Bring Your Senses to Work: The Lost Art of In-Person Connection

Bring Your Child to Work Day is the fourth Thursday in April. Each year my kids would ask if they could come to work with me, but by the time my workplace embraced this initiative my kids were adults. I was on the planning committee that inaugural year, a group effort that turned out to be a wonderful and memorable experience. It was a feast for the senses!

Tasting special treats for breakfast and yummy pizza for lunch.

Seeing remarkably accurate mini versions of co-workers!

Hearing giggles grow into laughter.

Feeling the sting of high fives from young sons and warm hugs from dainty daughters.

And, because we were a natural gas utility, smelling stinky natural gas to teach how to detect leaks!

With my retirement rapidly approaching, I had been reflecting on my decades-long career, mentally sorting through the good, the bad, and the priceless moments shared with truly wonderful people. Cheesy but true! The day fit in with those remembrances and reminded me that throughout my career, my senses were key to building relationships. They were the intangibles not captured in the list of company benefits, job descriptions, or strategic plans but eventually added up to something big.

Taste: There were plentiful potlucks. Nothing like getting to know a peer’s specialty dish and requesting them to make it repeatedly. There were delicious catered lunches and during work trips there were dinners at popular local restaurants. Each meal leading to deeper conversations.

Sight: Viewing my surroundings helped me “read the room.” I could sense when a co-worker wasn’t their usual self or if their energy was “off.” It was also entertaining to see the occasional wardrobe bloopers like busy moms who accidentally wore two different shoes or earrings! And it was fun to check out the executive who easily paired professional attire with his collection of Nikes, Vans or Adidas.

Sound: I recalled the occasional laughter and being able to pinpoint which unique ones belonged to whom. At one point, our whole department knew the distinct laugh belonging to a lady in another group on the other side of the building!      

Touch: Like with the mini-mes, there were high fives and warm hugs, as needed. Celebratory hugs after a promotion or on birthdays. I recall the unexpected bear hug from an old friend the day we returned to the office after the pandemic!

Smell: There was the familiar scent of a co-worker’s cologne or perfume, so much so that even if they had only walked by you could accurately guess, “Was so-and-so just here?” There were also the unpleasant breakroom aromas like burnt microwave popcorn or reheated broccoli from that co-worker who was, “eating healthy.”  

Because I had experienced a full-time in-office work week, a fully remote one, and a hybrid schedule, I had seen how each affected the work environment and how senses played an important human role in building teams and a sense of belonging. As graduation season approaches and a new generation enters the workforce, I hope they bring that favorite dish, wear a favorite cologne, sport cool kicks, laugh often, and share a welcome hug before these intangible benefits become a thing of the past. Most importantly, I encourage them to bring their senses to work as often as their schedule allows and to bring their kids to work every fourth Thursday in April.