Believe in your Remote Team:

Given that we’re dealing with an extraordinary situation, many companies, by now, have some sort of ‘Work-From-Home (WFH)’ policy in place in some capacity or another. Or to put it in another way, they’re prepared to empower employees digitally and tackle any technical challenges that may come their way when working remotely. But where there’s a structural and lifestyle change, there’s a behavioral one as well.

What we have experienced at Xebrio is that remote work, and especially WFH, can be quite challenging. Project managers, therefore, bear the responsibility of alleviating these unique work from home challenges, including ensuring their teammates’ emotional well-being.

Lets look at what it takes for managers and teams to embrace this challenge head-on. We’ll also look at real-life examples of how teams world-over are winning small yet significant victories every single day.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Part A: The Importance of Ensuring the Emotional Well-Being of Remote Teams

– Why it’s essential to ensure the emotional well-being of your team:

“The fact that social isolation is associated with poor mental health is unquestionable.” – Sandro Galea, a population health expert.

According to a case study by the CDC (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), a substantial number of people quarantined in Toronto during the 2003 SARS outbreak displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. PTSD may sound extreme, but the side-effects of isolation for prolonged periods of time are real, and not often easily recognizable – with isolation and burnout leading the pack.

According to the Sage Journal, loneliness and isolation can be twice as detrimental to both physical and mental health as obesity. Plus, another study conducted by Digital Ocean in 2019 concluded that more than 80 percent of remote-workers felt burnt out. When asked why they felt that way, 52 percent of remote employees said they end up working longer hours; meanwhile, 40 percent said they felt as though they were expected to contribute more.

Putting two and two together, it’s fair to say that encouraging employees to work remotely without focusing on their emotional, mental, and physical well-being can cost the company and the community at large.

Part B: The Adverse Effects of a 24×7 Home Office

– How the dynamic shift to working remotely affects teams:

Unlike the traditional office routine, there are various factors at play when it comes to remote work that can eventually weigh anyone down. These include (but are not limited to):

• Lack of social interactions, loneliness, and increased hostility towards being siloed as a result of forced (and unforced) social distancing.
• Poor productivity due to boredom, anxiety, and reduced motivation coming from a culmination of situational and environmental reasons
• Potential physical and mental health issues as a result of a sudden change in routine habits, poor eating habits, poor personal hygiene, and next to zero motivation to exercise.
• A looming sense of uncertainty or hopelessness.
• Economic constraints due to potentially compromised monetary income may lead to stress.

So what can the employees and managers do to tackle these issues together? Keep reading.

Part C: Overcoming Feelings of Isolation

– What individuals can do to take care of themselves when working from home:

Luckily, experts from different fields and industries are offering sound advice on how to tackle and keep mental illness at bay and promote emotional well-being.

• Stick to the same office work hours: Instead of logging onto your system in your pajamas at 9 a.m., try following the same routine you would follow if you were heading to the office. That means waking up early, working out, having breakfast, and getting ready to face the day. How you start your day determines how positively and productively you’ll end it.
• Fuel your body the right way: The connection between the body and the mind cannot be emphasized enough. Karen Neil, a UK-registered mindfulness teacher, recommends the following: “Maintain proper hydration to support mental focus and consume slow-release carbohydrates, such as wholegrain cereals to stay energized throughout the day.” It also helps to maintain a healthy sleep pattern so that the body gets enough time to rest, recharge, and recover – a prerequisite for mental well-being!
• Soak some sun: Furthermore, she implores people to step outside. (without straying too far from your house). Breathe in some fresh air, go to the backyard, terrace, or even your window, and connect with nature. Bask in the sunlight whenever possible.
• Meditate and breathe: She also suggests a simple 3-minute mindfulness exercise: “Sit or stand comfortably. Feel your feet planted on the floor and drop awareness into the body. Be conscious of your breath, allowing yourself these few minutes just to feel the physical sensations of breathing in and out. Anchor your attention to your breath, returning focus to your breathing every time the mind wanders.“

Please See: For newbies who have never meditated, several yoga platforms such as the heart Alchemy yoga are offering free 21-day guided meditation programs to reduce anxiety and promote peace. Another app called “Insight Timer,” also provides a host of free guided meditation practices that you can try to start your day on a positive, stronger note.

• Tackling the “Infodemic:” Raise your hand if you or your near-and-dear ones are guilty of succumbing to the “Whatsapp University” – a place where misinformation guides decisions and actions. While easier said than done, it helps to stay away from baseless messages and intentionally choose the kind of news you want to read in order to promote mental health and instill positivity instead of grappling with panic.

Please See the List of safety measures the World Health Organization recommends with respect to psychological well-being.

• Ask for help: Here’s an interesting analogy by Karen on how the brain works and how we can let go of any negativity that may limit our potential to achieve mental well-being: “The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones. When under stress and constantly on the go, it is easy to run on autopilot, reinforcing negative thought patterns which impact emotions and mood. During these uncertain times, it is important to regularly take note of how we are feeling and ask for help if needed. The ability to cope well in times of extreme emotional and mental burden comes from self-awareness.“

Read More: Best Practices to Work From Home and Stay Productive

Part D: Health and Well-Being: The Two Pillars of Flexible Working

– How managers and employers can collectively work towards a healthy work environment:

Practically speaking, it can be easy for managers to lose focus of their priorities and focus solely on churning out productive work. While that’s definitely important, it may lead to being negligent of your own, as well as your stay-at-home teammates’ mental health and emotional needs.

The trick lies in offering specific support to employees who show signs of mental struggle during trying times. George Gerchow, CSO at Sumo Logic, shares a helpful tip. He talks about maintaining a healthy work-life balance, explaining: “At this time, it’s especially important to ensure people stay engaged and don’t overwork, while also being empathetic to people’s needs and work styles. Any company that doesn’t put people first is going to suffer as a result.”

In short, the leadership team needs to adopt a “People-First” strategy.

Next on our suggestions list is concentrating on fostering a sense of belonging and community among the team members. Here’s how different organizations are bringing people together through a variety of community-driven activities:

• More engagement, better productivity: At Workswell, employees are encouraged to give “an aha, an apology, or an appreciation” at the end of the meeting. Jill Vialet, founder and CEO of Playworks, the company which launched Workswell explains: “It changes the way employees engage with the meeting, since they may pay closer attention knowing they’ll be asked to give feedback at the end.“
• Collaboration through music: “We’ve created a #NowSpinning company-wide playlist where we’re sharing our favorite music and podcasts with each other,” says Sangram Vajre, the co-founder at Terminus. The company also actively conducts remote hangouts, Monday coffee sessions, and happy hour Thursdays to get the community vibe going!
• Employee engagement think tank: Peter Bauer, CEO at Mimecast, talks about arming employees with the necessary resources, recommendations, and tips to help support them in this new way of working. He explains: “At Mimecast, a daily employee engagement think tank helps to keep a pulse on the organization and comes up with ideas to help make the most of this new experience together.” Interestingly, they also conduct virtual talent show competitions to keep the fun and camaraderie alive. Here’s how it works: Basically, people send in short videos of their unique skills and have them showcased. Ingenious, right?
• Embracing adversity and being vulnerable: Managers, like individuals, need to get a pulse on how they’re feeling about this new style of working. Mental health campaigner Rob Stephenson talks about what managers can do at their end to kickstart a process of healthy healing. He says: “Role modeling healthy behaviors, having a positive outlook, and sharing how you are feeling can all help. Business leaders must be open to being vulnerable.“
• Clear, calm, and kind communication: Angela Armstrong, resilience coach, summarizes the need for crystal-clear communication beautifully: “Leaders have an essential role in ensuring communications are concise, unambiguous, and timely to answer these questions for different stakeholder groups: What’s changing? Why? What does it mean for me?“.

