harmony

I noticed one employee wearing noise-canceling headphones. Not earbuds. The big, cushioned over-ear kind that create a tiny personal universe. I asked if everything was alright. He said yes, he’s just trying to focus. I told him we value focus, but isolation can misread as resistance to collaboration. He said he’s literally sitting at his desk doing his job. I told him we track human presence, not just output. He asked how presence is measured. I said imperfectly, which is why it's so important. Then I logged “avoiding spontaneous culture building opportunities” in his engagement profile.