Linnie S. Carter made a joke and it turned into a series of meaningful events for her team.
After receiving the announcement that HACC, Central Pennsylvania’s Community College, would be shifting to online learning and remote work because of the coronavirus pandemic, Carter—the vice president of college advancement—heard from some of her 25 employees that they would miss each other.
“So, I said, ‘How about a virtual potluck luncheon?’ jokingly,” says Carter, who is also the executive director of the HACC Foundation in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. “But then they said, ‘I love it!’ I was like, ‘Oh, OK… let’s do it then!”
Carter’s team planned its first virtual potluck in March, using Zoom to connect. Although the colleagues couldn’t share dishes, like they would in the office, they were able to eat lunch, share stories, and spend time together. They talked about how they were doing. They shared favorite photos, laughed about funny memes, and discussed their “quarantine names,” which combine how one is currently feeling with what they last ate, according to Carter.
The online luncheon was such a hit, Carter and her team plan to do it every month until remote work requirements are lifted. New activities are part of each gathering. April’s potluck included a meditation session and self-created memes or GIFs. Carter is planning a dress-up theme for May.
“It feeds their souls in a way that will sustain them,” she says. “I’m not worried about them doing the work. I have a high-performing team. I do worry about them feeling connected to the college. I want them to feel a specific sense of community.”
Plus, Carter wants to keep her employees connected to each other. She describes the team as a tight-knit group, despite a 50-year age gap between the youngest and oldest team members.
“When we finally return to campus, I want my team’s bond to be as tight as it was before the pandemic,” Carter says. “HACC is not closed. Our campuses are closed. We are wherever the people are. We have taken that to heart.”
