I Know Who has Peacocks(and other reasons to go to the office)

What do you know about your coworkers? During a recent lunch with fellow Dow AgroSciences retirees, it hit me I know a great deal about the people I worked with for more than 20 years. I knew who had peacocks on their farm, I knew kids’ names and college choices, and I knew who enjoyed growing tomatoes. Are these earth-shattering facts? No, but they helped me form deeper relationships and connect on a human level with some really great people.

How did I get this knowledge? Hallway conversation, lunchroom encounters and the chit chat before and after meetings. Or in the parking lot. Fun fact, I know which current Corteva senior exec bought a car on E-bay when that was a new thing to do! To be clear, I don’t have a dog in the “return to work” hunt as a business owner working from home. Yet I am a fan of interpersonal connection which so often comes from face-to-face interaction. I worry that today’s post pandemic workforce won’t form the bonds I did during my three decades of rolling up to the office.

I understand the convenience of being able to let the dog out and focus on a project without interruption. I know that “zoom socials” can provide personal insight. Yet I pose that the benefit of forming relationships far outweighs working in sweatpants. As part of my daughter’s internship with a leading Indianapolis company this summer, she explored what her Gen Z counterparts desired in terms of where they worked. The answer was COMMUNITY. Many of this age group were cheated out of their rights of passage due to the pandemic (e.g. no graduation ceremony, no prom) and they don’t want to miss out on what a workplace community has to offer. They have had enough of being home alone looking at a screen. I don’t envy policy setters who have to navigate the generational differences.

There is no doubt the working world has shifted. I can only hope that balance can be found to help co-workers really connect and build relationships that enhance their lives. My life is certainly richer for the relationships I have - and I know who to call if I need peacock feathers!