I have a major announcement.

I socialised.

And it was almost ‘normal’.

Well, parts of it weren’t – like the lateral flow tests before and after, the public transport frequency, the seating arrangements, the bring-your-own-snacks-policy… okay, it was not really that normal.

But bits of it were – someone getting lost en route, kitchen catch-ups, tequila headaches….

Socialising ‘again’ is going to take a lot of getting used to. A few small-talk occasions have come up recently with new people that I have found bizarre. I’m not the best small-talker anyway (I’m more likely to discuss the meaning of life or ask deep questions), but after a year of scheduled walks with only my closest of peers, sourcing ‘chit chat’ was odd.

However, these social interactions present an opportunity. On the almost-normal occasion, due to a virtual habit, I sent over expectations of the event in advance, along with a rough agenda and shared any access needs. In an online space, I always want participants to feel comfortable on ‘entering the room’.

And surely this should be the case irl?

How much easier would it be for us all to navigate interactions if we had the shared etiquette in advance?

While we normalise these inclusive ground-rules for virtual spaces, let’s keep up best practice face-to-face, whether for a Euros match or a workplace training event. It just…. works.

Who’s with me?