments.

Three years have passed since the pandemic’s start and organizations today are still figuring out what the ideal working model is for their employees. Some companies are fully remote or fully in-office while others are taking a hybrid-approach.

Studies have found that one of the challenges of the virtual work environment is the impact it has on organizational connections. Elizabeth Grace Saunders, a time management coach and the founder of Real Life E Time Coaching & Speaking, says fostering connections is critical to both our well-being and even performance. In an article for the Harvard Business Review, Saunders offered a few tips on how employees can find the time to meaningfully connect with colleagues— without feeling more stressed and overwhelmed.

UTILIZE ONE-ON-ONE MEETINGS

One-on-one meetings can be a great opportunity to foster meaningful connections with your coworkers. Even if the meeting agenda is set, Saunders says spending just a few minutes to catch up and ask “how are you” can make an impact.

“You don’t need to spend the whole time on personal updates, but even reserving five minutes to ask about their recent vacation, find out if their mom is out of the hospital, or to see how they’re recovering from surgery can make a difference,” Saunders says.

TAKE BREAKS

Social breaks away from our computer can do wonders for our mental well-being. Saunders recommends scheduling short breaks away from work to connect and chat with coworkers.

“Grab a bite to eat with colleagues over your lunch break,” Saunders says. “Your meeting schedule may not allow a proper lunch break every day, but blocking out at least a couple of days a week where you’re not multi-tasking at your computer can make your lunch more enjoyable and more social.”

REACH OUT

Virtual work environments inherently limit our social interactions. But that doesn’t have to mean we’re void of meaningful connections. Saunders says a simple quick chat message asking our coworkers how they’re doing can help foster connection.

“These conversations can end up taking a lot of time if you’re not conscious of how long they go, so you’ll want to limit how frequently you engage in purely social messaging,” Saunders says. “But reaching out a few times a week can be fun and help you feel connected. Consider pinging people at natural times when you would have said ‘Hello!’ to coworkers in the past, such as when you first get to your desk, around lunch, or when you’re waiting for a meeting to start.”

Sources: Harvard Business Review, McKinsey & Company

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