Over the past decade or so, there has been a progressive shift toward remote working. Part of this is because millennials began entering the workforce around this time. Another reason is the wide availability and penetration of internet plans like Cox Internet Starter. But where this used to be an option that a few employers would offer, in the post-COVID world, remote working is now the new norm.
Creating Unity and Community Among Remote Teams
Remote working started gaining traction when employers began to understand its benefits. For one thing, having a remote team allows you access to talent on a global scale. Your team is not restricted by geographical limitations. At the same time, it allows employers to save money. You don’t need to rent an office space. You can hire team members from countries with a lower wage unit. And you can save significantly on office utilities.
On the employee side of the equation, remote working makes for a better work-life balance. Even before the coronavirus pandemic, it was apparent that remote working improves worker satisfaction levels. However, despite its many benefits, remote working does present some unique problems. Perhaps the biggest one is to create a sense of community among people who aren’t physically in the same room or building. We all know how important team cohesion is in the business world. But how do you work collaboratively with team members who aren’t going into the office? Here are a few good places to start:
- Improve Team Communication
- Encourage Team Socializing
- Plan a Future Team Event
Let’s look at these in more detail below.
Improve Team Communication
Communication is key in any business organization. But when working with remote teams, it is much more crucial. Since there are physical barriers to communicating in person, it is up to managers to improve team communication over virtual channels. Of course, this doesn’t just mean everyday business communication. Individuals need to be reminded that they are part of two teams. The first team is the department they work in. The second team is the organization as a whole. Managers should also focus on reminding team members of how their work contributes to business goals.
It is very important to utilize digital communication channels in building team community. Streamlined communication makes for better productivity. But you should also focus on making communication as organized as possible. This makes it much easier to locate tasks, comments, and workflows. This is where instant messaging apps may not work for larger teams. Individuals will likely ignore messages that are not for them. And they will often miss out on important ones in doing so. Instead, you should opt for weekly video conferences with teams to discuss progress, problems, and solutions. Save company-wide channels for important communication, such as appreciating a team or an individual’s hard work.
Encourage Team Socializing
Humans are social animals, to quote an often-used cliché. In the normal run of things, individuals form bonds with people they work with. It is impossible not to. After all, you spend more time with your colleagues than you do with your family. But when working remotely, you can’t meet at the coffee machine for a quick chat. It can be very easy to fall into the habit of only communicating for work. As a result, the social needs of employees may suffer when working remotely. Social activity is good both for team building and for individual health. That means you need to have a special channel devoted to fun and engaging activities. Things that team members can participate in on a slow day. Even a funny cat video can be enough to lighten the stress of work.
Plan a Future Special Event
Nothing helps with team-building like a special team event. Be it a bowling night, drinks with the team, a steak dinner, or an office barbeque party, the opportunity to get together and have fun is rare. Especially outside the office standing. In normal times, this would have been something very easy to do. Unfortunately, we are currently going through a pandemic. This makes it nearly impossible to get your team to participate in a social gathering.
But with working remotely, there is a limit to what you can accomplish through digital interactions. Since people are isolating at home, they’re starved for human contact. The only person they interact with outside of work might be a rep at Cox customer support. So it might be a good idea to start planning a special team event in the future. Be sure to inform your employees. This will keep them motivated and excited even if it takes place next year.
