Teamwork and collaboration are important skills, but how do you promote collaboration among remote workers in the midst of a pandemic … especially when they are experiencing additional anxiety. Below are 7 tips on how to do just that.
Maintain a strong company culture. Ensure that employees understand the company lingo, values, and “who to go to for what”. This helps people feel more comfortable, reduces anxiety and work better together.
Don’t force collaboration. Encourage and provide the tools and opportunities that will allow people to want to collaborate.
Meet in person when possible. Though it is difficult to meet in person due to COVID, it is always a nice reminder for remote employees to know that they are communicating with real people during their Zoom calls and emails.
Create fun virtual events for employees to socialize. Ask your employees to create and lead virtual events. Hold activities like cooking together, doing a craft and using productive ice breakers.
Show off people’s human side. When we work remotely, we forget that our coworkers are people and not just robots behind a screen. To keep the human aspect alive, create news sheets and/or share accomplishments both work related and not. Celebrate birthdays, work anniversaries, or events in the lives of your employees.
Invest in communication and workflow apps. The easier it is to directly communicate with coworkers and supervisors, the easier collaboration will be. Create a digital “water cooler”, where employees can gather virtually to socialize about work and non-work topics.
Gamify teamwork. Encourage employees to collaborate by making a game out of it. Give points and encourage healthy competition. Offer small rewards once a goal is achieved.
Try these and it will help your organization thrive in a way that is safe and beneficial for everyone.