Should We Really Be Social Distancing?
My phone rang yesterday, and I saw it was my friend and fellow small business owner, Guillaume Wiatr, calling. I answered the phone wandering what was going on. These days, we are suspect of people calling on the phone. Guillaume was just calling to connect though. He was calling to say hi. He was calling to check in on me since he knows small businesses have taken a hit during this time. We started talking about what a misnomer the term “social distancing” is. This is a time that we need to socially connect more than ever. Yes, we absolutely need to remain physically distant and stay at home whenever possible, but many of us are craving socialization in a big way right now. This is the time to pick up a phone to call someone, to FaceTime with someone you never have, to plan virtual happy hours with co-workers, friends, and to check in on family.
Employee engagement has always been a top passion of mine because the people are what drive business results. Everyone knows that engaged employees are far more productive and they are what make your business thrive. However, the way we are engaging has changed, and it has changed quickly. We are seeing lots of creative and innovative ways to gather at a distance, to remain physically distant but socially connected. Whether running a large company, a small business, or working as a frontline worker, we need each other now more than ever.
What if today you pick up the phone to call someone you haven’t talked to in a while or check in on one of your friends or family members that are on the frontlines holding our world together right now? I have already picked up the phone to call a friend today. She was surprised that I called her because we usually text, but we immediately jumped into a lovely conversation. I also had a phone call with a peer who lifted me up. And I am already looking forward to my 4pm Zoom happy hour with several friends today. Reach out and dial someone. Both of you will have a better day because of it.
#employeeengagement#connect#pickupthephone#metahelm#voltapeopleservices