Remote work had been on the rise in recent years with the latest count of the deskless workforce globally totaling about 2.7 billion people.
This current social-distancing situation, however, is a whole new normal as entire workforces had to go remote practically overnight.
You’ve probably seen tons of #WFH tips already, so I’d like to share my creative tips and tricks for maintaining company culture and relationships during this pandemic. These may not work for every team, but try them and let me know your feedback.
1. Reimagine commute time
So, now you just roll out of bed and arrive at work? Not quite. Schedule coffee with a different team member during your former car-driving or mass-transit commute time and catch up via phone, Zoom, or text chat.
Get your team to sign up for coffee talks with each other and create a solid rotation throughout the whole office.
You’ll gain social time, mentorship, different perspectives, and regain some of the spontaneous conversations that are lost in remote working.
You can reimagine your commute home as well; there’s no risk of DUI when there’s no actual “D.” So, grab a beer or cocktail with some co-workers over a virtual/social channel.
2. Pomodoro with a friend
The Pomodoro Technique for time management has been around for years, but I just learned about it recently and really like it.
Basically, you and a co-worker can set a timer for each interval of 25 minutes and do “ready, set, go!” together. This will gamify your workday slightly, and also ensure that you can take a guilt-free five minute break with a buddy, instead of with your laundry.
3. Make video mandatory
Skipping video just isn’t an option right now; non-verbal cues can get lost when we default to phone calls. If you were in the office, your co-worker would be able to see the friendly, non-scolding look on your face when you ask, “Can we talk?”
The solution is to have video chats, have them frequently, and make video mandatory for all team members.
My lighting tip: Set yourself up near a window where you can let natural light shine on you from the front. Try to avoid backlighting, which will make you appear shadowed.
4. Group video chat even while you work silently
Basically, work as though you are next to each other in real life—that is, silently, but with video on. Just hearing someone nearby typing away and working diligently can be a huge boost for mood, morale, and productivity, and it’s a reason why co-working spaces are so popular. While working from home is cool once in a while, the everyday situation can be quite isolating for some people.
Within reason, this setup allows folks to ask quick questions aloud and help regain some of the spontaneous ideas that come up when you’re all in an office together.
5. Share a meal
With Taco Tuesday temporarily on hold, recreate social connection with shared lunches in #WFH style.
Each Monday, you can have someone email out a recipe and ingredients needed for a simple meal. If your team is full of foodies, ask them to lead the way. For easy fare, think rice- or pasta-based dishes (which are easily adaptable to dietary preferences) or get creative with gourmet hacks for pantry staples like instant ramen. Then, pick a time later in the week to prepare the meal “together” and sit down to eat the same lunch, while comparing notes.
Let the delivery-app connoisseurs of your group who can’t or don’t want to cook be in charge of the lunchtime playlist so they can have a hand in “creating” your group meal.
6. Have a visibility buddy
A major dilemma of remote work is the lack of visibility around milestones and accomplishments. Combat this by pairing up team members who shout out each other’s accomplishments via an occasional text or instant message on your business Skype, Yammer, or Teams site.
Why a buddy? Because it’s often easier to brag about someone else than about yourself.
7. A weekly “Bring Your Kid (or Pet) to Work” Day
Well, for some of us, this is every day now. While we should strive to maintain decorum, there is opportunity to introduce a new kind of social bonding and much-needed levity.
“What’s your cat’s name? Cougar? Great name!”
“Awww, little Katie drew a beach? Nice. Love that purple sky and orange sand. You nailed it, Katie!”
While some of our co-workers are lucky to have a separate home office, not all of us do, so we’ll inevitably see living rooms, kitchens, even bedrooms. Don’t cross boundaries, but do welcome the opportunity to get to know your co-workers in a new way.
8. Improve meetings
We should make our meetings more engaging and make sure different ideas and perspectives are heard.
I really like Edward de Bono’s Six Thinking Hats approach to assigning people a perspective when problem solving.
Or you could “Yes and…” your way through an idea to examine unexpected possibilities.
There’s a game called “First and Worst” where everyone throws out their first and their worst ideas. Great ideas often emerge with bad ones, so turning it into a game will keep everyone engaged and present — just not physically.
9. Encourage socially distant casual encounters
Working from home can squash spontaneous moments that lead to closer relationships and creative solutions to problems. To make up for this, take your colleagues to the (proverbial) watercooler as you move around your home. Just take your laptop or tablet with you when you step into the kitchen to make a cup of coffee or tea so you take a colleague with you.
Doing a few victory laps around your living room to celebrate a win? Make sure your video is on widescreen.
Feeling compelled to share a faux pas? Use your business Skype, Yammer, or Teams site to drop your thoughts and lessons learned.
Ultimately, finding virtual analogues for our most valued in-person interactions and being forced to get creative around meetings and events could make our teams more flexible and inventive. By the time we all return to our offices, it’s possible we’ll see and feel improvements in our culture and relationships.
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