b'ENGAGEMENTeveryones connecting frequently. For example, sending good mornings through group messages, setting aside time once a week to eat lunch virtually with a depart-ment, and scheduling more frequent one-on-ones to better gauge how everyones feeling. Are you in a hybrid or remote environment and still feel-ing like youve lost touch of your culture? Here are a few tips to get you back on track: Location Inclusion Avoid having an in group and an out group - groups of people who are in the office all of the time and others who are not. This promotes exclusion, rather than inclu-sion. Imagine youre at a meeting on Zoom at home, but when you dial in, everyone youre meeting with is sitting together in one conference room. How would you feel? How would they feel? Do you think youd be included in every part of the conversation, and what was happening before you dialed in? Instead, create a schedule where everyones together on the same consistent days and hold everyone account-able to their attendance. Physically coming to work shouldnt be an option, it should be a requirement onCreate a virtual space where co-workers have the oppor-the days you specify.tunity to recognize each other. This could be in the form of weekly newsletter submissions, an active Miro Board, Task Expectationsor a social media group open to only those within your Be purposeful and communicative about how andorganization. If you have a competitive team, set a rec-where time is spent. Are there certain tasks you expectognition goal each month and gift everyone with a small to be completed while people are in the office so youreward for reaching it. Its also important to encourage can assist with them? What are the tasks people caninteraction by participating yourself! As the leader, you easily, and reliably, complete at home?set the tone. Consider conducting this exercise during one of yourConclusion meetings: whiteboard office and home and ask your team to brainstorm tasks that fall under each list.As Bonnie Dowling, Associate Partner at McKinsey & Keep an open mind. If theres something you disagreeCo. says, Culture is how we interact with each other with, dig deeper and find out why someone feels theon a daily basis. Its how our managers lead. Its how way they do. Once youve come up with a complete list,our individuals and colleagues look out for one another. share the list in a follow-up email where everyone canThats the core of culture, and you can do that virtually, easily reference it.or you can do that in person. You just have to make the effort and invest in it and prioritize it. Make the com-Recognize, Recognize, Recognizemitment to be more intentional in your culture. The suc-Without physical togetherness, recognition can easilycess of your culture doesnt depend on your location. It fall by the wayside. Back to our keywordit has to bedepends on you. more intentional. Dont Confuse Being in the Office with Culture137'