Mo asks David Burkus: How do we develop and deepen relationships when everything is virtual?

A study showed that the average person’s network shrunk by 25% to 30% over the first half of 2020. That decrease was almost entirely driven by males because of the general tendency for men to bond over activities. We tried to recreate these activities virtually but it doesn’t work the same way.
When you’re looking to use a tool like Zoom to deepen a relationship, it requires more structure. You have to show up with questions and a level of conversation designed to deepen the relationship.
Work sprints are another option, which are scheduled times where you complete your work in a meeting environment to emulate the coworking space.
In addition to these activities, you can also introduce rituals into your team communication to deepen the connection.
Between structured conversations that explore non-work topics and physical things like rituals, we can go pretty far in deepening relationships in a remote working environment.
The questions don’t matter as much as having a plan and being intentional. Asking questions that are open-ended and answered in a work or non-work context is a good start. One of David’s favorite questions is “Who is your favorite superhero?” No matter what the answer is, you will learn something interesting about the other person.
The more you know about someone, the more reason you have to follow up with them and find you have something in common.

Mentioned in this Episode:

How to Use Leading From Anywhere to Deepen Relationships, with David Burkus