The Power of Physical Presence in Work

One day each month – and for February that means today – about 15 of the people in my company,  based generally across the UK, spend a day together working in person. For us being in the same physical working space is a rare experience and not the norm. Who comes varies each month and today there are some faces I haven’t seen for a few months and longer. We chat, work, have lunch and generally chit chat. It is not a million miles away from working at home, cafe, co-working spaces, clubs, hotels etc essentially but it feels utterly different, unique and special. 

I woke this morning excited to see everyone and it has a feeling more connected to family, friends, community than to co-workers. That is not because we are friends outside of work but because feeling strong and more emotional connections to those we work with come from interactions that are by design ununusal and in ways sacred. If we were all in the same office everday, how would we feel about each other; about being together day in day out? As we each know, you find those you like, those you are indifferent to and some you grow to dislike – special and prized it certainly is not. 

The power of physical prescence in work can be hightened when our times together are unusual, rare. Ironically, we have richer, closer and more productive connections; rather like seeing friends we have not seen for a while. For me there is no accurate language to describe this new experience of working with colleagues – but it is time to start developing words for these new changing working relationships.