• All hail the “Open Door Policy”: This tip stands true, now more than ever. Angela further explains the importance of lending a helping ear when the going gets unbearable: “Leaders need to ensure they are accessible – probably more so than usual. They are going to be in demand, especially in a crisis, but that’s why they are the leaders, so they should aim to respond to people as quickly as possible.” Managers can set up one-on-one meetings routinely or conduct small chat sessions asking employees about how they are faring, what movies or TV shows they are watching, or what recipes they are cooking. Do you get the drift?
• Offer access to the relevant self-help resources available: As a company-wide policy, the leadership should communicate about the various kinds of resources available at the employee’s disposal, offering guidance and clarity to employees as well as office workers who may need to step out of home in times of work-related emergency.
• Find humor in the mundane: Professional services company EY’s employees routinely have “virtual happy hours. “Employees at Oracle engage in virtual coffee chat sessions. Employees at Revelry have access to a dedicated “watercooler” channel to encourage break-time chatter. Help Scout encourages employees to create entertaining videos of their home workspaces. Elsewhere, teams are conducting yoga/Zumba sessions to get fit and have fun together!

The idea is to combat loneliness together. And it works. We’re hoping you’ll find inspiration among these examples and expert opinions. We sure did!

Food for Thought

Weathering the challenges of remote work is achievable with shared responsibility and a collaborative attitude that ultimately helps build a close-knit work culture. Additionally, it helps to innovate in real-time and keep the channels of communication open at all times so that you can ride the good, the bad, and the ugly, together, but virtually.

Given that we’re dealing with an extraordinary situation, many companies, by now, have some sort of ‘Work-From-Home (WFH)’ policy in place in some capacity or another. Or to put it in another way, they’re prepared to empower employees digitally and tackle any technical challenges that may come their way when working remotely. But where there’s a structural and lifestyle change, there’s a behavioral one as well.

What we have experienced at Xebrio is that remote work, and especially WFH, can be quite challenging. Project managers, therefore, bear the responsibility of alleviating these unique work from home challenges, including ensuring their teammates’ emotional well-being.

Lets look at what it takes for managers and teams to embrace this challenge head-on. We’ll also look at real-life examples of how teams world-over are winning small yet significant victories every single day.

Let’s start at the beginning.

Part A: The Importance of Ensuring the Emotional Well-Being of Remote Teams

– Why it’s essential to ensure the emotional well-being of your team:

“The fact that social isolation is associated with poor mental health is unquestionable.” – Sandro Galea, a population health expert.

According to a case study by the CDC (The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), a substantial number of people quarantined in Toronto during the 2003 SARS outbreak displayed symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression. PTSD may sound extreme, but the side-effects of isolation for prolonged periods of time are real, and not often easily recognizable – with isolation and burnout leading the pack.

According to the Sage Journal, loneliness and isolation can be twice as detrimental to both physical and mental health as obesity. Plus, another study conducted by Digital Ocean in 2019 concluded that more than 80 percent of remote-workers felt burnt out. When asked why they felt that way, 52 percent of remote employees said they end up working longer hours; meanwhile, 40 percent said they felt as though they were expected to contribute more.

Putting two and two together, it’s fair to say that encouraging employees to work remotely without focusing on their emotional, mental, and physical well-being can cost the company and the community at large.

Part B: The Adverse Effects of a 24×7 Home Office

– How the dynamic shift to working remotely affects teams:

Unlike the traditional office routine, there are various factors at play when it comes to remote work that can eventually weigh anyone down. These include (but are not limited to):

• Lack of social interactions, loneliness, and increased hostility towards being siloed as a result of forced (and unforced) social distancing.
• Poor productivity due to boredom, anxiety, and reduced motivation coming from a culmination of situational and environmental reasons
• Potential physical and mental health issues as a result of a sudden change in routine habits, poor eating habits, poor personal hygiene, and next to zero motivation to exercise.
• A looming sense of uncertainty or hopelessness.
• Economic constraints due to potentially compromised monetary income may lead to stress.

So what can the employees and managers do to tackle these issues together? Keep reading.

Part C: Overcoming Feelings of Isolation

– What individuals can do to take care of themselves when working from home:

Luckily, experts from different fields and industries are offering sound advice on how to tackle and keep mental illness at bay and promote emotional well-being.

• Stick to the same office work hours: Instead of logging onto your system in your pajamas at 9 a.m., try following the same routine you would follow if you were heading to the office. That means waking up early, working out, having breakfast, and getting ready to face the day. How you start your day determines how positively and productively you’ll end it.
• Fuel your body the right way: The connection between the body and the mind cannot be emphasized enough. Karen Neil, a UK-registered mindfulness teacher, recommends the following: “Maintain proper hydration to support mental focus and consume slow-release carbohydrates, such as wholegrain cereals to stay energized throughout the day.” It also helps to maintain a healthy sleep pattern so that the body gets enough time to rest, recharge, and recover – a prerequisite for mental well-being!
• Soak some sun: Furthermore, she implores people to step outside. (without straying too far from your house). Breathe in some fresh air, go to the backyard, terrace, or even your window, and connect with nature. Bask in the sunlight whenever possible.
• Meditate and breathe: She also suggests a simple 3-minute mindfulness exercise: “Sit or stand comfortably. Feel your feet planted on the floor and drop awareness into the body. Be conscious of your breath, allowing yourself these few minutes just to feel the physical sensations of breathing in and out. Anchor your attention to your breath, returning focus to your breathing every time the mind wanders.“

Please See: For newbies who have never meditated, several yoga platforms such as the heart Alchemy yoga are offering free 21-day guided meditation programs to reduce anxiety and promote peace. Another app called “Insight Timer,” also provides a host of free guided meditation practices that you can try to start your day on a positive, stronger note.

• Tackling the “Infodemic:” Raise your hand if you or your near-and-dear ones are guilty of succumbing to the “Whatsapp University” – a place where misinformation guides decisions and actions. While easier said than done, it helps to stay away from baseless messages and intentionally choose the kind of news you want to read in order to promote mental health and instill positivity instead of grappling with panic.

Please See the List of safety measures the World Health Organization recommends with respect to psychological well-being.

• Ask for help: Here’s an interesting analogy by Karen on how the brain works and how we can let go of any negativity that may limit our potential to achieve mental well-being: “The brain is like Velcro for negative experiences and Teflon for positive ones. When under stress and constantly on the go, it is easy to run on autopilot, reinforcing negative thought patterns which impact emotions and mood. During these uncertain times, it is important to regularly take note of how we are feeling and ask for help if needed. The ability to cope well in times of extreme emotional and mental burden comes from self-awareness.“

Read More: Best Practices to Work From Home and Stay Productive

Part D: Health and Well-Being: The Two Pillars of Flexible Working

– How managers and employers can collectively work towards a healthy work environment:

Practically speaking, it can be easy for managers to lose focus of their priorities and focus solely on churning out productive work. While that’s definitely important, it may lead to being negligent of your own, as well as your stay-at-home teammates’ mental health and emotional needs.

The trick lies in offering specific support to employees who show signs of mental struggle during trying times. George Gerchow, CSO at Sumo Logic, shares a helpful tip. He talks about maintaining a healthy work-life balance, explaining: “At this time, it’s especially important to ensure people stay engaged and don’t overwork, while also being empathetic to people’s needs and work styles. Any company that doesn’t put people first is going to suffer as a result.”

In short, the leadership team needs to adopt a “People-First” strategy.

