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Too Much Togetherness? Dual Career Couples Working From Home

4/28/2020

The coronavirus lockdown in China has had many repercussions—one of which is a spike in the divorce rate. Now, millions of dual career couples around the globe are navigating uncharted waters, with both partners working full-time from home—often caring for children at the same time.

Writing in the Harvard Business Review, Jennifer Petriglieri, an associate professor of organizational behavior at INSEAD and the author of Couples That Work: How Dual-Career Couples Can Thrive in Love and Work, says that couples who survive stressful times, even crises, make it a priority to discuss and agree on certain practical principles. Among the issues couples should address now:

What matters to you most during this period? Beyond the health and safety of loved ones, what else is a priority: Is there a project that needs completion, is it time to focus on career transition, are you most concerned with facilitating your children’s education?

What is the relative priority of your careers over the coming months? Do you have a pre-existing deal in which one of your careers takes priority? Do you try to maintain a 50/50 split? Are there certain weeks when one partner will need priority?

What are your parenting principles during this period? If partners are on the same page and can communicate these principles clearly to their children, it will make keeping the peace at home—and the boundaries—that much easier.

What are the things that worry you most? Are you anxious about job security, illness, money, shifting responsibilities, cabin fever, quality relationship time? Understanding each other’s key concerns is critical, because it makes us more attentive and empathic.

What do you need from each other to make this work? Partners may need different things from one another. Adapting to your partner’s needs demonstrates the requisite support and affection needed to make it through tough times. (Tweet it!)

Are you part of a dual career couple working from home? What are some of your challenges and how do you navigate them? Is there an upside to your situation? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs.

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Managing Loneliness During Social Distancing

4/21/2020

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In the midst of one public health threat, we should not ignore a secondary one: Loneliness and social isolation take both a physical and mental toll. As noted by Scientific American, “the long-term harm caused by loneliness is similar to smoking or obesity.”

Social distancing and quarantining are the correct responses to a pandemic, so how can we cultivate social well-being while in isolation? Kalsey Killam, a World Economic Forum Global Shaper who specializes in social health and well-being, offers these suggestions:

Face to face from afar: Video chat allows for facial cues, body language and other nonverbal forms of communication that are important for bonding. Try having a virtual meal with family, a happy hour with friends, or a remote book club meeting.

One-minute kindness: Enjoy the dopamine rush that comes from doing something nice for someone else. For example, in lieu of simply “liking” a friend’s social media post, comment with a compliment or an expression of affection. (Tweet it!)

Cultivate your community: Whatever your “thing” is, there is an online community of people who share your passion. Tap into it to engage around what matters most to you.

Deepen or Broaden Relationships: Take one digital action daily to enhance your social health. Deepen it by reaching out to someone you haven’t talked with extensively in a while, or broaden it by reaching out to someone you’d like to get to know better.

Optimize Your Favorite Tool: Zoom, Marco Polo, House Party, Facetime, Skype, Google Hangout and other applications are wonderful for digital conversations. Discover which ones suit your needs best and explore their features.

How have you been reaching out to others, and how have others been reaching out to you during this extraordinary time? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs.

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Maintaining Relationships in Virtual Teams

4/14/2020

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Whether we planned to or not, many of us now work in virtual teams. Adapting to this format presents countless challenges—not the least of which is maintaining strong interpersonal relationships. In the absence of lunchtime get-togethers, water cooler conversations, or even random encounters in hallways or elevators, a certain amount of bonding may be sacrificed.

Sebastian Reiche, Professor of Managing People in Organizations at IESE Business School, offers this advice for fostering virtual team bonds:

Make room for informal conversations: Humans are social animals, and people want to feel known. To help build relationships and trust, encourage team members to share their feelings and chat informally. A few minutes doing this at the start or end of meetings can go a long way. (Tweet it!)

Show appreciation: When your team, or one of its members, achieves a particular goal, organize a virtual reward ceremony. This could take the form of a virtual standing ovation, or a small gift sent to all team members that everyone can open at the same time during a video call.

Help pre-existing teams open up to new methods or members: If you “inherit” a pre-existing team where everyone knows each other and works well together, be aware they may be resistant to change. Shared online training activities can help.

Be available: Perhaps most important of all, be available to your team members. Let them know it is okay to reach out to you one-on-one for advice or to brainstorm or just to talk about their day, their mood, and their challenges--which, these days, are not in short supply.

Are you leading or participating in a virtual team? What tips do you have for keeping spirit and cohesiveness strong? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs.

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Room Grooming for Zooming

4/7/2020

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Make room for informal conversations: Humans are social animals, and people want to feel known. To help build relationships and trust, encourage team members to share their feelings and chat informally. A few minutes doing this at the start or end of meetings can go a long way.

Show appreciation: When your team, or one of its members, achieves a particular goal, organize a virtual reward ceremony. This could take the form of a virtual standing ovation, or a small gift sent to all team members that everyone can open at the same time during a video call.

Help pre-existing teams open up to new methods or members: If you “inherit” a pre-existing team where everyone knows each other and works well together, be aware they may be resistant to change. Shared online training activities can help.

Be available: Perhaps most important of all, be available to your team members. Let them know it is okay to reach out to you one-on-one for advice or to brainstorm or just to talk about their day, their mood, and their challenges--which, these days, are not in short supply.

Are you leading or participating in a virtual team? What tips do you have for keeping spirit and cohesiveness strong? To join the conversation, click "comments" on our Community of Practice Forum.

If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs.

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Too Much Togetherness? Dual Career Couples Working From Home

Managing Loneliness During Social Distancing

Maintaining Relationships in Virtual Teams

Room Grooming for Zooming

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