Of all the life changes that 2020 ignited, one of the most impactful has been the transition to working from home. And while it has its advantages, one of the biggest disadvantages is not being able to easily connect with our peers. We know we aren’t alone when we say we miss seeing our coworkers in person, having lunch with someone other than our dog, and stopping for a quick morning catch-up in the office kitchen, usually bonding over how questionable the coffee is.
Despite not being able to interact in person as much as we’d like right now, KEPHART recognizes the value in those moments of connection and has made it a priority to still make those connections possible, even if it’s behind a screen. And our hope is that this might inspire you to reach out to someone, even if it’s on Zoom, for a quick hello from a friendly face! Here are a few fun and engaging ways KEPHARTians have been staying connected:
- Monthly Birthday Celebrations! In a time when we could all use something to celebrate, we’ve made it a priority set aside a few minutes each month to toast those with birthdays, just as we would be doing in person if we were working from our office. It’s a lighthearted way to remind others you are thinking of them… and to treat yourself to something sweet.
2. Shadowing! It’s a KEPHART tradition that when a new employee joins the team, they meet with each of the existing employees and spend a few minutes getting to know their coworkers before jumping right into a project. This is a tradition that has continued virtually and has helped our new employees feel like a part of the team, even if they haven’t met most in person just yet!
3. Morning Coffee! You’re going to drink it anyway, so why not invite a co-worker to join you virtually for a cup of coffee and a quick life catch-up. Many KEPHARTians have been doing this a morning or two per week to check in on their work friends.
4. Weekly Office Meeting! Once a week, we ask our entire team to set aside one hour for an office meeting. Not only is it a time to catch up on internal news and events, but it’s a time to shine a light on what’s being worked on office-wide.
While we can hardly wait to reconnect in person with our peers, for now, these methods are helping keep our KEPHART community running strong. Have other fun ideas for how to stay connected to your coworkers? Let us know!
