Returning to in-person work can be a tricky process that comes with a complicated mixture of feelings. Whether you’re excited or anxious about reentry, you can expect being around other people to require a lot of energy that you probably haven’t had to expend in a while. Why is in-person interaction such a drain, and how can you muster up the energy to reconnect with your colleagues?
Getting Back to the Basics of Human Connection
The return to in-person work can be overwhelming. These four strategies can help.
October 29, 2021
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Summary.
While some of us may be eager to share our experiences with old and new coworkers when returning to the office, others may not be ready to talk about the emotionally searing experiences we’ve been through over the past year and a half. We may even feel like different people than we were in February 2020. At the very least, we’ve probably grown more distant from each other and less accustomed to each other’s rhythms. To reboot our in-person working relationships — and maybe make them even better than they were pre-pandemic — it’s helpful to go back to the basics of human connection. The authors explore one of the most fundamental social skills: attunement, or the ability to be aware of your own state of mind and body while tuning in and connecting to another person. They present four steps to help you manage the many feelings you may have as you return to in-person work make your communication more effective.