INTHEBLACK November 2023 - Magazine - Page 51
TEDxUSF Talk – Fallon Goodman
Why you feel anxious socialising (and what to do about it)
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The transition to hybrid work models may
lead to some people losing their capacity
for everyday chit-chat in the workplace,
says Gordon.
“I’ve also seen many people resist going
back into the workplace, because they feel
they can get more work done undisturbed
at home.
“They don’t realise that, in fact, they will
grow professionally when they’re socialising
with others.”
To get the hybrid work balance right,
Imber recommends being “really deliberate”
by scheduling tasks to complement the work
location. That includes making time for being
social.
“If you know you do better with deepfocused work when you’re in your home
environment, then be deliberate in scheduling
those kinds of projects when you’re working
from home,” Imber says.
“Don’t expect to get heaps of deeply
productive work done if you don’t do that
well in an open-plan office environment.
“Instead, think about what your goals might
be around socialisation. I recommend getting
really organised with scheduling coffee catchups rather than leaving those to chance.”
WHERE TO START
Gordon recommends thinking twice about the
small opportunities to interact with colleagues
during the day.
“Instead of sending an email to a teammate
about a workplace problem ... consider talking
about it in person. Perhaps do it over coffee,
instead of having your coffee at your desk with
your head down.
“It doesn’t matter if your connection starts off
about a work thing – you can develop it from
there. You’ll feel that person getting to know
you differently, and you’ll get to know them,
too,” Gordon explains.
A “top-down” kickstart may be needed in some
organisations to reintroduce socialisation. Some
workplaces may need to encourage colleagues to
stop for 10 minutes to talk to each other, Gordon
says. This improves the likelihood that “people will
do well, be effective and work better in teams”.
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