From Socializing to Social Distancing

Big groups have never been my strong suit. One-on-ones and small groups- this my introverted self can handle. But a work office where I was seemingly the ‘low man on the totem pole’ as an intern? That was daunting.

These were the thoughts fluttering in the back of my mind before I even received the notification that my internship placement was 87seconds. The months leading up to my big European endeavor were carried out in a frenzy of meetings, class registrations, shopping, studying, and impatiently waiting for news regarding my Belgian internship .

The email that I received telling me of my possible intern position at 87seconds came as a relief, both due to my excitement for what I would be doing there, as well as having concrete news regarding the trip. I excitedly told Matthew, my friend who was also attending the trip, as he was in the midst of figuring out his placement. At this point so many others had been notified, we were growing concerned as the days passed by. Not even twenty minutes later, ever the social butterfly, he notified me that I would not be alone at 87seconds: that another person was also placed there from Furman, Autumn.

This news came as a shock, and admittedly made me a bit nervous. I kept thinking about how I would be compared to Autumn, and this worried me. I knew she had technical experience with video equipment, that she spoke a good amount of French, and that she intended to go into the television/video industry. I on the other hand? Had no technological experience, only knew one French word (and that was croissant), and had no idea what I wanted to do after college.

My worry about working with another intern faded as soon as I got to know Autumn. Autumn is the type of person that makes everyone in the room gravitate towards her. She is sharp-witted, intelligent, and about as creative as they come. We quickly grew close due to mutual friends as well as our 45 minute commute everyday, and having a friend to work with made adjusting so much easier.

Autumn and I in Lille

We would go to lunch together and chit-chat with our coworkers, pairing up to answer all their questions about American life, especially fast food. We were able to talk concepts after work, helping each other come up with ideas on our ride home, and if we had questions on anything we had someone to immediately go to.

My social interaction was not limited to just Autumn, however. Lunch times were full of conversation with our co-workers, allowing me to feel more comfortable with them when asking for work or assistance with what work I had been given. Our entire office even went out for beer one Thursday night, and we spent three or four hours chatting away as I tried my best to get down the rather strong (and unfortunate tasting, in my opinion) Belgian beer strewn about the tables.

Talking shop at the bar

I am not alone when reporting the benefits to social interaction within an office setting. According to Eleanor Forster, managing director of Leesman, an independent source of workplace effectiveness data in the world, places that encourage serendipitous social interaction also tend to fuel collaboration. This has the potential to improve productivity and ultimately organizational performance.

Having to evacuate Belgium shifted my life online. Classes were replaced with Zoom, my internship was reduced to a series of email exchanges. I definitely feel a disconnect in regard to my office, and even now I am not receiving as much work as I usually do. I believe this is in part due to the lack of social interaction I have with my co-workers.

As the entire world has been forced to shift online due to the circumstances of Covid-19, I think it’s important to remember to stay close and check in with those you work with. It brings everyone a little closer during these tough times, and hey, it very well may enhance your productivity.