5 Tips To Manage the 'New Normal' Work

Environment
Bruce Garrod - September 15, 2021
Following 20 years at a large Canadian telecommunications firm, Bruce established the project management
consulting firm Solutions Management Inc (SMI). Since 1999, he has provided contract project/program management
services, been a source for project management support personnel and created/delivered courses to over 7,000
participants in Canada, the United States and England.

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Topics: Communications Management, Leadership, Talent Management, Teams

For more than 18 months, we have been working in a world of no handshakes. Working lunches
haven’t existed. Huddling in a stuffy breakout room to plot out a plan on an overused whiteboard
seems like a luxury of yesteryear. The pandemic has changed the way we work.
Building relationships with the people we work with is critical for business success. Sure, it doesn’t
mean you’re looking for new best friends, but achieving project goals is simply more enjoyable when
some sort of connection exists between co-workers. The same can be said for vendors. Success
probability is enhanced when interactions are not 100% goal focused.
Why is it so important to be together? Communication is complex. If everything could be
communicated by words alone, we could simply write notes to each other and the project would be
completed.
The reality, however, is that communications also involve perilingual elements. Body language, facial
expressions, tone of voice and that elusive “feel” all play a critical part in effective communications.
While the explosive growth and acceptance of live streaming video platforms like Zoom, Teams and
others have helped, it’s just not as effective as being face to face.
So, what can be done? It’s difficult to predict if the worst of COVID-19 is behind us, or if the world will
be facing new iterations of the virus and its impact. It appears there is a possible lull in new
infections, although it’s entirely possible there will be a need to lock down again.
Regardless, enough time has passed that project managers have become accustomed to the “new
normal” of working from home or other remote arrangements. Use these five steps to help build
relationships and improve project performance:

1. Meet in person, now. Quick. Hurry! If we have learned anything about COVID, it’s how
quick controls can be put in place if health officials deem them necessary. Government
 and business processes are now well established to very quickly restrict movement while,
as much as possible, keep business operating. Don’t delay creating an opportunity to
have a face-to-face working meeting or even a coffee/lunch. Depending on where you
live, now may be the short window of opportunity to capitalize on the benefits of direct
interaction and subsequent relationship building, It goes without saying, however, that
protocols must be followed so we all do our part to prevent the spread of the virus.
2. Remember important dates and make a point in recognizing them. A simple email,
text or acknowledgement during a meeting of an important date demonstrates you care. It
could be a birthday, work or personal anniversary, or other important occasion.
Something new I have started doing is sharing a picture that an app reminds me
happened X years ago. I send it to the person in the picture (often with them and I doing
something), and make a quick comment about the event.
3. Arrange a time to talk…about anything but the project. People’s time is precious, so
caution needs to be exercised—but meeting for a casual chat (it can be in person or via
live video) creates a unique opportunity to learn about what is happening outside of work.
The chat could be a weekday evening while enjoying a favorite beverage, a pre-work
coffee or a mid-day gathering for a portion of a lunch period. For an added twist,
encourage others to join and, if time permits, play a game. It’s likely Human Resources
would state there needs to be certain protocols, but so long as permission is granted to
use virtual platforms and it doesn’t impact working hours, I would expect “almost anything
goes.” Have fun, but no shop talk!
4. Limited small talk is fine. It could be argued that a benefit of working remotely is that
meetings seem to start on time. Perhaps gone are the days of arriving at a meeting with a
coffee and starting a few minutes late because of casual chatter. Is this good? Yes, if
maximizing productivity is the only goal. But it’s a definite “no” if it means there is no time
to get to know people a little bit better. Appreciating that some people simply don’t have
time or a desire to relationship build, it might be better if a few minutes are held at the end
of the meeting for “other business.” A simple technique I have started using both in
person and virtually is to say that “I will be the last to leave—and if anybody wants to talk
further, I am happy to do so.”
5. Give thanks. The final technique has nothing to do with whether we are working remotely
or together in person, and it involves only two words: thank you. I’ve made this a standard
practice for decades. Regardless if someone simply “did their job,” their effort made a
difference. Thank them. A vendor may have done what they were expected to, and
according to the contract. Thank them. Your boss may have cleared a roadblock or
managed some other challenge. Thank them. (You get the idea of this key step.) We all
work hard and struggle to meet all the demands of life in and out of the office; being
recognized for a contribution will help build strong relationships.

Conclusion
Business relationships are key to project management success. However, they need to be built
based on a genuine interest in knowing more about the people you work with. In a hectic work
environment, that has been made more difficult due to a worldwide pandemic; relationship building
may no longer come naturally.
The golden rule of treating others as you want to be treated has never rung truer. Taking a few
minutes to appreciate the people you work with pay huge dividends. Besides, it’s just fun—and who
doesn’t want a little more fun in their lives?