“Working from home” has become as ubiquitous a phrase as “unprecedented times” as we continue to embrace the ever-changing “new normal” (there’s another one!) that has descended upon us in 2020.
Working remotely does not mean behaving remotely. Now more than ever, it is crucial to engage with colleagues and stay connected as a team to serve clients effectively and boost morale. It all starts, of course, with a good internet connection and a decent dose of creativity.
Real time conversations between colleagues are carried out well with platforms such as Slack, FaceTime, Teams and Zoom proving to be a success for remote workers. Beyond these basic communications tools, there are many simple ways to inject energy into your dispersed team to keep employees engaged and inspired through their working week. Here are some ideas from the Studio Mix team:
Shared lunches WFH-style
From Taco Tuesday to Fajita Friday, those themed lunch days in the office may feel like a fun perk of the past. Now’s the time to recreate those team building moments and connect with a weekly “shared” lunch from home. On a Monday morning, arrange for a colleague to email a simple meal suggestion complete with the recipe and ingredients, then pick a day to prepare the lunch “together.” Some weeks, there could be a challenge to see who can be the most creative with store cupboard basics. Why not invite someone to create the lunchtime playlist with a song request from the whole team?
Show and Tell
Who has a pet pooch or cute cat among the team in their home office? Who is proud of their recent DIY accomplishment or child’s piece of artwork? Everyone has a personal story to tell about something they love at home, no matter how simple it may be. Temporarily gone are the days when these stories would seamlessly unfold over the coffee machine on a weekday morning, so introduce a new kind of social bonding. Encourage your team to have a fun catch up over video to share a little insight into their happenings at home.
Commute time, Your Time
Like many other businesses, the Studio Mix team no longer have the need to sit in traffic or battle for a seat in an over-crowded train carriage each morning and afternoon. The time is used to take for our daily commute can now be enjoyed in a different way, but how? Do your employees literally roll out of bed and face their screens with bleary eyes, or do they bounce over to their workstation having just completed a 5k morning run? This could be a great opportunity to encourage your team to use their morning/afternoon usual commute time in a way that enhances their working day. Perhaps set up regular “coffee catch ups” between members of the team and create a rotation throughout the office. The benefits? You’ll gain different perspectives, mentorship and natural conversations that could otherwise be lost in remote working. Team members can inspire each other on ways to use their previous commute time effectively.
E-news
While tools like Slack and FaceTime tick many boxes for team communications, surprise your colleagues with a simple yet effective email newsletter every few weeks. And have fun with it! It could capture some funny quotes among colleagues during Zoom calls, highlight individual colleague’s successes, include a summary of business updates and key dates, and simply be that item in the inbox that colleagues genuinely look forward to receiving. Creative communication is key.
Need some inspiration or guidance towards creating a top-notch newsletter for colleagues? Studio Mix is brimming with ideas to help you engage creatively with your team to enhance remote working and increase productivity.
Contact us at hello@studiomix.co.uk