Photo by Chris Montgomery on Unsplash
Many people have worked virtually for over two years now. Some companies are incorporating virtual work into the new normal. It’s harder to build and maintain connections with colleagues when you don’t see them in person. We don't have the short, casual conversations we had when we would run into coworkers in the elevator or at the coffee station.
Virtual meetings may have become more structured, without time or opportunity for non-work chit-chat. It’s also harder to chat informally online because it’s so easy to talk over each other.
Having strong connections with coworkers is one of the 7Cs of team resilience, making it more likely your team will respond to change and disruption in a flexible and innovative manner. If your team feels less connected now that you're working virtually, be proactive about rebuilding relationships.
Here are some suggestions on how to stay connected with colleagues in a virtual world:
Make People Feel Good
A close relationship needs positivity, consistency, and vulnerability. If you’re talking with a colleague on a video chat, you want the person to leave your presence feeling good. You can do so by offering compliments, laughing together, helping out, showing empathy, and celebrating each other.
Restructure Meetings
Think about how you run your meetings and add time for personal interaction. For example, start meetings with something that creates affinity - e.g., go around the group and have everyone tell their sweet and sour of the week. If you're having a large group discussion, break into smaller groups that report back - people will be more open and honest in smaller groups and will be more likely to build connections with their teammates. Allow people to join meetings early so they can catch up and chat about other issues. If you're running a meeting, value team sharing as much as productivity. Make time for personal-life sharing during the meeting. Talk about hobbies and what people did over the weekend.
Embrace Being Human
When we're working from home, we see a lot more about our colleagues' personal life than we would in the office. Don't ignore these personal intrusions. If a dog barks in the background, ask about it. If a child enters the screen, chat with them. Acknowledging someone's personal life builds affinity.
Schedule Micro-Moments
Since you're not running into your coworkers at work, be proactive about scheduling micro-moments. Schedule a short virtual coffee date, or share weekly highlights on a Friday phone call. Create Slack channels for posting photographs of pets or employees engaged in their hobbies. Here are some fun ideas for Slack channels that help build connections: https://museumhack.com/5-channels-better-slack-use/.
Create Virtual Team Building Activities
Plan a virtual happy hour or book club. Use a tool such as Google Pixel Art to set up a shared spreadsheet and encourage team members to add to a joint drawing. See where the drawing takes you every time a different team member adds their colors and designs.
What has helped your stay connected to coworkers in your virtual world?
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