Giving each other space

Over the course of the various lockdowns our previously empty nest has gradually filled up again and turned into something of a “co-working space”. Apart from my own coaching and training business we now have a digital agency, a US corporate and a premier-league football club represented in this house.

This makes for interesting conversations over coffee or lunch. A really important factor in making all of this work is that we have learned to give each other space. There is no obligation to join in, everyone feels free to focus on their work, grab time with somebody else when they want to chat or to just stare out of the window, observing the greedy squirrels thriving in our garden.

This idea of “giving each other space” seems to be a common theme for my clients as well, particularly in this virtual world of work. There is more and more talk of “Zoom fatigue” and people groan at the idea of the daily morning check-in or Friday night drinks. Long gone seem the days of compulsory quiz nights for the team which were such a feature of the first lockdown. With home-working here to stay for many of us, probably way beyond the current pandemic, we need to find a new balance between giving and taking time and space. We should have open conversations around people’s personal preferences and the actual needs of a team or organisation.

And wouldn’t it be such a treat if we could soon do that face-to-face over a real coffee?