YOUR REMOTE TEAM

Hi Champs, ??

First of all, I commend you for the resilience and hope that you have put through during this period of uncertainty. This is a defining period for the human race and we shall overcome. Back in the day, when I went through a learning course called ‘Man Enough’ we studied a chapter titled ‘Finishing Strong’ which delved on how one should never lose sight of the destination despite the hiccups and turbulence.

A few weeks ago, my friends and I were discussing about how ‘virtual meeting burn-out’ is slowly creeping in and to some people it has become a mundane routine. During that discussion we concluded to the fact that burn-out is no longer an office setting hazard but it can also transition to the remote work place (work from home environment). I am delighted at how fast we have adapted to virtual meetings and some people have admitted to making deeper connections through that even without the physical meeting aspect.

I have to admit my first virtual meeting sessions were a bit dramatic getting caught between multi-tasking at the house, receiving phone calls while my video is still on, forgetting to mute the audio while pan frying food and so on. However, the beauty of life is that practice makes perfect and you end up knowing the rules of thumb when it comes to virtual meetings.

One area that has been overlooked at when it comes to having virtual meetings and managing remote teams is clarity of communication and expectation management. For us in the executive team building profession, we usually say that, ‘clear communication is the currency of effective teamwork.’ The remote working environment has uncovered challenges for remote team leaders on matters engagement and inclusivity. Most of the times, there’s a mismatch of expectations and reality considering the fact that working from home at times is coupled with juggling between work assignments, family, home schooling of children, managing side hustles and running errands. An equilibrium is vital for ensuring that deliverables are met in flexible manner to achieve a win-win for the employer and employee.

It is therefore prudent to clearly communicate expectations and gather feedback from your team for better understanding and problem solving.

After numerous consultations with remote team leaders, Adept Advisory developed a digital team bonding experience dubbed ‘Hewani’ (Swahili for ‘on air’) whereby we have enabled our clients to enjoy virtual ice breakers and cognitive activities using conferencing tools. Hewani has motivated remote teams to build deeper connections and engage in collaborative problem solving with a spice of fun. Our additional goal is to help reduce remote workplace burnout for we believe that, happy teams bring happier results on the bottom-line.

In summary, it is significant to check on your fellow colleague/teammate during this period. It is during uncertain times that deep connections are forged. It is human nature to crave for communication even in isolation. Also add some fun to your meetings to make it memorable and engaging.

I pose this question to you; ‘When did you last check on your people?’

Stay Happy, Stay Safe. ??

?Charles Muthui

Charles Muthui is a Digital Team Bonding Expert at Adept Advisory based in Nairobi. Kenya

Welcome & visit Adept Advisory on LinkedIn