Long periods of isolation can be emotionally draining. Working remotely does not help either, seeing that there are limited in-person interactions. Here are several practices you can adopt to maintain a sense of connection with your co-workers.
Create Opportunities for Spontaneous Connection
The micro-interactions in the office environments, such as afternoon chats, contribute to your overall happiness. Studies show that this type of social connection is essential for employees’ well-being. Since it’s impossible to have such interactions whilst working from home, you can enhance similar connections via video calls. Zoom and Microsoft Teams are great tools for work-related calls. However, you can plan for short meetings during the week meant for informal conversation.
It is advisable to set a recurring 15-30 minutes meeting that you can label as ‘chit chat’ or ‘coffee break.’ This will help relieve the pressure of feeling that you have to talk about something business-related. Additionally, you can make them optional to ensure they are intentional and more toned down.
Utilize Non-Video Options for Involvement
While video conferencing has helped co-workers stay connected, constant use can lead to zoom fatigue. The overwhelming screen time for workplaces, schools, and social engagement can feel overwhelming. This is why it is crucial to find a balance and incorporate non-video options for interactions. For example, you can schedule a phone call instead of a video chat and, where possible, have a one-on-one check-in.
Engage in Fun Activities Online
Office setups often have team-building activities, including physical activities such as games and competitions. Ideally, these activities are great for socializing, and they contribute to increased productivity among staff. With virtual workspaces, this may be challenging, but there are some fun activities that co-workers can engage in online. Several options to consider include online cooking competitions, coffee classes, and mixology workshops. There are also tons of online team-building games that offer just as much opportunity for fun.
Online games such as scavenger hunt are excellent for group play and are becoming increasingly popular for South African firms. Yet, if you would rather play with maybe one or two co-workers, you can consider simple but fun casino games. Deal or no deal, live poker, or monopoly are excellent options. Luckily for South African players, most casinos offer online casino bonuses, giving you additional funds to play with. These bonuses include free spins, matched bonuses, and no deposit bonuses. There are several guides on how to claim these offers, including the related terms and conditions.
Find a Productivity Accountability Person
Working from home presents a lot of distractions, and it is hard to remain focused. To help complete your targets, you can team up with a co-worker and implement the Pomodoro Technique. With this productivity method, you work for 25 minutes and then have a 5-minute break. After the first three sections, you get a longer break of 15-30 minutes. This working strategy allows you to take guity-free time. Also, when working with a friend, you get some time to catch up during the break.
Be A Cheerleader to Your Fellow Team Members
It is harder to remember to take time to celebrate your co-worker’s achievements when you don’t meet physically. It is believed that 79% of employees who quit their jobs cite lack of appreciation by the company as the main reason. Therefore, it is critical to practice gratitude even when working remotely. Sharing and celebrating every milestone achieved keeps the employees motivated.
Set Out ‘Get to Know You’ Events for New Staff
New workers in a virtual setup can find it hard to interact with existing workers. The company’s management has to get creative in introducing them to the rest of the team. Although they will interact via project meetings, it might not be enough time to get to know each other.
A creative way to facilitate a ‘get to know you’ event would be using communication programs designed to pair colleagues randomly. Predetermined prompts and questions to guide their conversation could come in handy. Allocating such time will help news staff feel settled and connected with their co-workers.
We hope you found our tips useful in becoming more productive when working remotely.
