How to foster better working relationships even when you’re quarantined

Two professors at the Kellogg School of Management say the loss of routine and a sense of normalcy can result in disconnection and amplify distance into isolation. Here’s how to put different rituals in place to connect.

With the majority of Americans ordered to stay at home, the COVID-19 crisis is disrupting our work routines, as well as our rituals—those behaviors that create connection and shared meaning, and also mark key transitions in our days.

Recognizing the loss of these rituals—and the “jobs” they performed in our lives—allows us to discover and create new rituals to enhance our virtual lives and experience cohesion, even though we’re separated from our colleagues.