Simple Activities to Keep Your Remote Team Connected
Since the COVID-19 pandemic began back in March, there has been a massive shift to remote work across many industries. After nearly 9 months, many people continue to work from home, and those who have returned to the office may find themselves working remotely again in the near future due to rising case numbers. For some, this change may become permanent as organizations find employees can be both productive and effective without coming into the office every day. Remote work has many advantages including added flexibility for employees and cost-savings for employers, but it can make it difficult for team members to connect on a more personal level. It’s not necessary for one to be friends with all of their coworkers, although there is ample research suggesting those with close acquaintances at work are more satisfied with their jobs, more engaged, and even more productive.
Remote work has many advantages including added flexibility for employees and cost-savings for employers, but it can make it difficult for team members to connect on a more personal level.
The good news is there are things you can do to help team members get to know each other better, even if they can only interact virtually. Since transitioning to fully remote work back in March, we at C1C have been taking a little bit of time out of our weekly team meetings to get to know each other better through a variety of short discussions and activities. In addition to helping us learn about what makes each other tick, these activities offer a small break from work and the added stress associated with life during the pandemic. The list below is just a sampling of some of the activities and discussions we’ve tried so far.
Unpopular Opinions – Learn more about what makes your team members unique by asking them to share an opinion that would be considered unpopular by the masses.
Guilty Pleasures – Ask your team to share their guilty pleasures or things they do for fun that they’re not necessarily proud of.
Virtual Talent Show – Ask team members to share a special talent or skill they possess. Are you working with a future star?
Childhood Photos – Break out those embarrassing childhood photos! Ask your team members to share a funny photo or story from their past.
Show & Tell – Have team members share one of their most prized possessions and explain why it is so special to them.
Pets on Parade – Ask team members to show off their pets and maybe even a trick or two. For those without pets, ask them to tell the group about a past pet or a pet they would like to have.
Pits & Peaks – Ask your team to share their lowest (pits) and highest (peaks) moments from the previous week. This could be work related or just about their lives in general.
Two Truths and a Lie – Ask team members to share two truths and a lie about themselves. Can you guess which one is the lie?
Choose a Superpower – If you could be a superhero, what superpower would you want most? Have team members share and explain their answers.
Lotto Dreams – Ask team members to share the first thing they would do if they were lucky enough to win millions in the lottery.
Crazy Costumes – Have team members share a photo or tell a story about a time when they dressed up in a silly costume.
Now Casting – Ask team members to choose an actor or actress who they would like to see cast as themselves in a movie.
Bingeworthy TV – Have team members share a TV show they recently binged or they would recommend to others.
Travel Plans & Vacation Pics – Ask team members to share the location they would most like to travel to or a favorite photo from a past trip.
Favorite Restaurants – Have team members share their favorite restaurant and their favorite thing to order there.
If these activities sound like something you would like to try with your team, we suggest you keep a few things in mind. First, it’s important to give people time to prepare. We always announce the upcoming activity well in advance of each meeting, so no one ever feels put on the spot. Second, it’s important to limit the time spent on these activities so your meetings aren’t being extended past their scheduled times. With our team of seven, these activities usually only take about 15 minutes. Overall, we’ve found that these activities really do contribute to keeping our team connected, and we feel they are a valuable use of time. If you have questions about these activities or other ways of keeping your remote team connected, feel free to reach out!