What’s the new water cooler?

Finding cultural connection in a remote workplace

It was about this time last year that I started paying a lot more attention to global warnings of a new coronavirus – most of us could not possibly have imagined what COVID-19 had in store for us. Without question, this full year of social distancing and sheltering in place has been a redefining force for global business culture. For me, it has been a forcing function toward greater intention, precipitating deep thought about the relationships I want to build, the culture of innovation I need to preserve and protect, and even the daily conversations I want to facilitate with my team.

I recently joined a Bloomberg panel on workplace culture and innovation during crisis. At the outset, the moderator asked an interesting question: What’s the new water cooler? My answer? There really isn’t one. Some aspects of business life compromised by COVID-19 simply cannot be replicated in a remote environment. I miss travel days where I’d sometimes find myself in multiple Accenture Interactive offices across the globe within the same week. I love those experiences: gathering for dinner with my team and hearing what’s going on in their corner of the world, laughing together (sometimes at my expense), learning, and gaining perspective I can apply to my own life and our business.

While I will never go as far as to call the massive devastation of global pandemic a blessing – I do think we can find a silver lining in its forced limitations.

When our options are limited, we produce interesting, varied, creative results. Entrepreneurial wunderkind Biz Stone says we should embrace constraints, “They are provocative. They are challenging. They wake you up. They make you more creative. They make you better.” Hard to think of a circumstance with more forced variability or constraint than a global pandemic.

I’ve been running the world’s largest digital agency from my home for nearly the last year. I was an almost-empty-nester with a packed global travel schedule and now I’m once again a full-time WFH dad competing with the kids for bandwidth. Pandemic life has been challenging – but what gifts has it brought for business culture, innovation, and our ability to be ourselves at work? I think there are many ways it changed us all for the better and some I hope we hold onto when restrictions loosen.

Intention. The last year has proven that we can achieve incredible things, even in a primarily remote work scenario. My team has been working this way for years, though admittedly not to the degree required during the pandemic. To foster connection, bring about change, and build strong collaborative relationships, I have to be really clear about my priorities, how I want to invest my time, and what I need from my team. Bringing greater focus and awareness to our daily lives can infuse meaning and satisfaction into stale routines.

Focus. COVID-19 brought sharp and refining clarity to businesses everywhere. In order to stay afloat in the pandemic, we have to be laser-focused on our customers, what they need, and how we can most efficiently and safely meet those needs. I would say this is true – maybe even especially so – in B2B relationships where our customers have looked to us for help reimagining their most important experiences, overnight, in the context of the pandemic’s emerging human truths. This focus on human needs will serve the marketplace and the greater good, moving forward.

Authenticity. Among my more radical leadership philosophies, I believe if you can’t be yourself at work, you should get a new job. Every individual brings unique personality, skills, abilities, and insights to the table. We’re our strongest and produce the best work for our clients when we are able to bring our most freely expressed self to work. For better and worse, this year’s remote work requirements have blurred our home and work lives to the point that we’re all a little freer, less inhibited, and more authentic. I think we’ve all given each other a bit more space to be human in the midst of this global crisis, and I believe the societal and business impact will serve us for years to come.

Trust. The “Trust and Coronavirus” edition of the Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that the relationship between employees and employers is deepening. People depend on their employers to be an informed and reliable source of information for current events and important news. For me, trust is also a critical cornerstone to remote work. We’re not punching the clock or checking in at the office in the morning. My team is reliably showing up, working around family and personal obligations of homeschool and household care. For this to work, we’ve had to deepen our interdependence and communication, knowing we’re all working to balance important client work with the demands of everyday life. 

The absence of water cooler chit chat doesn’t automatically translate to disconnection.

Remember that your favorite coworkers and officemates are still out there. Maybe reach out and see how they’re doing wrangling kids, pets, and homeschool. Or ask what they’re reading or watching. Check in. While COVID’s silver linings are real, I still miss people – the friends and family I can see, hug, and high five while coaching sports, having dinner in restaurants, going to the office, and living everyday life. These things will be back soon, and I’ll be more than ready for it.