Something magical just happened. For the first time in over a year our whole team gathered for a day of collaboration, team building and reconnection. It was invigorating.

Tripepi Smith operated as a hybrid work environment from 2011 to 2014, and then we went purely remote. Nearly every member of our team has only ever known the work-from-home environment. This means that we are used to having our dogs or cats at our feet while we work, rolling out of bed and sitting at our laptops for an hour checking emails instead of slogging through a morning commute is the norm, and taking a walk through our neighborhoods while on a break is built into our work routine. Dry cleaning is not a big expense in the households of Team TS.

While virtual can do a lot, there is something about the power of sharing a meal, looking into the eyes of a friend or sharing a handshake or fist bump that sparks deeper connection. Prolific pen pals can carry on a multi-decade relationship, but the pinnacle of that relationship happens when they meet in person.

What I saw last week was a group of brilliant, dedicated, hard-working, kind, thoughtful, respectful, innovative and fun teammates reconnecting or connecting for the first time. Half our team members joined Tripepi Smith AFTER the pandemic landed in America. For many, this was their first time meeting their fellow teammates, most of whom they talk to or see through a screen nearly every day.

I have added remote workforce management and culture building presentations into my speaking engagements on the local government circuit. Nicole and I have learned many remote workforce management lessons in the last decade. An underpinning of these lessons is the fundamental recognition that it is human nature to seek comradery and connection. We want to be together.

Stay Connected,