The other day, I read through a list of positives that someone had assembled in regards to working from home. On the top of their list it said “Less internal conversations so you can be more efficient.” That comment stuck with me and made me appreciate the collaboration and teamwork we have at Caliber. Some of the best ideas and marketing campaigns we’ve created were sparked from standing around the coffee station. When team members are just spitballing ideas and conversations start with the classic line, “I know this sounds weird, but hear me out…” that’s when we get to the good stuff. The days of working from home now look more like phone calls and Zoom brainstorms, rather than collecting around the light table and snowballing off one another’s ideas.

Although, working from home does allow you to focus more on your daily tasks, it also strips the creative impromptu brainstorms that happen. Every company is different, but Caliber has always been supportive of the constant buzz around the office with team members connecting on Monday morning about how weekends went and investing in one another’s lives outside of work. Are those conversations productive? Maybe not in the essence of work, but what kind of approachable space would we be in if we never chatted with one another and it was constant direction on creative? Once you lose that personal care aspect from investing in your coworkers it almost makes it harder to pass work off to them. 

Caliber has been working from home for almost two months now and have encouraged teammates to call one another just for the sake of normal connection. We’ve had virtual happy hours and even came together to make social distanced birthday parties seem (almost) normal. It may not be what we’re used to, but today I would encourage you to call up one of your coworkers and see how they’re doing. Ask if there’s anything you can do for them, work or non-work related. It might make your next day of working remote a little easier.