Reply To: How do I keep my team engaged whilst everyone is working remote?

How do I keep my team engaged whilst everyone is working remote?

My boss set up 15-minute video calls for the team (10 of us, plus an assortment of cats and dogs) every morning and every evening.

At first, having these two sessions at the beginning and end of each day seemed like a nuisance and a waste of time. But they quickly became a way of bonding as a team, even though most of us had never met in person. These calls aren’t just for talking about workload and current projects: we swap stories, find out what people have been up to at the weekend, share jokes, celebrate successes and personal landmarks – even play games occasionally. And on the last call of the week, there may be one or two of us with a beer in hand. 😉

My tip for doing this is to stick with it and have the person who’s best at engaging with others leading the call. Don’t expect everyone to join in actively; some will be quietly listening in the background, and that’s fine. Keep the sessions short (15-30 minutes max), purposeful and relaxed. Keep the cameras on. Enjoy getting to know your colleagues (and their pets) better, and make collaboration easier.

I hope this may work as successfully for you as it has for us. Good luck!