Next on our suggestions list is concentrating on fostering a sense of belonging and community among the team members. Here’s how different organizations are bringing people together through a variety of community-driven activities:

• More engagement, better productivity: At Workswell, employees are encouraged to give “an aha, an apology, or an appreciation” at the end of the meeting. Jill Vialet, founder and CEO of Playworks, the company which launched Workswell explains: “It changes the way employees engage with the meeting, since they may pay closer attention knowing they’ll be asked to give feedback at the end.“
• Collaboration through music: “We’ve created a #NowSpinning company-wide playlist where we’re sharing our favorite music and podcasts with each other,” says Sangram Vajre, the co-founder at Terminus. The company also actively conducts remote hangouts, Monday coffee sessions, and happy hour Thursdays to get the community vibe going!
• Employee engagement think tank: Peter Bauer, CEO at Mimecast, talks about arming employees with the necessary resources, recommendations, and tips to help support them in this new way of working. He explains: “At Mimecast, a daily employee engagement think tank helps to keep a pulse on the organization and comes up with ideas to help make the most of this new experience together.” Interestingly, they also conduct virtual talent show competitions to keep the fun and camaraderie alive. Here’s how it works: Basically, people send in short videos of their unique skills and have them showcased. Ingenious, right?
• Embracing adversity and being vulnerable: Managers, like individuals, need to get a pulse on how they’re feeling about this new style of working. Mental health campaigner Rob Stephenson talks about what managers can do at their end to kickstart a process of healthy healing. He says: “Role modeling healthy behaviors, having a positive outlook, and sharing how you are feeling can all help. Business leaders must be open to being vulnerable.“
• Clear, calm, and kind communication: Angela Armstrong, resilience coach, summarizes the need for crystal-clear communication beautifully: “Leaders have an essential role in ensuring communications are concise, unambiguous, and timely to answer these questions for different stakeholder groups: What’s changing? Why? What does it mean for me?“.

• All hail the “Open Door Policy”: This tip stands true, now more than ever. Angela further explains the importance of lending a helping ear when the going gets unbearable: “Leaders need to ensure they are accessible – probably more so than usual. They are going to be in demand, especially in a crisis, but that’s why they are the leaders, so they should aim to respond to people as quickly as possible.” Managers can set up one-on-one meetings routinely or conduct small chat sessions asking employees about how they are faring, what movies or TV shows they are watching, or what recipes they are cooking. Do you get the drift?
• Offer access to the relevant self-help resources available: As a company-wide policy, the leadership should communicate about the various kinds of resources available at the employee’s disposal, offering guidance and clarity to employees as well as office workers who may need to step out of home in times of work-related emergency.
• Find humor in the mundane: Professional services company EY’s employees routinely have “virtual happy hours. “Employees at Oracle engage in virtual coffee chat sessions. Employees at Revelry have access to a dedicated “watercooler” channel to encourage break-time chatter. Help Scout encourages employees to create entertaining videos of their home workspaces. Elsewhere, teams are conducting yoga/Zumba sessions to get fit and have fun together!

The idea is to combat loneliness together. And it works. We’re hoping you’ll find inspiration among these examples and expert opinions. We sure did!

Food for Thought

Weathering the challenges of remote work is achievable with shared responsibility and a collaborative attitude that ultimately helps build a close-knit work culture. Additionally, it helps to innovate in real-time and keep the channels of communication open at all times so that you can ride the good, the bad, and the ugly, together, but virtually.

The invention of the PC brought about a startling possibility for workers around the globe – the emancipation of jobs from the office. Several people expected working from home to be the norm and the exciting future of work eventually.

While they weren’t wrong, businesses couldn’t permit work from home on a corporate scale for obvious reasons. So, when the coronavirus outbreak triggered an anxious trend of paid furlough for remote work, organizations were left scratching their heads on how to maintain or cultivate a viable remote work culture in all projects and teams. Most employers and employees are realizing the dramatic effects that this radical shift to remote work has brought. With the sudden, unforeseen nature of such a change, employers have not had time to come up with clear remote work guidelines or policies.

The takeaway here is, in case of such a calamity, if people are forced into remote work again, along with crystal clear guidelines for operation and productivity, a culture of adapting to suboptimal workspaces and maintaining efficiency without being in office is also required.

With many of us working from home, video collaboration software, like Microsoft Teams and Zoom, have seen a 500% uptick in the number of people turning up on it for team meetings, calls, and conferences. However, even before the flare-up of the outbreak, remote working was on the rise.

But when it comes to work from home, creating a sense of corporate culture is a topic of fervent discussion, one that often presents a huge challenge. So, in a scenario as unprecedented as the current one, how do organizations build a culture that promotes employee engagement of a remote workforce? Let’s find out how.

Organizational Culture for Remote Teams

Culture is often what makes or breaks an organization’s operational success. However, executives and business owners who wish to espouse the model of distributed teams often grapple with the predicament of fostering a healthy culture when their employees aren’t in the office.

When an employee works remotely, creating a strong culture that’s consistent throughout the organization can seem challenging. Fortunately, the task is far from improbable. Here, we will look at five ways of building a great company culture in a remote workforce.

1. Choose relevant tools for collaboration

As part of your day to day work rigor, you have to ensure that you have the relevant tools for team meetings and collaboration that help you propagate the culture you are trying to build. Not doing so could mean low productivity and work satisfaction levels. In fact, 71% of millennials complained about the lack of relevant collaboration tools, with Generation Xers coming up behind them at 62%.

Zapier, a company that enables users to integrate their web apps, has an interesting take on this as its workforce is entirely remote. They say;

“A co-located office develops its own personality through inside jokes, shared experiences, and a collaborative environment. A remote team needs to develop something similar. The easiest way to do this is with your day-to-day toolset.”

Apart from this, it’s paramount to find ways to make your remote employees feel updated with the latest trends and practices. Whether you employ video conferencing tools or team communication apps, it’s important to have a variety of ways for team members to keep in touch.

2. Enable easy communication

Hurdles in clear communications might be a cinch for in-office teams, but they can become insurmountable obstacles while working remotely. In fact, the frequency of face-to-face collaboration among connected employees stands at a high 98% as team members turn up to effectively communicate and patch up hawseholes that might have erupted while in office.

However, in the case of remote teams, quick fixes aren’t as easy to implement. With more than 50% of remote employees testifying to the same, the reason behind it was termed as feeling disconnected from in-office respondents. Turning it around would mean providing employees with exclusive channels built for a purpose that makes for immediate and clear communication through the right tools.

Since casual communication is the lynchpin when it comes to team building for remote workers, you should have tools that enable work chatting, but preserve the spontaneity of working in an office, and also promote casual collaboration more effectively.

3. Make employee induction public

This is a specific suggestion that makes a boatload of difference. Employee inductions are always exciting for both the recruited and your current task force. The practice of public employee inductions shouldn’t be given a rest just because teams are communicating virtually. If anything, it will accelerate the induction process and put the newly recruited employee at ease sooner.

For example, you can send a casual public mail exclusive to the members of a team and encourage them to ask the new employee basic questions to get to know them on a personal basis and to break the ice. An example of such a mail could be:

Hello team XYZ,

We have, in our midst, a new hire who will join our marketing team today. Alastair is from Philadelphia and previously was the Associate Marketing Manager for Cumberland Paper Mills. He had been at the position for five years, where he was tasked with overseeing customer outreach.

Alastair is @username on our private chat server with the extension 789. His work email is alastair@xyz.com

As part of our usual induction affair, I have asked Alastair for answers to a few questions.

• How would you describe yourself in four sentences?
• Which achievement are you most proud of in your life and why?
• Which genre of movies would you never watch, and why?
• If you had a superpower, how would you use it while concealing your identity?
• If you could choose between a private island and a private jet, what would you choose and why?

I urge everyone to correspond with Alastair in the coming week and welcome him to our team!

Regards,
John Doe

If you want to take it up a notch, you can even play some virtual team building games. Trust us, we’ve tried it too many times these days, and we’ve never got one eye roll or groan!

Social interaction often comes at a premium in distributed teams, and being aware of it can help you focus more on spending time with new employees to nurture a semblance of team bonding. Your current employees will be able to teach the new hire more about your company’s culture in a day than any manual ever could while also getting acquiesced with them personally, leading to better chemistry among members.

4. Encourage shared leadership

“Hire great people and give them the freedom to be awesome.”
– Andrew Mason, Founder, and CEO, Groupon

Businesses often wrestle against the thought and model of hierarchy. However, in an age where everyone is a specialist in their role, doing so isn’t a particularly great idea.

