In a few short weeks, our lives have changed drastically. From the normal workplace and home problems to a pandemic with restrictions, social distancing, mandatory closures and working from home. The situation is changing every day. It begs the question, “What’s next?” This approach of social distancing to minimize the spread of COVID-19 creates another potential problem…isolation, disconnection and discouragement.

I don’t know about you, but my daily attire over the past couple of weeks has not matched. With all of the virtual meetings I wear business attire on the top and vacation attire on the bottom. Sometimes it’s not even a color match. This seems representative of the blur between working at home during this pandemic and attending to the needs of our family. All culminating into a lack of focused attention.

Nothing can zoom you up or deflate you like drama in the workplace. It detracts, derails and diminishes team effectiveness. I’m not talking about healthy conflict that sharpens a team but actual drama…when your co-worker or direct report loses control over a situation or they show up as a bully telling everyone what to do and when. Either way, drama slows everything and everyone down.  Worse yet, it erodes trust.