Communicating, connecting, and—cloud gazing?
Way Forth Collective
Empowering nonprofits with strategic solutions to achieve their most critical goals
A THOUGHT FROM JENNIFER
In our last email, I shared how to build an annual plan. Building a plan is one thing, but running it is another. How do you practically do this without bogging down your team with long emails or unhelpful “status meetings?” The answer is: with intentional and strategic communication.
Here are a few ways Way Forth intentionally communicates to stay connected on projects.
15-minute Stand-up Meetings
This is a classic. In this meeting, the project team gathers with the task list displayed to answer a few questions, which largely boil down to:
Each person tells the team what they’re working on, which often triggers a thought, question, or insight for someone else.
Slack Check-ins
When the 15-minute stand-up meeting isn’t practical, you can replicate it by creating a Slack check-in channel. Every day each team member responds to the questions (above) at the start of their business day. (Yes, even if you're in different time zones.) You can even set up a daily auto-reminder on Slack to prompt the team.
Weekly or Bi-weekly Meetings
I’m a devout detractor of the “status meeting." You know the one I’m talking about. The meeting where the whole team attends, each person speaks for five minutes, no one pays attention until it’s their turn to talk, and nothing gets done? Biggest waste of time. EVER!
But productive, problem-solving, solution-defining meetings are fan-stinkin’-tastic! And you should have them regularly.
Free Meeting Resources From Way Forth
Need some practical meeting how-tos and tools? Check out our Way Forth Learning video, “Running a Meeting People Won’t Dread,” or help yourself to any of our meeting templates.
?On the journey with you,
Jennifer Hamel
POINT TO PONDER
How do you intentionally and strategically stay connected with your project team—especially on longer projects?
领英推荐
WORK SMARTER
Togetherness, Apart
By Carolyn Wildermuth, Communications Director
We’re an exclusively remote team at Way Forth, and one thing that I miss about being in person is the ability to turn to a coworker to ask a question or get some instant advice. It’s just nice to have someone right there.
Thanks to technology, some of my team members and I get the same effect by setting up "co-working sessions" on Zoom. Every now and then, we’ll schedule a call where we each work on our own stuff, but together. No agenda. No formal meeting. Just getting work done. Sometimes we don’t even talk to each other.
I don’t know what it is, but even though it’s virtual, being “together” in these meetings creates a sense of camaraderie. It provides that opportunity to get instant feedback, and it increases our focus and productivity, too!
How do you create a sense of connection when working remotely? We'd love to hear your ideas!
BRAIN BREAK
Eureka!
By Liz Presutti, PMP?
I recently learned about a psychology concept called the "Zeigarnik effect." The basic premise is that when your brain encounters a problem or task that's unresolved or incomplete, it continues to look for a solution. Your brain can better find an answer during unstructured time when other activities don't distract and occupy your thinking.
I've experienced this after a busy workday when I'm mindlessly cooking dinner. Often, the best idea suddenly pops into my head! I also have a family member who claims that she always gets her best ideas in the shower. ?
For this month's brain break, give yourself the gift of a few minutes of unstructured time in any way that you enjoy. I'm planning to go for a run without my music so I can let my mind rest in nature. You could also go outside and gaze up at the clouds, stroll around your neighborhood, or take a 15-minute power nap. The idea is to simply get away from screens and distractions.
Give the Zeigarnik effect a try and let us know if you get your next great idea!
Your friends and fans,
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