Promoting a semblance of shared leadership, in that sense, is not only essential to building a great company culture, but it also takes the onus of leadership off the requirement management’s already burdened shoulders and instead gives employees opportunities to rise to the occasion. Organizations must prepare employees from all levels for leadership and ready new leaders for success.

The practice of shared leadership and partnerships can announce a number of fundamental changes to distributed team composition as the model of teams helmed by an absolute leader falls to the wayside.

When business owners understand that employees need only a measure of recognition, and feel like they have a secure space to share their ideas, it leads to higher motivation among staff members, eventually boosting team performance and overall results. It is crucial to understand the things to look for in a shared leadership model so that you can allow some basic rules of coexistence for the same.

5. Prioritize health and wellness

When working remotely, it’s easier for the management to assume that the work-life of employees is in better harmony with their life outside of work. However, dodging the usual components of in-office working like daily commute as a virtue of working remotely has a darker side.

Plus, since we’re all home and amidst a pandemic, most of us are grappling with the burden of uncertainty, anxiety and domestic or familial responsibilities. In such times, it is more difficult than ever for remote employees to be productive and feel like a productive part of the office and the team.

But in the most normal of conditions too, remote teams face some unique challenges. Remote employees feel uneasy about asking for leaves. In fact, a survey reported that 55% of employees took fewer than 15 leaves annually. On the whole, remote workers were of the opinion that work bleeds into their lives more easily if they are working from home, with 22% saying that unplugging after work hours is one of the biggest challenges remote workers face.

 

Read More : Best Practices to Work From Home and Stay Productive

 

Unfortunately, remote teams can’t win much for you if they aren’t emotionally and physically well. That’s why organizations should take care to make health and wellness a high priority as a part of the corporate culture.

You can start with regular one-on-one health check-ups. Make sure that benefits schemes are reflective of the organization’s culture. To do so, you can consider periodic health assessments in the local physical area of each employee. Don’t forget about your employees’ mental health and show them that you are invested in it, too, by providing access to support groups or health packages through insurance benefits.

Successful Team Working as a Constituent of Remote Culture

Organizations over the globe have begun to realize the efficiency gains and intrinsic benefits delivered by remote teams. Combine this trend with the rise of freelancers, and you are effectively looking at the future that the invention of the personal computer promised.

A remote culture isn’t too hard to promote, and it definitely doesn’t require exotic technology or fundamental organizational shake-ups. By simply adopting the practices mentioned above, you can be well-positioned to address and resolve the unique challenges of building a proper culture for your remote teams — whether its members are spread out locally or globally.

This week, hundreds of thousands, probably millions of people are confined to their homes, taking refuge from the coronavirus. Organizations all over the world have been taking proactive steps to ensure that their employees stay safe during the outbreak of COVID 19. Luckily we live in an age where we can conduct some business over the internet or in flexible digital environments.

While remote working has been on the rise this past decade, millions are suddenly pushed into this now, many for the first time. This coronavirus pandemic has radically altered work for the foreseeable future. This time is confusing for employees as well as employers. With little time to prepare beforehand and draw up clear remote work policies, organizations are not entirely ready for the challenge. Project teams understandably have little clarity about operational and project goals. Project managers and leaders, too, are likely left wondering how to track project efforts and monitor individual contributions in light of this sudden shift. This is what inspired Team Xebrio to compile a guide to working from home and being productive. A big part of a project manager’s job is solving problems. Now is the time when this skill is truly put to the test.

Solving ‘Work From Home’ Problems

Remote work is challenging for several reasons. Not everyone likes working from home. Many swear by the sparks that fly and the spontaneity that comes from working with people face to face as opposed to being separated by digital-glass screens. Although there are some who actively look for work from home jobs, most people miss the social engagement and back and forth that are necessary for productive teamwork..

Business Insider’s healthcare editor, Zach Tracer, has managed a team of five for over a year. He says, “It won’t be easy, so don’t be too hard on yourself. When I started working from home, people told me it could take three to six months to adjust. I think that’s pretty accurate.“

The following is a list of challenges of working from home, along with their solutions.

1. Loneliness:
   Sure, working alone, without the everyday annoyances of the office, seems like a fantastic idea. Still, multiple studies and surveys point to isolation being the biggest detriment to working remotely, especially from home. Loneliness goes against the intrinsic nature of humans. After all, socializing and existing in groups is in our DNA.
   A couple of years ago, a team of economists looked at Ctrip, a 16,000-employee, multinational Chinese travel company. For research, the company had randomly assigned a chunk of its call-center staff to work from home. The results of this experiment were encouraging. Teams worked more, quit less, were happier with their jobs, and had great work-life balance. The company saved more than $1,000 per employee in office space.
   However, when Ctrip applied this work-structure to the entire company, it was ineffective and led to a drop in productivity over time. The first complaint employees had was the inability to work in isolation. If only that complaint can be addressed, remote work delivers all-round benefits.
   Solution:
   Make sure that project managers and team members all video conference together once every week, ideally every day. This is especially relevant in the current circumstances, since it acts as a check-in, and offers support & solace in shared misfortune. Also, make sure that you increase the length of your one on ones, so team members feel needed and listened to.
   It’s a good idea to include small-talk in one on ones. Most people are missing this natural, spontaneous interaction that happens in offices and reinforces their friendships. Loneliness impacts us more than we think it does, given the direct co-relation of isolation and physical health. Project managers should engage with their teams on apps that provide collaboration and team communication. It’s easy to get lost in your own world without a formal setting. These quick check-ins and messages prevent such instances.

 

2. Inability to supervise face-to-face
   Many people require managerial supervision, communication, and support to be able to work productively. Project managers, too, trust face to face supervision to collect feedback, instruct, and guide teammates. However, the primary concern for most managers is whether their teammates work hard enough or efficiently enough.
   Solution:
   Make your video calls count. This is the closest you’ll come to face to face supervision since the spontaneity of collaborative work and visual cues in communication are preserved to some extent. While you can make use of the screen-sharing feature most of the video calling apps have, it is difficult and impractical to monitor and review work for all teammates like this. Invest in project management or task management software. These tools have provisions to make tracking project work, project progress, and all project communication easy.

3. Inaccessibility of information and communication
   This sudden shift does not leave many project teams prepared for, or even expecting the difficulty in locating project conversations, decisions, and resources from other teammates. To add to it, the usual medium and method of communication have changed. This cumulative effect puts an added strain on teams already struggling to cope with the sudden change in routine.
   Solution:
   Teams need to pivot to digital solutions to tackle these problems. As and how you go figuring out remote work, you need to accumulate a repository of the routinely required information using collaboration tools. These measures will ensure smooth and quick access to information. Gaps in communication can surface even still. Project leaders should exhibit and encourage a positive and co-operative attitude, which will bring about an approach of sensitivity and mutual understanding to help each other out in times of need.

 

4. Inability to work through distractions
   In the initial stages of remote working – when you’re just getting used to it, and especially when you’ve had to make a sudden change, the lines between the home and the office are blurred. It is not only difficult to concentrate when it is not your regular work environment, but when it is your home, you have to settle for suboptimal workspaces. Teammates can also be suddenly inundated with childcare or familial responsibility owing to workplaces, schools, and daycare closures. Remember how his two adorable children gatecrashed Prof. Robert Kelly’s BBC News interview? While it went viral from all the hilarity that ensued, that could be what your teammates are dealing with! Staying motivated can be difficult. On the other hand, for some, unplugging from work and relaxing is difficult.
   Solution:
   Allow team members a flexible schedule. Ask teammates when they’re the most productive are and help them record their schedules. Explore productivity tools. Once a routine appears to be set, ask them to log hours and record efforts so that the absence of a dedicated chunk of work-time does not hinder productivity. Consider adopting well-known techniques of increasing your productivity. Adopt tools that allow task tracking and time & effort tracking. But go easy on your people. This is a difficult time for most. Reach out to people and make yourself available for listening to them. A good leader is a compassionate one.

