Keeping teams connected and spirits high while working remotely during COVID-19

The health, safety and well-being of employees is a top priority for businesses during these unprecedented times. With more people working from home to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, companies are focusing on how they can set their employees up for success, helping them to stay connected and productive when working remotely, while also looking out for their personal well-being. 

While technology is crucial in keeping teams connected, managers will play an increasingly important role in keeping spirits high and helping teams thrive during these times. Virtual meetings are a great way to get face-to-face interaction with colleagues which can help people feel a sense of connection and break up the monotony of the working day. If you’re leading a virtual meeting, it’s important to be aware of all participants and give everyone an opportunity to speak so they feel heard. Scheduling calls at the start of the day to talk through priorities can help keep teams on track too.  

We’re also hearing of teams having lunch or coffee breaks together, and even workout sessions over video to keep connected. Remaining active and energised is important. Encouraging people to stick to defined working hours, take regular breaks to avoid ‘cabin fever’, get fresh air when they can, and also incorporate an element of exercise or meditation into their day is key to keeping a healthy body and mind.

To help keep people stimulated and continue investing time in their professional growth, LinkedIn Learning has opened up a number of courses for everyone on how they can successfully work from home. Here you can find tips on everything from how to manage remote teams, create executive presence over video and lead at a distance. 

We’re also seeing strong appetite from professionals across the world wanting to learn from the experiences of other people and businesses. Our global team of LinkedIn Editors are curating news and perspectives about the corona virus from trusted sources. This includes insights on the impact on the economy, how companies are responding, and best practices for people and companies adjusting how they work. LinkedIn’s Chief Economist, Karin Kimborough, is also sharing regular insights from LinkedIn’s Economic Graph team on the impact of COVID-19 on the global labour market. 

I hope these resources are helpful to you and your teams as we all navigate these challenging times. If you’ve got best practices to share (good and bad), interesting learnings or great stories of how your teams are coming together, I’d love to hear them in the comments below. #InItTogether #WFH