Implemented as part of Sue’s Safety Challenge during the Rochester Bridge Refurbishment Project 2019-2020
What: Regular Buddy Talk
Why? Many people are used to occasionally working from home on agreed days, at times to suit them, but the coronavirus crisis suddenly threw everyone into working from home, whether they wanted to or not. And while some organisations are reopening, the advice continues to be ‘if you can work from home, do so’. Emails, phone calls and team meetings by video are all very well, but they cannot replace one-to-one contact or opportunities to talk over work tasks – or even just to talk.
The Regular Buddy Talk (RBT!) is a way of giving everyone that opportunity to talk, to have a ‘coffee break’ away from work and an opportunity to speak and to be listened to. It is also a chance to get to know your work colleagues a little better and the conversation can include anything from what you’re having for dinner, the latest book you read, to items you’d take to a desert island.
Implemented? Yes. Each Thursday the Chief Executive’s Secretary pairs participants up – no one’s forced to take part – for a call the following week. The pairs are changed each week to ensure as much variety as possible.
Remote working is not easy, particularly when it is a new way of working, and the buddy approach is helping to keep us all connected and to eliminate any feelings of being isolated.