When the initial stay-at-home order happened on March 13, most of us here in the Northeast made the silly assumption that we would hunker down, enjoy working from home, learn to bake sourdough bread, do puzzles with our kids and resume life in two weeks.

Well, we were incorrect. And now September is practically here – we don’t know when we will be back in the office; we have no idea what school will really look like; and many of us still haven’t seen loved ones in months. 

The only thing predictable right now is unpredictability.

But, in the midst of all this, one thing we can do is foster relationships—personal and professional. I’ve done my best to check in on people and make sure they’re doing ok. Clients and agencies have done the same for me. Check-ins don’t have to be capabilities calls; every conversation doesn’t need to happen over video; and we’re not required to analyze the state of the industry or guess if and when things will feel normal again.

“Hi. Just checking in…” now feels like a natural part of our professional communication. One that will support us in the short term and strengthen our partnerships for the long term.