Ideas for staying connected with people - post COVID hybrid working culture

Hi all, After covid, there has been a lot of transformation which has happened like hybrid working culture, flexi working, remote working, and all. With all these changes handling people/connecting people on regular basis has become a challenge for HR professionals. In this context may I get some ideas like how to connect with people constantly, please.

Dear Parvathi,

Yes, in the last 2.5 years, personal contact has reduced. However, the purpose of staying connected is important. If the personal contact is purposive, if it reduces mental tension or if it is perceived that it can derive value, people will meet anyway. Therefore, rather than connecting with people for the sake of it, identify a cause where a personal meeting is necessary.

Whether the working professionals or students, the COVID-19 pandemic has made them slothful. The purpose of a personal meeting should be convincing enough so that they are ready to shed their slothfulness. However, changing this newly developed habit is a big challenge!

Thanks,

Dinesh Divekar

Recently I conducted two training programmes - one for leaders of an Exhibition Centre - Bangalore International Exhibition Centre, who are deputy directors. Due to pandemic time, there were no events, fairs and exhibitions. Brief given to me was to motivate the leaders - the topic was Leadership motivation - Rewire and Reignite the spark within. It was a great programme and received good feedback at the end, how they should pick up the thread and move forward as economy is opening up gradually, albeit there is always a fear of another wave. Another was Team Re-building programme where I handled people from different teams who have started working in a hybrid model. For close to two years, except for occasional or rare meetings, interaction was on phone or zoom calls. My rebuilding teams training enabled people to come closer than ever in the past two years. Team Rebuilding is one such activity we can think of , or else the chasm will always be wide or will get widened as the days pass by.