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Not long after the COVID-19 pandemic forced a shift to remote work, the internet security research firm Twingate conducted a national survey to find out what workers missed most about going to the office.

Heading the list: “Social connections,” followed closely by “human contact in general.”

Those answers aren’t surprising to Phil Kelley Jr. (www.philkelleyjr.com), author of Presence and Profitability: Understanding the Value of Authentic Communications in the Age of Hyper-Connectivity.

“Interactions with other people are essential to human beings and those interactions significantly affect our state of mind,” says Kelley, who is also president and CEO of Salem One, a company that specializes in direct marketing, packaging, printing and logistics. “We were built to interact, to socialize, to gather and sort ourselves into social groups.”

Kelley understands the need and advantages of flexible remote-work schedules. He just worries that if remote work isn’t handled correctly – and if trends continue such as hot-desking policies where no one is assigned a permanent workspace at the office – the big loser will be corporate culture. And when culture suffers, so does the entire enterprise.

“It’s well established that a great organizational culture – one where people feel engaged, connected, purposeful – helps achieve financial success,” Kelley says. “This is because the attitudes of the people in an organization ultimately reach and affect customers. To put it simply, satisfied employees tend to foster satisfied customers.”

Developing A True Connection

That’s why it’s important to promote the development of authentic connections and good relationships within a company, he says.

“Unfortunately, building and maintaining good internal relationships gets more difficult when those relationships are mediated by technology via email, texts, phone calls or video calls,” Kelley says.

While some communication is better than none, what’s ultimately important is making a true connection, he says. For that purpose, a phone call is better than an email, a video chat is better than a phone call, and in-person is best of all.

“If working from home is done in such a way that eliminates employee interaction, then you will lower the quality of your culture,” Kelley says. “That will in turn lower employee satisfaction and increase turnover.”

He says it all goes back to a saying popularized by writer and management consultant Peter Drucker: “Culture eats strategy for breakfast.”

“I couldn’t agree more,” Kelley says, “because strategy is about abstract ideas and culture is about the connection between human beings. The more business people are attuned to the human need for making connections, the more successful they will be, because the need for connection is one of the most basic human needs.”

Making An Appearance

In that regard, Kelley recommends that ambitious employees make appearances at the office as much as possible, even if they routinely work remotely.

“If you are the sort of person who wants to advance, wants to sit in that big corner office, or even if you simply want the next promotion or raise, it is always best to take the path of highest relational value,” Kelley says. “Go into the office if given the choice of doing that or working from home. Go in person to that group meeting if they will let you in the door.”

He also suggests businesses make the effort to connect their brand to community-focused initiatives. That enhances corporate culture while helping the company connect in a different way with the customers it serves.

“Having your employees working alongside impassioned community volunteers and leaders for the betterment of all should be on the top of every brand promotion list,” Kelley says. “Engage your company with industry trade organizations, civic and church projects, charities, educational events, and so on. These kinds of activities are communication-value multipliers.

“Relationships are so important to people that any company that makes a real connection with a customer can win that customer’s loyalty for life.”

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Phil Kelley Jr. (www.philkelleyjr.com) is the author of Presence and Profitability: Understanding the Value of Authentic Communications in the Age of Hyper-Connectivity. He also is president and CEO of Salem One, which specializes in direct marketing, packaging, printing and logistics. Kelley holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in industrial and systems engineering from Georgia Tech as well as an MBA from Clemson University. He has served on the boards of directors of multiple nonprofit and for-profit organizations. Kelley has been an active voice in the print industry, refocusing industry success definitions within the rapidly developing world of corporate communications.

Despite the economic havoc COVID-19 caused, the work culture of some companies has stayed solid. But amid big changes and continuing uncertainties, that foundational element of business is an ongoing concern for many heading into 2021.

The massive shift to remote work on a regular basis dramatically changed how companies interact internally, and some have adjusted better than others.

Work relationships, processes, and production are vulnerable to slippage, so businesses with remote workforces must deal with the challenge of preventing their culture from fraying while at the same time making it stronger, says Mark McClain (www.markmcclain.me), CEO and co-founder of SailPoint and the ForbesBooks author of Joy and Success at Work: Building Organizations that Don’t Suck (the Life Out of People).

“Crisis doesn’t build character; it reveals character and it reveals culture,” McClain says. “As leaders, we have to determine how our culture works from home and works from anywhere.”

“The pandemic has introduced significant challenges around how we work together, and how to keep teamwork and company culture intact. The events of 2020 have given business leaders a critical opportunity to step back and take a hard look at all aspects of their business, starting with their culture.”

McClain offers five ways business leaders can keep their culture alive and make it stronger as the pandemic puts them to a prolonged test:

Lead with intention. Hybrid workforces – some working from home, others from the office – have been implemented and could be the new normal for many companies post-COVID. Keeping everyone on the same page requires clarity of message from the top, and a detailed review of how success is defined in these different times. “This pandemic has made it crystal clear that operating in unity does not require us to physically be near one another, but it does require us to be clear about our culture and our shared business goals,” McClain says. “Leaders and managers need to be more intentional about how they structure meetings involving remote workers and those in an office.”

Don’t micromanage. “There can be a tendency to micromanage when everybody’s working from home,” McClain says. “But then what kind of culture do you have without self-starters and people whom you trust? Never micromanage a competent professional. Treat them like adults. To have them working hard and confidently in pressure times, they don’t need managers on top of them or constantly checking on them.”

Embrace your core values. “This is where a solid culture starts,” McClain says, “and in crisis times, core values gain meaning if you emphasize them to the team. There’s pride in everyone pulling in the same direction and being proud of what they’ve accomplished based on those values. Repeated from time to time, core values serve to encourage and strengthen.”

Provide a forum for expression. “The pandemic far transcends the workplace into the home,” McClain says. “People have been experiencing many emotions. As a leader, if you haven’t done so already, reach out to your people individually or in groups and let them get out their feelings about this difficult year and anything they want to discuss. When the workforce knows everyone, including their leaders, truly care, your culture is stronger.”

Host virtual socials. People in a good work culture get along well, and as the pandemic spirals into months and months, people miss seeing each other in person. “Loneliness is a factor, even for the busiest person,” McClain says. “Set aside some virtual team happy-hour meetings just for fun and non-work conversation, no-pressure contests, music, etc.

“Each company has a unique culture, a reason why people like working there and why it’s successful,” McClain says. “The best companies are very intentional about their culture, and it’s more important than ever.”

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Mark McClain (www.markmcclain.me), ForbesBooks author of Joy and Success at Work: Building Organizations that Don’t Suck (the Life Out of People), is CEO of SailPoint, a leader in the enterprise identity management market. McClain has led the company from its beginnings in 2005, when it started as a three-person team, to today where SailPoint has grown to more than 1,200 employees who serve customers in 35 countries.

Why In-Person Interaction Remains Critical In The Age Of Remote Work

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