Pondering Informal Work Interactions

As we near the end of the Big Pause, there are a lot of adjustments being made, perhaps permanently, to the work setting – some that Covid just accelerated.

One I wonder about in particular – what will happen to the many informal interactions that happen during the course of regular, in person work environments?  For me, these informal interactions were pivotal to my career progression.  Is it possible to create informal but meaningful interactions  in the virtual work setting?  Will these interactions ever return?  Have they been replaced in a satisfying way?

From what I’m hearing, some teams are actually more cohesive as they’ve made a concerted effort to use Slack and other apps to manage collaboration or institute regular virtual happy hours to help morale and encourage team dynamics.

What I’m talking about is different.  It’s about the interactions that happen outside of one’s primary team or direct line of authority, providing alternative perspectives and opportunities.  This is especially relevant to those working in medium to large organizations.

Chance interactions can make all the difference  

My initial foray into working in climate change came from repeated corridor conversations with someone who would become an important player in the U.S. Government’s climate change policy.  When he became a bigwig at the US Department of Energy (DOE) in the new Clinton Administration, he asked me to become his special assistant as the Administration began to develop the United States’ first Climate Change Action Plan in 1993.  I had been working in natural gas policy, not the most exciting field for me.  Meeting my future boss and then nurturing that relationship was key to my entering this new climate change field, which is now the defining issue of our time and the foreseeable future.  This recurring interaction started and evolved in an informal setting – the hallway between our two offices. 

Much later, I was working in another office on a less than exciting issue and for someone who I found to be a clueless and poor manager.  I knew I had to change jobs.  Luckily, I ran into a senior leader in the elevator, and lamented my situation.  He happened to need help and offered me a job on the spot.  He also had the authority to move me into a new position very quickly.  This elevator conversation was pivotal to my quick exit from an extremely negative experience into a very positive one. Again, it is doubtful this interchange would have happened if not for its randomness.

There were numerous times that a young person stuck their head into my office, or we talked while walking down the hallway or as we were leaving a meeting.  In every case, this initial informal interaction started a series of conversations that proved helpful to these folks in dealing with a difficult work situation or planning for a new work move.  I’m not sure if these relationships would have happened if not in this low-risk way, given how scary it is to approach someone you don’t know.

This face time makes a difference. There are so many people I met initially or ran into after a long time in this accidental way – in the cafeteria, getting coffee, in the gym downstairs in my building, or just walking inside or outside of work.  I may have been pulled into a meeting that I might not otherwise have been privy to.  Or someone thought of me for a position or team because they had just seen me getting my cappuccino.  Or the kindred connection that is immediately established when you realize you’re in a meeting with someone you usually see in workout clothes in the gym.  

Recognizing some positives from virtual work  

I recognize that there are some positives that have come with Covid.  For many that can keep the same working hours as before, finding two extra hours each day that are no longer needed for commuting has been great for sleeping longer, or gardening or exercising more.  Many prefer the reduced micromanaging from their bosses who no longer can look over their shoulder — literally. Others don’t have to travel all the time and cherish more time spent with their families. 

We are all much more understanding, and actually delighted, when we see someone’s dog or child in their zoom screen during a meeting.  The humanity that we now afford each other is hopefully translating, permanently, into a more generous and supportive work/life atmosphere. This is a welcome change.

It’s hard to prove a counterfactual

In climate change analysis, we often talk about the difficulty of proving additionality – would something have happened anyway? That may be the case here.  Will one’s career really suffer if they don’t have the opportunity for chance interactions? Is it time anyway to evolve beyond this?

Still, I worry especially about the early career folks or someone new to a job, finding themselves in a virtual or much reduced in-person work situation. For my son and others just graduating from college and entering the work world, how will they find informal mentors or expand their networks? How do they build the organizational muscle that develops from seeing how others conduct themselves, or by observing non-verbal cues so crucial to understanding how to get things done effectively? How do they meet folks outside of their immediate office? It’s a different experience running into someone or meeting someone through others than having to set an appointment for a get-to-know you chat.  

Perhaps a lesson from reduced in person interactions is that we must take more initiative to reach out to others rather than rest on the serendipity of running into someone, stopping in someone’s office, or having your colleague introduce you to someone on the way to a meeting.  To what extent do folks now have to become even more bold to make such connections? Or will they stay limited in who they know and what opportunities are open to them?

The value of the wider, weaker circle

I would say that most folks in their 50’s and 60’s would welcome a younger person approaching  them for advice.  It’s just counter to what most junior employees would expect.  It’s intimidating to ask for a meeting when you don’t feel worthy enough to warrant a senior person spending their precious work time with you. 

However, there is evidence that most people obtain jobs not from their inner circle, but from a much wider, weaker circle (listen to first podcast I link to below).  So, reaching out to friends of friends of friends, or colleagues of colleagues of colleagues, or senior folks you don’t really know, is imperative to moving along one’s career path. Taking every opportunity to expand one’s network is just as important now in pandemic times and as we slowly emerge. It’s just harder and takes more guts.

Are informal interactions still as vital as they were to me?   

I would love to hear from you about how your organization has adjusted to informal relationships.  Some managers are making a concerted effort to address this, and team building has been great.  But what about meeting others outside of your team?  How does one foster a wider professional network? How has this changed for you – good or bad? Please let me know your thoughts on this.  I would love to start a discussion about this.

Recommended listens:

Helpful podcast episode on Navigating Career Turbulence

Jennifer Palmieri’s interview with Mika Brzezinski on the common mistakes women make during pay negotiations and how we can fight for what we need.