Close Encounters

On a visit to my Mum in Uganda several years ago, we went away together on safari and stayed in a safari lodge with extensive grounds. Each morning we would wander over to the breakfast room which was a 3 - 5 minute walk away from our thatched roof cottage but the walk always took 15 or so minutes and it wasn’t because she is a slow walker (she is) but because in true African style she insisted on stopping to greet every groundsman and woman and embark on a conversation with each of them …. ‘How are you’; ‘How is your family’; ‘Do you travel far to get here for work?’ ….. She felt a need to establish connections. Breakfast and the journey to it, became an enjoyable, socially interactive and memorable event each day.  It was no wonder that we were treated favourably by everyone at that establishment, we became a part of each other’s day and thereby a part of each other’s lives. We cared about each other and shared an emotional as well as a transactional connection.

A few years earlier Mum had come to the UK to support me for six months during my maternity leave. Several weeks before she left, she started worrying about how I would cope with both work and childcare. Although she had very few connections in the UK, my amazing resourceful mother was the one who sorted out my first and only childminder. She befriended people with young children and asked for recommendations. Once she had decided on the suitable candidate, she interviewed her, visited her home, spoke to her family and anyone who knew her, and at the end of it she was satisfied about the suitability of her grandson’s carer – she wasn’t wrong.

Connections are so important.

Icebreaker

Almost a year ago, at the time when we were all forced to work remotely, we realised that maintaining connections between co-workers was not just necessary it was critical. Several initiatives were started across Centrica including – regular team check-in’s, virtual coffee breaks, cross team breakfast meetings and many more. We also embarked on an exploration of a means to replace coincidental chats in office corridors, breakout rooms or the canteen. These initiatives were not only essential to good working practices but to the welfare of all colleagues.

With the help of our partners Microsoft we started a pilot to utilise the Icebreaker App as a means of connecting co-workers not only within the same team but also those not in the same team but who shared a common interest e.g. the culture guild, and other teams that had been newly formed and were in the process of getting to know each other following the company re-structure.

The App is essentially a bot that randomly pairs members with someone new every week. Once paired, the pair can either start a Microsoft Teams conversation, arrange a short meeting to get to know each other or even have an informal virtual coffee. The choice to opt-out remains open and so if one doesn’t feel like engaging for whatever reason, they could opt out and opt back in as when they feel ready to re-engage. 

Selling the idea of a bot pairing individuals ‘close encounter style’ wasn’t easy and in fact there was a point where I wondered whether anyone would be interested - there was more than just a little bit of reticence on my part. I was almost apologetic as I introduced it to colleagues in my team and in other networks. 

Cajoled

My reticence was misplaced! I have enjoyed each and every pairing that I have been a part of and learnt so much more about my colleagues, than I would have done had we met around a coffee machine in the office. The feedback from other participants is that the bot has forced or cajoled them into conversations they wouldn’t have had otherwise and in some cases brought a deeper and greater understanding of their colleagues. Discussing work related topics and working together is that much easier when you have already established a personal connection with someone.

It is natural to overestimate the difficulty associated with reaching out to someone we don’t know. In fact, we are all predisposed to this discomfort to a degree – introverts and extroverts alike. The aliens in Spielberg’s 'Close Encounters' were approached with fear and uncertainty and it wasn’t until some common ground was established during the climactic encounter did the fear turn to wonder and amazement. It's only when we approach strangers or colleagues we don’t quite know as well, with an open mind that we are likely to benefit from our interactions and in some cases convert strangers into friends.

Empowerment

In a Covid and possibly even a post Covid world, we need to be creative about how to achieve connections and move from transactional exchanges to relational interactions. We underestimate the value of human connections/relationships at our peril. Like my mother, it may take us longer to get to our destinations but the connections we forge along the way may be what makes the difference. We will reach our destinations enthused, invigorated, supported and empowered with new ideas and new relationships.