Working from home is hard for an extrovert ...

I am a people person. I have always lived off the energy I get from working in an office environment. Being a part of a team has always propelled me forward. It is part of what I love most about my job. I am such as extrovert that I would even go so far as to admit that, at times, my exuberance and excitement may be painful … but you’d need to work with me to verify. I love water-cooler talk so much that I could have a rocking chair next to the water-cooler and stay there for hours.

While working home the last few weeks, I have been supported in every way by our company. I am so lucky to work for an employer that has been with me every step of the way on this weird and stressful journey. Daily communications from the executive and leaderships teams let me know I can take time for my family and to not stress as we all adjust to this new and hopefully temporary normal. Any tech I need is provided in an instant. Our entire office moved from our bustling HQ to our collective basements in a matter of days. Still, I felt anxious. I was feeling … dare I say it … a little down. Talking to my team and knowing that all of us are adjusting and dealing with this helps. But all last week there was something I could not define that was dragging me down.

I know what it was … I miss being in the same office. I miss presenting to our customers in person. I miss the face to face. The water-cooler is virtual and I am not used to it.

But rather than dwelling on what I am missing, I sat down to think ‘What can I do to flip the script?’ I decided to take this time to try and develop a new skill. I sometimes get so excited at work that I speak more than I listen. I have always felt that listening was something I needed to work on doing more effectively. So, I spent the end of last week really listening in every meeting. And that does not mean I sit there and just waiting to talk … I sat there and waited to talk while trying to really hear the words and the meanings of the words that my customers and co-workers were using. To let them know I was listening by asking questions or making sure to reiterate what they said when I made my contribution to the conversation.

It actually made me feel better. Nothing can replace the actual human contact that makes me tick. But at least, in the interim, I can take the time to become an even better communicator. This will make me a better teammate, better employee, and better person.

I am not sure why I am typing this out, but I am wondering if anyone else has had a hard time adjusting to working from home. I am thankful for the extra time with my family right now, but our jobs tend to be a large part of our reality that a shift in that reality can be jarring. What do you miss most about being in the office? Do you not miss it?