5 Ways to Socially Connect with your Virtual Team

For many of us, working from home is no longer a workplace benefit, but rather a requirement in order to stay healthy and do our part to prevent the spread of the most brutal virus we have seen in our lifetime. This unexpected shift from fast-paced office environments to kitchen tables and makeshift workspaces may take time to familiarize- particularly for those who have never worked from home. Yet, as we navigate new ways to operate and share information, it’s equally as important that we find new ways to stay socially connected.

Fortunately, there are many ways to stay socially connected with your team as we practice social distancing around the world.  We’ve come up with 5 suggestions of how you can satisfy your social needs with your teams while working from home:

 

5 Ways to Socially Connect with your Virtual Team

  1. Exercise Together (Yoga/Zumba/Pilates +) –Exercise and movement throughout the day is so important to help keep your energy up while working remotely. Although you may not be able to hit the gym, several local fitness studios and exercise apps are responding to the pandemic with free live stream fitness classes you can do right from home. Join a video-call to follow along with your co-workers and work up a sweat together.Better yet – find an expert from your team that is willing to guide your team in a workout during your regular scheduled breaks throughout the day.
  2. Host a Digital Book Club – It doesn’t matter if your team members are in the same office or in the comforts of their own homes, a digital book club is a great way to connect socially. Start by creating an online survey or doodle poll to select the book that your team will read. This is the fairest way to ensure that all team members’ voices are heard. Then, choose a moderator to send out pre-written questions for discussion and schedule an on-line meeting. Meetings can include a variety of online methods such as Zoom and Skype Video calls or Slack online chats. You can even host virtual reading sessions if you want to be in the ‘same room’ as your co-workers while you read.
  3. Share Your Favourite Recipes – Trade in your staff room lunches and ignite your inner Gordon Ramsey. Create a virtual cooking class with step-by-step instructions of your favourite recipes. Then, share the video with the rest of your team. If time permits, have one member host a live cooking class where all team members can come together and share a meal.
  4. Exchange Ideas– There are countless webinars and courses being offered for free right now. Topics include everything from ‘Telecommuting Tips & Tools’, ‘Leading through Crisis’, and ‘Building your Resilience’. Come together as a team and decide on the courses you want to take virtually as a group. Alternatively, you might choose to have each team member select a different topic and report back the key themes during an online group meeting.
  5. Say ‘Cheers’ with Virtual Happy Hour – If it’s your normal routine to go out for drinks at the end of the week, keep up this tradition and host a virtual happy hour (or a coffee date) over FaceTime or Google Hangout. This is a challenging time for everyone, so be sure to take the time to catch up with your co-workers and find out how they’re doing. Social gatherings may be out for now, but thanks to technology you can still get together – and at the end of the day it’s all about staying connected.

 

We hope you found these suggestions useful. We’d love to hear how you’re socially connecting with your virtual team. Let us know on social media. Find us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram.

Stay Healthy and Happy!

Related Links:

How Do I Support My Employees’ Mental Health in Times of Turmoil? Mental Health Amidst COVID-19

 

 

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