Building strong teams has become more challenging as many workers are remote today. Team leaders must find ways to build trust in this remote workforce and ensure employees remain engaged and productive. Smarter connections allow them to do so.
Many people today prefer remote work because it offers them flexibility. They don’t have to conform to a strict dress code or face a long commute. It falls on employers to find ways for linking professionals to opportunities where they can connect if they work remotely, as they don’t see each other face-to-face regularly. How can they do so?
Virtual Coffee Breaks
In a traditional office, people typically gather around the coffee machine or water cooler. They use these breaks to connect and decompress. Many individuals don’t realize how these casual interactions help establish relationships. Remote teams often become siloed. They don’t make the necessary connections. To prevent this from happening, team leaders should schedule virtual coffee breaks every week. They may even send each employee a gift card via email, allowing them to purchase a cup of coffee and enjoy it during the meeting.
Team Building
Leaders need to find ways to plan team-building activities remotely. These activities allow workers to bond outside of the remote office. Employees who participate in these activities are more engaged and learn to collaborate, which helps them feel less isolated. Team building activities are excellent for assisting workers in developing their creative problem-solving skills. The team leader might have every team member plan a team-building activity online. Options include a virtual escape room, a digital scavenger hunt, or an online trivia contest. The variety will help the activities stay interesting for the workers and encourage them to participate and strengthen their team relationships.
Shared Playlists
Why not have every member of the team share two of their favorite songs? These songs can be built into a playlist that everyone can listen to when working. Music has a way to connect people regardless of where they are. Furthermore, the song choices provide information about each team member’s personality. Spotify and Pandora are two sites where a person may create a shared playlist. The team leader may also have members play a game where they have to determine which person picked which song. The shared playlist can be updated monthly, so the songs don’t get stale.
Remote Celebrations
Remote worker should be recognized for their accomplishments and achievements. Sadly, this doesn’t happen as often as it should, and it falls on leaders to change this. Anytime a milestone is achieved, the leader should make it known to the entire group. Employees who are recognized in this way feel appreciated, and this recognition leads to loyal workers. This recognition shows the company values their work, and they are proud when their contributions are acknowledged.
Virtual Lunches
Much like virtual coffee breaks, virtual lunches bring people together. Who doesn’t love food? Employees can meet at a designated time and share a meal virtually. The team leader may choose a theme for each virtual lunch, and workers can share their recipes. The leader might even host a cooking challenge for a bit of fun and friendly competition.
Activities such as these help remote teams build stronger and smarter connections. They learn about one another through these interactions, even if they are conducted digitally. When people get to know each other’s strengths and weaknesses, it becomes easier to collaborate. Each team member knows where they need to pick up the slack and where somebody will be available to assist them if they are struggling. The team leader should encourage these connections today, as the benefits extend far beyond what has already been mentioned.