 

5. Information security
   Unforeseen virtual work disrupts the regular, secure way of information and data exchange. Data is one of the most valuable resources of an organization. Keeping it safe is a real challenge when all business is supposed to be carried out over the internet. There can also be inadvertent security breaches as a result of data being exposed to family members.
   Solution:
   To contain unintentional security breaches and protect project data, mandate teammates and family members to record their hours of computer usage for work. This can be done via a system of logging in and logging out of virtual work systems every day.
   This period is especially challenging for all of us. Productivity can go down, but tools that allow you to organize, monitor, and communicate will salvage the situation to a certain extent. After all, the time and effort exerted in office commutes are zeroed.

But there are no foolproof measures to prevent all of the challenges to remote work, specifically the misuse of time in remote work. Project managers and leaders cannot adopt an approach of suspicion or anger.
Jonathan Segal, an expert in the laws governing remote work, emphasizes, “In a time of crisis, we need to focus on the vast majority of employees who do the right thing, and give ourselves the time and perspective to focus on the bigger-picture business continuity planning.“

How Can Managers Support Remote Teams?

Employers and organizations are up against a big challenge – enabling their entire workforce to work from home. This is an extraordinary task, and there are bound to hiccups. However, the direct strain of management falls on project managers. They are the ones who have to act fast and save projects. Here is how managers can support their teams better –

Quickly take stock of the tech stack

Figure out which teammates can work from home and what tools can be used to work unaffected, collaborate seamlessly, and even be productive. Ideally, together with decision-makers and employers, prepare a ‘rapid action’ task force, to reconfigure leave policies. Make a list of activities that you usually monitor and of responsibilities that are shared by teammates. Plan to track and monitor these activities using project requirement management software. Make sure everyone has access to information and resources. If you’re managing some blue-collar colleagues as well, ensure that they’re connected and feel provided for.

Keep your team motivated in trying times

Help your people get psychologically ready for remote work. It can be hard, but keep them motivated to stay productive and remind them of common and organizational goals. Explain to them the benefits of remote work, provide tips for being productive in such environments, and encourage them to explore remote work to find a pattern that works for them the best. Let them savor the saved time, exercise, and maintain the normalcy of routine and daily habits.

Relay all information

Make sure all teams know what is going on. Working from home, people tend to feel out of the loop. This could even give rise to ‘work separation anxiety.’ But project managers should help people stay updated at all times and about all details regarding the progress of the project. Similarly, coach your people to accept and retain information, but not excessively worry about revenue, organizational goals, and deliverables.

Communication with clients and external stakeholders suffers too. The best way to deal with these is securely collaborating with them and brushing them up on an overview of your project’s progress with milestone tracking software. This tool allows a bird’s eye view into projects based on their progress milestones.

Now that you feel at ease, having read how to take care of your team, read on to explore tips that will help you work from home efficiently.

Best Practices of Working From Home

1. Keep your routine the same
   Follow your morning routine, as you would if you were going to the office. Start early, get dressed and look presentable (this goes a long way if you have video conferences later in the workday). If you have the habit of catching up on the news on your way to work, make sure you dedicate some time to it before you begin working. This sequence of activities serves as a positive work trigger for your brain since it always ends with beginning productive project work, much like a Pavlovian response.
2. Select the right workspace
   Make sure you build the right kind of home office. It should mimic your desk set up at the office while also being comfortable. Your makeshift office should not be your bed or your dining table, where your brain is accustomed to relax or eat and hang out with family. It should be a separate space where you can mentally and physically disconnect from your home and truly step away when you finish. Make sure your desk is clean. There is inherent wisdom in the old adage “A cluttered desk is a sign a cluttered mind.”

3. Plan more for the day
   Start by making a plan of what all you wish to do today. Commit to doing more, so that you end up doing your best. With so many distractions and obstacles to work, planning for more helps you be productive and accomplish a substantial amount of work.
4. Build clear boundaries
   Let your family or roommates know that you’re working or that you’ll be telecommunicating a little ahead of time so that they can give you the time you need, and you’ll not have to deal with distractions and disturbances. Consider putting up a sign that will let others know whether you’re working or on break. Some people who have young children put up signs that will make it clear to children to occupy themselves otherwise. However, some people tend to work better with pets around, looking at them as silent cheerleaders keeping you company while you work.
5. Work in productivity bursts
   Analyze the way you work. Keep track of how much you’ve accomplished and when. This will help you organically build a remote work schedule that works for you since your focus and the desire to work ebbs and flows. Research has proven that when you do the most tedious work in these sprints of productivity, you work your hardest.
   Author and productivity expert Travis Bradberry says, “Frequent-break-takers outshine the competition by getting more done with more focus during their working time. There’s a neurological reason for that – the human brain naturally works in bursts of high activity that last about an hour, and then it switches to low activity for a while. When that happens, it’s in your best interest to take a break.“
   If you are cooped up with kids, try to find productive hours around their schedules. Isn’t the best, most productive time the time your little hell-raiser naps?
6. Stay away from social media
   In today’s hyper-aware world, the current overdose of information surrounding COVID -19 is amplified. It is best to take a break from the news cycle and ensure emotional well-being. Constant news updates only cause distractions and hamper your concentration. You can sign out of all social media accounts so that it’s harder for you to steal a quick look that can disrupt your mental space.
7. Take ‘stepping away’ breaks
   When you take breaks, don’t look at cat videos on YouTube, step away from your bed, take a stroll in your backyard or your balcony, or just look out the window for a while. The idea is to take a clean mental break. Also, put aside some time for exercise. There are definite cognitive benefits to exercise, as studies have shown.

8. Talk to your team
   Talk to your teammates, informally. Ask them how they’re holding up and whether they need your help with work. Similarly, make sure you make yourself available and visible to people through collaboration and communication apps, and that people know what your status is and when you’re on break.
9. End at the same time every day
   One of the major drawbacks of working from home is having to be unable to unplug from work. Set a definite start and end time to not let your work bleed into your time.
   These habits will make working from home more comfortable. But, not everything mentioned in this list may work for everyone. Everyone is wired differently. The key is to figure out what works for you the best.

Is There a Bright Side to This?

Working from home can be quite fun, depending on what you make of it. Instead of complaining about how you have to work from home if you are grateful that you GET to work from the luxury of your home and have some semblance of normalcy, things will seem infinitely better.

The Show Must Go On

We are creatures of habit, and we must recognize that we have given into the notion that the place of work needs to be different from the place we sleep in. But if we realign our expectations and take a closer look at remote work statistics from the past couple of years, we can realize that there is a paradigm shift happening in the way humans have worked. Perhaps we’re just getting started on the way we will always work in the future – from the comfort of our homes.

Decades ago, U.S. President Nixon predicted four-day work weeks becoming a reality. Today, companies are taking this “prophecy” one step further. They’re proposing “zero-day office weeks,” commonly known as “remote working.” Let’s look at some examples:

Software company Help Scout, which is completely remote, conducts monthly video sessions, which are themed as “troop talks,” where employees create video tours of their workspace at home.

At Upwork, global freelancing platform, 10 million employees participate in “Work Online Wednesdays” on a mass scale.

The personal-finance company, Student Loan Hero, pays remote workers a $2,000 technology stipend to purchase a laptop, in addition to paying $500/month for renting co-working spaces.

Cutting straight to the point, the “Age of Remote Working” is upon us.

By definition, a remote team implies a group of people who work collectively to serve a common purpose, without being co-located.

Sure, from the employee’s perspective, the “Work-From-Home” concept is possibly the best when it comes to work-life. But what about the management?

• How does remotely managing teams translate into a healthy working style?
• What are the key factors that are ushering in the era of remote work?
• How can organizations tell the difference between employees working in isolation and the ones that are working remotely?

