What have you missed most about in-person interaction, communication, and teamwork?
Is it the laughter and joy that comes after a witty joke? Is it that one person whose smile seems to light up a room? Or is it that unbeatable sense of productivity that comes with good team camaraderie?
I don’t know about you, but I missed all the above.
So, I couldn’t help but feel a tinge of excitement when I heard that we were going to host our first socially distanced, in-person event of the year.
Although it wasn’t a crowded arena, a packed house, or any of what had become so normal to us in the past, it was an opportunity to interact with colleagues.
The event itself was a simple ‘grab and go’ for brokers to visit our recently renovated Friendship Heights shared office space.
To prevent crowding, brokers were slotted to arrive in different waves throughout the day and upon arrival tour the space, take their pick at a boxed lunch, and then head out – it was as simple as that.
Even though this was nothing like the in-person events of the past, I was still excited for a full day surrounded by members of my team, as we all worked toward a similar goal.
Arriving to Friendship Heights, I instantly felt a sense of comfortability as each person who navigated through the space wore a face covering and made sure to respect adequate social distancing.
I headed into the conference room to see an array of individually packed, sealed, and wrapped boxed lunches that were all set up for brokers to, ‘grab and go’.
Although the prospect of the once customary serve-yourself lunch buffet lingered on my mind, now, giving people the peace of mind that their food is totally sanitary is crucial, I reminded myself.
Bobbing and weaving around the lobby of Carr Workplaces Friendship Heights – which boasts a new, unique ceiling light fixture – brokers began to arrive individually.
Immediately, I could feel a sense of exuberance as each broker entered the space.
Although covered up by their face mask, I’m sure getting out of the house to enter a fresh, colorful, brand-new space brought a smiling to each broker’s face.
This exuberance, that feeling of energy and liveliness, was also emulated by each Carr Workplaces team member as they welcomed each broker to the space.
I could really tell that they too, were proud to not only show off such a glitzy workspace but to get back to some sort of normal – which we had all been yearning for.
After being welcomed to the space, team members would begin telling brokers about some of the new additions and then were given a full tour of Friendship Heights.
From its new vibrant community café, to its sleek private offices, many brokers noted that this space had really been transformed since they were last there – see the new Friendship Heights.
It was remarkable to see that even without ‘in-your-face’ reminders, that everyone who took part in the event, understood the concept of personal space and respect.
Whether it was communication between two brokers, a Carr Workplaces team member and a broker, or between respective Carr Workplaces team members, each interaction followed a similar pattern of social distancing and respect.
As the arrival of brokers began to stem and the event ended, I began to reflect on what had been such a successful, optimistic day.
It had been a day that although so different from the in-person events that we had become so accustomed to, it reminded me just how fruitful in-person communication, interaction, and teamwork can be.
I didn’t just feel like that shared reflection point stopped with me though.
It felt like both those who attended the event and those who made sure it ran safely and smoothly, shared this sentiment.
Laughs, compliments, and pleasant discourse could be heard throughout the day, which further emphasized that sense of not only a group accomplishment, but also a renewed sense of comfortability.
With this in mind – and with the COVID-19 vaccine becoming more readily available – I’m looking forward to the prospect of more safe, socially distanced, in-person events being held in the future.
While it may look and feel much different these days, it’s certain that there will never be anything that can truly replace the novelty and productivity that comes with hosting an in-person event.
If you’re interested in hosting an in-person corporate event, book at a Carr Workplaces event space near you.
To learn more about how to make the switch from remote back to in-person, check out our In-Person vs Online Meeting guide.
