The Art of Staying Connected When Apart

More people than ever are working from home. While this allows for increased flexibility around other priorities, home working can also quickly turn from a perk to a delicate balancing act of childcare and personal space. 

With a multitude of communication apps and access to infinite resources through the internet, we have all we need to speak to people, whether they are in the same room, or halfway across the world. Despite our technology many people can still feel lonely, so in times of isolation it isn’t enough to have these capabilities, we need to be skilled in appropriately utilising them too. This can mean defining new and creative ways of keeping in touch, readjusting our approach to the technologies at our disposal. 

However, rather than constantly chasing the latest app, using what we currently have more effectively is a smart and futureproof way to allow for improved communication. Simple gestures such as turning on cameras during calls to personalise our virtual meetings helps us feel more connected. In our personal lives, video calling friends is normal – so why is it sometimes seen as such a burden in our professional lives? 

For us here at Dice, we stay connected through daily updates, our virtual pub, and fun mini games.

‘Guess my Gaff’ is a game where each company member shares an anonymous photo of their working from home set up, from their perspective. Department by department, the pictures are shown, and everyone has to guess whose ‘gaff’ it is. So far, it’s proving a hit – and while not a substitute for face-to-face interaction, an additional touchpoint between colleagues is a great opportunity to learn more about the people behind the screens. Consider what your company are doing to foster connections – and whether there’s more that could be done.

Connecting internally provides us with insights into the best ways to communicate digitally, which can inform our investments in platforms for our professional work.

Therefore when adopting new systems – such as the content sharing platform Veeva engage – onboarding time can be reduced, allowing for a smoother transition when developing new agency expertise and understanding unfamiliar tech.  

Although the current situation remains uncertain at best, within medical communications we can use this as an opportunity to flex our creative muscles. Innovation is the cornerstone of our industry, and as we move towards a digitally focused future, effectively connecting with the people behind the screens will be more important than ever.