Over the last 12 months, we’ve become accustomed to the idea of working from home due to the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, and communicating through Zoom meetings, phone calls, and emails have become the new normal.
Businesses have adapted to this, meaning that a return to full-time office working will not happen for everyone.
However, this does have some downsides. While people may enjoy the benefits of home working, like shorter commutes and more family time, they miss the human interaction with their colleagues. This interaction is known as the ‘Human Moment’.
Working with an interior design and construction firm like Truspace can help you to reap the benefits of the Human Moment while also enjoying the advantages of hybrid working arrangements.
What is the Human Moment?
The term ‘Human Moment’ is used to describe real, authentic, and face-to-face communication. It refers to verbal communication as well as body language and emotional responses.
The Human Moment requires both physical and emotional presence. Sitting silently in an office with someone for eight hours won’t result in a Human Moment, and neither will a phone call, no matter how emotional the conversation.
The increasing reliance on email and Zoom calls have led to more people reporting experienced feelings of loneliness and isolation. This has also caused increased anxiety, miscommunication, and misunderstanding, which ultimately creates dissatisfaction and dysfunction in the workplace, and decreased competitive advantage.
Without the Human Moment, teams break down, distrust builds up and eventually people leave the company in search of a more satisfying work experience.
Positive Effects of the Human Moment at Work
A Human Moment doesn’t need to take much time or require you to reveal personal details. A meaningful Human Moment could only last a few minutes, but you do need to focus fully on the other person. This will usually lead to them responding in the same way and will have long-lasting positive effects such as increased creativity and productivity.
But the effects don’t last forever, so ideally we need to experience Human Moments on a regular basis.
What is a Social Anchor?
Luckily, moving away from full-time office working doesn’t have to mean missing out on Human Moments.
Social anchors are institutions which provide a vital anchor to social networks. Giving the community the context and support that it needs. They help to establish the collective identity of the community.
In a successful hybrid working model, you can use the hybrid office as a social anchor and create opportunities for Human Moments.
You might set a hybrid working policy that sees teams work together in the office on set days. This offers the opportunity for the informal chats and face-to-face meetings that spark creativity and foster closer team bonding. Or you could schedule staff lunches and informal meetings that allow co-workers to catch up, brainstorm ideas, work through any hybrid working challenges, and enjoy those Human Moments.
Designing a Hybrid Office with Truspace
Working with an experienced interior design firm like Truspace makes moving to a hybrid working model easier. Truspace is a ‘one stop shop’ for your office design needs, offering unbeatable value, hassle-free service and nationwide coverage.
Our expert designers use the best and latest 3D Technology, and we create a design to meet your budget so there will not be any big financial surprises along the way. And we genuinely care about our clients, so we’re proactive, solution-oriented, and always aiming to exceed your expectations. Your investment will deliver a design that you’ll love and offers plenty of opportunities for Human Moments.
Get in touch with Truspace today to find out more, and start your move towards a new hybrid office.