These are a few questions we’ll be addressing today. Let’s get the ball rolling.

What Makes the Remote Work Concept “Stick”?

As TED speaker Simon Sinek says, “In order to be more inspired at work (or at trying anything new, really), ‘Start with Why’

First off, let’s look at the holistic benefits of a remote team:

1. Grants access to a gigantic, diverse talent pool

“Among our Silicon Valley-based portfolio companies, not a single company past ‘A’ does not have a distributed team.” – Boris Wertz, Founding Partner of Version One

Katherine Phillips, a Columbia Business School professor, explains, “Diversity jolts us into cognitive action in ways that homogeneity simply does not.”

With remote teams, you get to connect with talented people who not only bring skills but also different perspectives, knowledge, experience, and wisdom that comes from varied experiences of education and operation because of regional differences and diversity.

2. Allows enhanced productivity and motivation among project teams

“Around 30% of remote workers claim that they accomplish more in less time, 23% are willing to work longer hours, and 52% are less likely to take time off.” – CoSo Cloud  Survey

Tech giant, Microsoft implemented a four-day work-week to much success in its Japan office. The result? Productivity jumped by 40%!

Imagine the benefits if employees worked from home all five days of the week! After all, what’s not to like? Flexible schedule – check. Fewer distractions and greater efficiency – check. Greater autonomy and an empowered sense of responsibility – check.

3. Offers cost savings for both employees and employers

According to a recent survey, “An employee working from home can save nearly $6000 annually whereas businesses can end up saving twice as much.” How so? Employees can say goodbye to lunch costs, wardrobe shopping, and daily transport costs, among other things. In fact, research claims that an average employee spends at least 26 minutes a day commuting to-and-from work. If you do the math, employees end up with nine days of unpaid time, traveling.

4. Makes way for improved employee loyalty

Believe it or not, working remotely can help you retain a more loyal employee base. The “2012 Quality of Life” survey makes a compelling point about greater employee satisfaction, engagement, and loyalty to the organization in relation to remote working. Here’s a glimpse of its astonishing results:

• 90% of respondents claim an improved family and personal life.
• 85% agreed to experiencing lower stress levels.
• 80% of respondents enjoyed greater morale and engagement.
• 62% felt more trusted and respected.
• 93% believed that collaboration was better than before.

Remote Working Trends to Look Out For

Sharp increase in remote workers:
Data by Gallup’s State of the American Workplace report suggests that around 43% of employees  work remotely at least some of the time, whereas the percentage of people who work remotely 100% of the time now stands at 20%

Wide range of remote work positions:
Additionally, Sara Sutton, CEO of FlexJobs, adds: “Companies are expanding the range of professional positions they’re allowing to work from home.” The top industries on the list include Technology, Operations, Marketing & Sales, and HR.

Greater acceptance for going remote:
Buffer’s State of Remote Work report, 2019 summarizes: “99% said they would like to work remotely at least some of the time for the rest of their careers.” This would have been unheard of a decade ago.

The unprecedented growth of the ‘digital nomad’:
Data suggests that remote work has sky-rocketed 140% since 2005, growing at 10X the speed when compared to the rest of the workforce. In fact, an article from the Silicon Republic has gone on to say that remote working will rival fixed office locations by 2025.

After looking at all the evidence, it goes without saying that remote working is the future.

Top 4 Best Practices For Remote Team Management

The need of the hour for global businesses and startups alike, is to establish organizational processes and standards to accommodate and supervise remote teams, in addition to making drastic changes into their organizational culture. Here’s how you can get started:

1. Set up a culture of ‘collaboration’ using technology:

Interestingly, numerous remote working organizations today have intentionally built-in ‘virtual coffee breaks’ into everyone’s schedules, so employees can talk about their life outside of work. In the case of remote working, a little small talk goes a long way.

Handy tip: Make sure to set up an overlapping time so that everyone’s involved.

That’s not all. The senior management in these companies is often seen conducting meetings in video chat rooms that anyone can join.

2. Build a robust tech stack:

“If remote employees can’t download files, struggle to hear on a conference call, and consistently receive meeting invitations for times when they are still asleep, you have failed to address the basics. First, invest in reliable tools to make collaboration possible. Then develop clear processes to use such tools.” – Leila Bulling Towne

If peak performance and seamless collaboration are your priorities, you need a reliable, secure, and robust infrastructure in place. Look for team management or collaboration apps that will help you get your company’s communication in order.

3. Avoid an overload of email and chat:

There are companies that use a team communication platform, a supposedly informal group chat, an office email, and a task management tool to talk about work. This obviously becomes counter-productive and frankly quite annoying. Instead, opt for visually-driven communication tools such as video to get the work done efficiently and quickly. You can also use project requirement management software solutions that document conversations, provide collaboration and communication capabilities, allow efficient task management, and allow you to keep a chatroom open 24/7 – one that can cater to employees working across diverse time-zones, and, in all fairness, one that exhibits a virtual water-cooler effect.

4. Make quarterly, one-on-one reviews a priority:

In order to grasp how your employees are faring, it is essential to make them feel heard (if not seen, as is the case with working remotely) by conducting hour-long one-on-one meetings every other week. You can also keep a remote-specific questionnaire handy that could include questions such as: “Why do you prefer to work remotely?”; “How do you begin and end your day?”; “What was the highlight of your week?”; “How can I make the remote work experience better for you?”; “Do you need any tools or technology that will help you work better?”
Key takeaway: The best way to bridge the physical gap is by going digital. Any project management software worth its salt will offer all the necessary tools and techniques to manage global projects and remote teams all under one roof – from requirements to deployment. And Xebrio is one such tool. With the Xebrio project management tool, project managers can manage all aspects of project management, be it specific to project deliverables or the way the project team operates.

What Challenges do Remote Teams Face?

Round-the-clock coordination.

Coordinating times for calls that work across different time zones is one of the biggest challenges to keeping the communication alive and well.

In order to make coordinating call times easier, Wayne Andersen, CEO of the Leadership Science Institute LLC, offers a piece of simple-yet-effective advice: “Treat your remote people like they are local and treat your local people like they are remote. Give remote people as much access to you as possible. Remember, your local people see you in the halls, eat with you at lunch, stop by your office, etc. The remote people don’t have that access and can feel distant. Respond to them as quickly as possible. Make your local people set appointments.”

Inability to maintain a company culture that makes the employees feel engaged and inspired to work better.

Eduardo Santos, a designer, attributes isolation as one of the major side-effects of working remotely. He says: “It can get very easy to get in the zone and forget that life exists outside work. But a healthy balance of working from coffee shops and doing outdoor exercise can keep that at bay.

So, what can be done to inspire and engage your employees? The answer is simple. Build a community with technology at its heart. TC Cooper, founder of UpwardAction LLC, spills out the secret. She urges organizations to “Use technology to create dedicated spaces for celebrating special days (e.g., birthdays), company milestones (e.g., months or years of service), as well as community recognition. Being intentional about creating a community helps develop a corporate culture that inspires connection, which can result in increased productivity.“

Inability to track a remote employee’s productivity levels.

Tracking productivity levels can be a cake-walk, according to empowerment speaker and author, Donald Hatter.

He explains, ‘It is important to manage expectations and stay focused on goals when embracing a remote workforce. Don’t worry as much about what is being done. Instead, concentrate on what is being accomplished. If we are meeting our goals, then great. If not, we need to look into the situation further. It is all about accomplishment, not activity.“

Communication issues stemming from unforced misunderstandings.

This is one of the foremost reasons why drafting a rock-solid communication strategy can serve as a game-changer.

Deborah Goldstein, the founder of DRIVEN Professionals, offers an interesting strategy; “Managing a productive team remotely begins with a strategy for communication. First, arrange for the appropriate number of weekly formal “report-ins.” Second, set guidelines about daily needs. Some people work better with a shopping list of questions and thoughts, while others like a trickle. An understanding of what is urgent will further mitigate inefficiency, allowing ultimate productivity.“

Employees tend to feel “left out” due to reduced visibility and access to senior management: To counteract this, Louis Carter, CEO of BPI World, explains how managers can establish close relationships.

