Improvement of an individual’s own skill set is important for personal growth. However, studies have shown that personal expertise is not what ultimately makes a corporate team more competitive and innovative. It is TEAMWORK really is what makes the DREAM WORK!
- Connected teams work better– Social interactions are what connect us and help us relate to one another. The more easily we relate to each other, the more comfortable we feel opening, sharing ideas, and asking questions, and the better we work together — critical for high-functioning teams.
- It is important to be social in the remote world– With social interaction at an all-time low, companies must strategically create opportunities for people to interact.
Here are some ideas to help managers create ways to cultivating connections and manufacturing occasions for social interactions while we’re all working apart:
- Make it purposeful. Prioritizing live team-building events. Make sure to leverage some of your team’s “live time” for important collaborative activities, such as strategic planning and offsite-style meetings to talk about past learnings and the future vision.
- Make it casual. Not every event has to be planned to the minute. In fact, social connections can flourish if you set up meeting time with no agenda at all. For example, try an open virtual lunch conference hour during which people jump on to eat together, or a “bring your pet” happy hour.
- Make it personal. It’s important to keep celebrating the individuals on your team and not lose the traditions that are part of your company culture. These days even simple celebrations require a bit more effort, but the results can be just as satisfying.
- Make it different. Going outside the box from time to time to plan unexpected activities you can do together over a video call can make team bonding extra fun and memorable.