What the Pandemic did NOT Prove

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

November 2023

As I’ve facilitated numerous multi-day organization and team retreats - in person - over the past year (3 in the last month), seeing people reconnect after a tough few years and watching many coworkers meet IRL (in real life) for the first time was immensely fulfilling, as was helping these groups re-energize and align on the work ahead.  It also reminded me of what the pandemic (and the shift to virtual remote work) did and did not prove. 

Staff feedback on every retreat I’ve designed indicates they valued deeply the in-person interactions with their colleagues.  Yet, Gallup survey data also shows that the majority of people who can do their jobs from home are not interested in returning to the office full-time. Most are open to a hybrid schedule, 2 – 3 days in, the others from home.  Few organizations are mandating what those days are however, so people are not necessarily seeing many co-workers when they do come into the office.  It’s hit or miss. 

Why does this matter? Didn’t the pandemic prove that an organization can be productive even when the staff are all working from home?  No.  It did NOT prove that. 

The pandemic showed that an organization could generate results for a period of time with staff who:

• Already had established relationships with one another

• Were keenly aware of their own specific roles and responsibilities as well as those of their colleagues

• Already had a common understanding of the organization's work culture and norms

These are the baseline conditions for top results in any work setting – in-person or virtual.  Staying productive in a permanent hybrid work environment will still depend on establishing/deepening co-worker connection and developing a mutual understanding of work styles, roles and responsibilities. 

My prediction (and hearty recommendation) is that annual budgeting for team and organizational “retreat” events will increase over the next few years as organizations spend less on day-to-day office space and more on periodic extended sessions IRL (in real life).  Those who ignore the importance of coworker connection and relationship building do so at their peril.  .