He says: “Empathize and appreciate their life by discussing family, commonalities, and shared beliefs. On the management end, check-in frequently (daily) using collaboration tools, shared docs and spreadsheets, phone calls, chat, and video to invest in the relationship. Show you are supportive of their success by using inquiry to help them achieve their goals rather than checking on their progress and numbers.”

Multi-tasking, a major productivity-roadblock.

There is a fine line between the kind of multi-tasking that will enable individuals to be more productive and the other kind that leads to no work getting done at all.

Matt Noquist gives some sound advice: “Figure out how to avoid multi-tasking. Video conferences, instead of phone conferences, work well. Encourage people to stay in working mode and off email back-and-forth as much as is reasonable. Email trails with extensive “reply all” can be stifling on productivity. This tends to peak on Fridays as people are trying to move work off their plate. Send a note to whoever needs it, but send it early in the day!“

How can Project Management Software Solutions Help Manage Remote Teams?

It helps mirror the perks of office-going, offline.

Who says water cooler chats only need physical presence? In some organizations, workers stay connected through daily team calls and water-cooler chats on project management tools. It brings structure to remote work, sets a routine that mirrors the routine office-goers may have.

It ensures that project managers can engage in task and asset management

Some project managers do not necessarily track all tasks they have assigned, or have access to important KPIs. But with remote teams, digital project tracking and asset tracking & management is the only way to manage work, mandating better project management that’s documented and can be easily tracked by both employees and employers, thereby reducing the informational gap.

It helps in setting expectations and milestones and tracking productivity.

Ilean Harris summarizes this key benefit beautifully: “Everyone has a different idea of what doing something “quickly” or “well” means. Whether showing examples of what you expect to be done, calendar sharing, etc., make sure you have clear expectations from those you work with online. The more prepared they are, the better they can serve.“

It ensures seamless integration of innovation and creativity into meetings.

Ever heard of a CEO who uses a high-quality podcast microphone and green-screen backdrop to swap backgrounds mid-meeting? Well we have and there are many such quirks some senior managers and leaders bring to the table to make remote workers feel like an important part of the organization and be productive. You’ll be surprised to know that more and more managers are opting for such innovative ideas to connect with their global, remote audience. Technology can be used to sprinkle a little bit of theater into otherwise drab meetings.

It fosters a culture of transparency and empathy.

“Lead with empathy. People might be going through political or environmental factors that you know nothing about because you live halfway around the world from each other. Make your team a safe place for people to be open about those things.” -Marissa Goldberg, Technical Product Manager at Analytics Fire

It allows managers to document everything.

Imagine if you could track changes and document requirements in real-time while backtracking to what you did on a particular project months or even years down the line! Wouldn’t that be great? Xebrio, the tool we mentioned earlier, empowers you to note and manage change accurately and clearly, and that too without needing to download additional plug-ins.

It helps combine collaboration with communication.

Communicate. Follow up. Repeat. This is the mantra every project manager can bring to life with project management software solutions. Chathri Ali, Head of Growth at ReCharge Payments, explains: “When you’re remote, being in the loop on company changes or updates is crucial, so you have nailed down communication. We share announcements three times: Through a chat tool, email, and our bi-weekly town hall meeting.”

If used correctly, technology acts as a boon for managers as well as remote employees. It acts as a platform where both parties can collaborate and communicate without any room for misunderstandings. For instance, some companies upload their meetings and presentations on YouTube. Additionally, they are even known to upload their employee handbook online as a resource. That’s not all. A global company has taken it one step further and lists individual, time-stamped contributions of every person on its website. These are then categorized into daily actions.

How to Master the Art of Keeping it Remote?

“Leaders who manage virtual teams must spend more time being accessible, creating a fun and casual environment, and providing timely feedback.” – Giselle Kovary, Generational Expert

All said and done – managing remote teams can either be easy-breezy or become a total nightmare. The key is to put resources and efforts into the bridging of the gap between office spaces and remote teams with technology, the right attitude, and complementary practices. If we were to sum up this blog in one line, then Tonyalynne Wildhaber’s quote speaks volumes: “Create a remote workforce atmosphere of engagement and genuine connection. Be intentional in preparing and orientating employees for the remote workforce culture. Establish clear expectations. Make each team meeting count with intentional purpose and opportunities to engage and contribute in a variety of ways. Intentionality is an essential practice, particularly when we cannot readily “see” our people.“

“Talent wins games, but teamwork and intelligence win championships.” – Michael Jordan

‘Team collaboration’ time. Ugh.

That’s the general reaction, right? After all, who wants to forcibly ‘bond’ with team members and play silly games that annoy everyone to no end? To top it off, generational differences and continuously changing leadership can get exhausting and leave behind a disengaged workforce – a staggering 70% at that.

We hear you.
What if the games were genuinely entertaining?
What if the team leaders could actually engage in some quality time-spending? What if the leaders celebrated every individual’s uniqueness while celebrating the team on the whole in a fun way?
Wouldn’t that be amazing? If the answer to all the questions posed above is ‘Yes’ and if you’re constantly wondering why employee engagement is slowly emerging as a sinking ship, keep reading.

Here are 15 team games that can inspire your team members and are – for all intents and purposes – a ‘fair game’ (pun intended) :

Top-15 Team-Building Exercises for an Inspired Team

According to definitive studies, ‘recognition’ is the number one thing employees cite that their manager could give them to inspire them to produce great work. In short, when it comes to inspiring people to be their best at work, nothing else comes close—not even higher pay, promotion, autonomy, or training.

1. Two Sides of the Same Coin

Primary Goal : To enable employees to change their perspective and view situations from different angles.

How It Works : Two people come together to form a pair. Let’s call them ‘Partner A’ and ‘Partner B’. Now, Partner A has to share something negative that’s happened in their life with Partner B. The type of problem can be professional or personal. However, it is essential that the incident shared be true.

Partner B has to ‘look at the bright side’ of the problem shared and help Partner A look at the silver lining. The roles are switched and the process gets repeated.

Handy tip: It helps to stock up on a hot beverage – tea, coffee, hot chocolate, etc. – so that people feel comfortable when upset or when sharing, ( as Dr. Sheldon Cooper from the ‘Big Bang Theory’ claims!)

You’ll be surprised to know that a little change in perspective can completely transform the way employees approach different situations and allows them to shatter any preconceived notions they may be harboring.

2. Warm Fuzzies for the Win

Primary Goal : To ensure greater bonding between teams by highlighting positive experiences and memories built on diverse work experiences.
This also encourages greater appreciation for each other – an important metric for employee happiness.
A study reveals that 79% of people don’t leave jobs, they leave bosses – due to lack of appreciation.  Learn more about the surprising advantages of expressing appreciation and gratitude at work.

How It Works : You’ll need a whiteboard and some post-it notes for this activity. First, scribble down some work-related themes on the whiteboard like “My First Day”, “Work Travel”, “Team Celebrations”, “My First Solo Project”, etc. People need to pen down details related to the themes and share their inputs. You’ll be surprised at the power of memories and nostalgia, and how it can actually bring the team closer.

3. Three’s a Charm: “Dog, Rice, and Chicken”

Primary Goal : To stimulate creative problem-solving and lateral thinking within the team.

How It Works : One member is assigned the role of a farmer, while everyone else adorns the role of ‘villagers’.

The problem that needs solving: The farmer needs to purchase a dog, a bagful of rice, and a chicken by crossing a river in a boat. But here’s the kicker: At any given time, he is only allowed to carry one item. The end-goal is to bring all three purchases, safely back home. Rest assured that fun questions like these can get the discussions going and encourage greater team participation. It’s simple, effective, and requires no extensive prep.

