Our world has changed dramatically, and we are trying to navigate this idea of a “new normal.”

Brené Brown,  research professor and New York Times best-selling  author states, “We are wired neurobiologically for connection. ” At Orbis, we couldn’t agree more.

As our  team has adjusted to remote work over the last few weeks, we quickly noticed a void in our everyday connection. For example, we’ve missed the simple exchange of pleasantries in the morning, daily conversations and trips to the café, casual updates on our families over lunch, and day-to-day inside jokes at the office. We quickly realized how these daily voids were messing with our psyche .

At Orbis, we’ve made it a fanatical obsession to stay connected. Here are a few virtual suggestions we’ve incorporated into our daily lives to stay engaged.
•          Virtual coffee meetups – We’ve schedule 15-minute sessions with colleagues to check-in and talk about uncertainties and worries.
•          Virtual dance parties before meetings – We choose upbeat and fun songs that get us out of chairs to dance before the meeting starts.
•          Virtual  Zumba lessons – We’ve  had  our fitness fanatics at the office teach a few moves to get the blood circulating during the day.
•          Virtual Pop Culture Trivia Games –  We assigned our pop culture guru to challenge us with quick trivia challenges.
•          Virtual Happy Hour – We’ve designated a date and time once every other week to focus on one another over  our favorite cocktails.

We encourage your team to nominate a corporate champion and organize any of the suggested virtual events.  Try one or try them all. Please  let us know how it goes. We hope this helps lift your spirits and bridges the gap of every day human connection during these tricky times.

Have fun, stay positive, and more importantly, stay connected!

Best,

Amy Wentrack
President and Chief HR Strategist
Orbis Holding Group