SignalFire Managing Director of People and Talent Heather Doshay on Strengthening Co-Worker Connections While Working Remotely
In this episode, I sit down with SignalFire Managing Director of People and Talent Heather Doshay. We talk about Heather’s career journey through academia, to startups, HR, and now on the venture capital side. We also discuss strengthening employee connections while being remote, and Heather gives us great advice on making space for those interpersonal connections with co-workers, especially early on while working remotely.
SignalFire is a venture capital fund that works on early-stage investments for tech startups. Heather’s role is to help these startups start their companies from point A to point B by figuring out the gaps that need to be filled in the company, advising on the best course of action, and helping them succeed. Heather notes remote work poses unique challenges: “[I]t's a lot harder to see a box and feel connected to that person versus going for a walk and getting coffee.” She urges pulling away from work priorities enough to “make space for the interpersonal.”
Tune in to learn more on how to make those connections with co-workers while working remotely.
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Remote Work Realities
In the past, when leaders onboarded new hires, they would meet in the office and have meetings. Now many companies have switched to remote work, so HR leaders/executives have to onboard their new hires from home. Heather notes the difficulties of establishing relationships while being remote.
“It's so hard to do remote,” Heather says. “I will say, you know, remote work has its benefits, but a majority of the roadwork benefits are access to talent and flexibility of lifestyle for the employee... It’s a downside to relationship building, because it's a lot harder to see a box and feel really connected to that person versus going for a walk and getting coffee.”
How You Can Connect
While in-person meetings couldn’t happen at the height of the pandemic, there are ways, even with remote work, that leaders can better connect with their co-workers. Leaders who moved to remote work have made an effort to have in-person retreats or meetups to boost morale and ensure everyone is still coming together in a way that helps the company succeed.
Heather discusses the need for remote leaders to make an effort to build on the human connection. She says, “Even if you're planning to be a remote leader or remote from your team, make the effort to go out and visit pretty regularly to kind of build that human connection, so that when you show up, back on the screen, you know who you're talking to you. If you do a Zoom call with your family, you don't feel disconnected from them, because you know them so deeply. And you lose that in the workplace.”
While it is no replacement for the everyday face-to-face interactions you get being in the office, it is a solid practice for maintaining those connections while working remotely. Make certain to set aside time for those virtual one-on-one meetings where you can learn more about the person, their experiences, etc.
The Value of Connecting
A connection, even one established while working remotely, makes it possible to build a relationship that can extend over entire careers. There’s the potential for them to share all their experiences, so an episode from a co-worker's professional past can help with a new business initiative. Most importantly, getting to see your co-worker in their space (and letting them see you in yours) enables you both to gain a new understanding of the other, one which wouldn’t necessarily occur if you were working in the same location.
“One of the huge benefits of remote work, in terms of interpersonal skills, is that you see my background, like this is my house,” Heather says. “You get to know me. If my dog starts barking and I pick him up, you're going to meet my dog. That wouldn't happen in an office.