4. The Game of ‘Taboo’

Primary Goal : To encourage communication and listening-skills among team members.
It also helps the team leaders to gauge if their team members can imagine and innovate in each other’s company.

How It Works : People are required to form two-person pairs and sit facing back-to-back. Let’s call them ‘Person A’ and ‘Person B’. Person A is given a picture of an object/thing. The person needs to describe the object without using ‘direct words’ relating to the object.

For example, if it’s a flower, they cannot say the word ‘rose’. They need to use indirect words to describe the object. Based on the description, Person B draws the object. The roles are switched. Needless to say, the end results are always interesting and fun to watch.

5. Three Truths & a Lie

Primary Goal : To challenge preconceived notions, empower introverts to open up, and encourage better understanding among team members – especially if they’re geographically dispersed.

How It Works : The first step is to create a group of three or more team members and sit in a circle. Now, every person has to state four facts about themselves – out of which 3 are true, and 1 is a lie. Remember that the lie has to be constructed in such a way that it seems true enough. The other team members take turns to single out the lie. Once everyone is done guessing, the right answer is revealed.

6. Spot the Difference

Primary Goal : To let the team members blow off some steam – especially after a long day at work. This re-energizes the team members while they have some fun.

How It Works : Ideal for a group of 10-20 people, this game requires good observation skills. Teammates form 2 lines of equal number of members each, facing each other. Let’s call them ‘Line A’ and ‘Line B’. Line A is asked to observe Line B for 15 seconds.

Then, Line A turns their backs to Line B, giving Line B 40-45 seconds to change 7-10 things about themselves. This could include a host of creative ideas, such as adorning a different hair-do, making changes to accessories ––removing earrings, watches, and ties, or putting on makeup, etc. Line A turns around after the 40-45 seconds and has to list the various changes that were done within that time. The teams switch roles, and the team with the most correct answers wins.

7. Let All the Questions Go Up in the Air

Primary Goal : To get a better understanding of other team members in a stress-free, fun, and interactive way.

How It Works : Every person is given a balloon, a small strip of paper, and a pen. They need to write a question on the slip of paper and place it in their balloon. It could be a general question that’s fun and entertaining. The balloon then needs to be blown up and tied.

Once everyone is done, they need to let go of balloons into the air. After a few seconds, each person grabs a balloon (other than their own) and sits in a circle. Then they need to pop the balloon and answer the question.

8. Entertainment at its Best: The Human Knot

Primary Goal : To test a team’s communication and creativity in equal measure.

How It Works :

First step: Participants need to stand in a circle, shoulder to shoulder, facing the inside of the circle.
Second step: Then, every person needs to extend his or her right arm and grab the hand of someone who is standing across the circle.
Third step: The same process is repeated with the left arm.
Fourth step: While doing so, two conditions need to be followed:

1. No one can hold the hands of someone who is standing directly next to them.
2. Everyone should hold the hands of two different people. The end-goal is to untangle everyone but without breaking the circle. If the chain breaks, the group has to repeat the exercise all over again.

Handy tip : Watch Tom Wujec’s TED Talk on “Build a tower, build a team” for some interesting insights on team-building exercises.

9. Bid Boredom Goodbye with Board Games!

Primary Goal : Go old-school, build a sense of partnership and instill team-building using board games.

How It Works : The idea is simple: Organize a board game tournament using any game of choice. Popular examples include Jenga, Codenames, Risk, etc.

Make sure to set prizes for the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place so that the competition is healthy and spirited. Alternatively, if you have a sound-proof room somewhere in the office, a karaoke session works well too. Make sure to stock up on beer to loosen up some nervous nerves!

10. Lunch Date & Potluck: A Potent Recipe

Primary Goal : To encourage better team bonding over good food and great company.

How It Works : No, we’re not talking about taking your team to an expensive lunch. Instead, head to your local park and enjoy a picnic. Ask your team members to get one food item each and enjoy some quality time amidst nature. Make sure to carry comfortable blankets for everyone to sit on, and don’t forget to take selfies!

Did You Know?
Recruiting software company, Lever, ups their team-building game. This is what Kiran Dhillon, the Content Marketing Manager, has to say: “Our CS team recently, completely out of nowhere, started giving out ice cream during the middle of a workday. They had a cart with different flavors and toppings, were playing music, and were dressed up in colors of the American flag (this was during the Olympics). Each person’s ice cream came with a little toothpick flag that had a Lever value written on it. I think it’s organic moments like that that bring the team closer together and reinforce values. We all stopped work for a little bit and just chatted and bonded over ice cream. Now, we’re all excited to see what other teams will do.”

11. Hobby Clubs & Cultural Jam Sessions

Primary Goal : To bring like-minded people and innovative ideas together, so that people can unwind and de-stress the best way they know how.

How It Works : Ask your employees to make groups of 5 based on a mutual sense of admiration for any activity. From book clubs and photography enthusiasts to food-lovers and creative artists, the list is never-ending. The idea is to engage in small and simple activities every week and drive engaging conversations forward. For example, they can set up a ‘Book Corner’ in the office where people can contribute and borrow books. Alternatively, every Friday, you can screen movie-sessions on classic movies that actually entertain and educate. Citizen Kane comes to mind. Any takers?

As for cultural jams and events, the idea is to encourage employees to brainstorm on the kind of culture they want to create within the company and implement it with time.

Some interesting examples :

• Cultural celebration : Shiv Sharma, Head of Content at Synergia One, explains: “At least once a week, every team member takes part in a cultural experience involving another member of the team. This has created a situation in the company where the French watch Bollywood movies, Germans understand cricket, Indians eat Hungarian food … and everyone loves Thailand.”
• Cultural jam : Meredith Mejia, Director of Marketing at WorkStride says, “Recent ideas that were implemented from cultural jams included holding hackathons to encourage innovation, hosting healthy cooking classes, and scheduling brown bag lunches with leaders of departments other than your own to learn more about what they do.”
• Interesting, right?

12. Get ‘Social’ for Better Bonding

Primary Goal : To encourage team members to engage in a charity drive and instill greater team bonding among members. Plus, it is known to boost employee morale and lead to greater emotional bonding.

How It Works : The idea is simple. You need to pick a cause that’s close to your team’s heart and invest a couple of hours in driving social responsibility. It could be volunteering at old-age homes, building homeless shelters, going on a plantation drive, mentoring at nearby schools, etc.

13. Bring Out the Marketer in You

Primary Goal : To view things in a new light and instill problem-solving during crunch-time.

How It Works : Make groups of 4-5 people. Give each group a random object from the room and ask them to prepare a marketing plan to sell it. They can be given 20-30 minutes for this. Remember that they need to create a brand name, tagline, logo, and detailed strategy to sell the object. The teams then have to present the idea, and the team with the most effective and entertaining plan wins!

14. Create an Office Documentary, ‘The Office’ Style

Primary Goal : To spark off creativity, strategizing, and collaboration skills among team members.

How It Works : Start the activity by dividing teams into groups of 4-5. The participants need to create a documentary featuring different office elements and team members. It can be humorous as well as informative and ensure that everyone’s on the same page…or in this case, the screen. Make sure to give the teams a couple of days and then ask them to present on a fruitful Friday.

15. It’s Photo Shoot Time!

Primary Goal : To encourage teamwork and task distribution in a fun manner.

How It Works : Divide members into groups of four and make sure that every group has one phone with a working camera. Provide the members with a list of items to take pictures of within 10 minutes. This list could be super-creative and innovative. Some examples include:

• A yellow headboard
• A red dustbin
• A teammate serving in the cafeteria
• A red arrow
• An abstract painting
• The team with the most number of pictures wins.

We’re in the ‘Endgame’ Now: Closing Thoughts

“None of us is as smart as all of us.” – The One Minute Manager Every organization – big or small – needs to focus on innovating its employee-focused initiatives. In fact, according to the Harvard Business Review, 58 percent of employees trust strangers more than their own boss. So try these team-building activities and make your dream work, with teamwork.