The pandemic saw teams (and families and friends) all over the world experiment with tolls, games and technology to stay connected when in lockdown. Some worked really well, others became repetitive and people joined in with dread.
Different groups found that different things worked for different groups, depending on the type of relationships and the purpose of the group.
For example, I Whattsap video called my Mum every day and we got the family together on Zoom for special celebrations. I joined my friends family for a weekly Saturday night pub quiz and kept innovating and introducing the format over the months to keep it fresh. In scouts we mixed formal sessions with games, videos, breakout rooms and kept some short and others longer. Again, we mixed it up to ensure engagement levels were high. And in the workplace, we tried all kinds of gatherings to keep people engaged and avoid Death by Zoom.
In this lesson we will look at different types of gathering and present some ideas to keep it socially connecting.
The daily check in
The team
A 15 minute call at the start of the day really helps people to share, what they are working on, what support they need and any issues that might impact others. Grab a coffee, choose a regular time when everyone (for the most part) can join, and informally check in, share and celebrate.
One to one
As the leader, it is worth checking in with everyone on a daily basis. Agree together how this looks. It might be a voice message, a call, a text message or email. You can jump on a video chat if needed, but the focus is being present and noticing how each member is doing. Be personal.
The peer check ins
Encourage every member to connect with at least one other person each day. It creates the water cooler moments where people informally chat, share news, find out what is going on in each others worlds. A virtual coffee, or a walk and talk - can be impromptu or planned.
The point is, take the lead and have conversations for the purpose of building relationships, both in your team and outside of it. Network. It makes everyone feel better. In my workshops I always create breakout rooms with 2-3 people. Generally people return uplifted, often saying that's the first time they have spoken to their colleague in months, if ever.
The weekly gathering
The team
If the purpose of the meeting is to discuss, plan, create or decide something, think about how you communicate the purpose before hand, use the right tools to make it interactive and use breakout rooms to create smaller group working - which reports back ideas or results.
The informal
Social sessions are for the sole purpose of being social. Perhaps it's a Friday afternoon session before everyone logs off for the evening, or a mid week break. It can focus on a learning topic, a social activity or a game or competition. It is a non work related gathering for people to connect.
Networking
Creating groups outside of the team helps others to build networks with others in the company or project. Perhaps you initiate a speed networking event, a rising talent group, an eco forum, a charity or social group. The idea is to lead a session with a purpose that is wider than their team.
These might be weekly, fortnightly or even monthly. You will know how often to hold them by asking the team, monitoring energy levels and attendance rates. So mix it up, change the format, experiment and find the right format for your people. Now, as the leader, you don't need to be present for all sessions. In fact it often helps if you are not.
Put someone else in charge or rotate the responsibility. It is a great development opportunity. Others will bring a fresh perspective or energy and will feel more inclusive.
The BIG gathering
Quarterly or annual
If it is not possible to bring everyone together in person, you can still create a positive quarterly "away days". The purpose is to communicate successes, challenges or new news. It is an opportunity for the leaders to be present and for everyone to be present, together. It can be a half day session, or full day, though I recommend a half day. Perhaps get some guest speakers, use the breakout rooms for activities, set challenges, do an activity, celebrate successes - but the focus must be on energy, variety, inclusion and clarity.
Team building
Focus on one topic and create activities that will get people working together. Training, facilitators, videos, action learning sets, competitions, social activities all play in the mix.
I have seen some companies try to do this weekly, but people get weary. So perhaps monthly or quarterly sessions will work best for you.
The focus is on teamwork, relationships and behaviours - not on the work itself.
The conference
Some organisations have created virtual conferences. I recommend engaging with experts in this area who have the technology to manage and facilitate. You can create virtual rooms, stages or even locations where people can learn, share, connect or network.
Plan ahead, get expertise and make it successful. Perhaps some pre work needs to be done by delegates.
It is a good idea to send people a gift or a pack that arrives on the day of the conference.
In the next lesson, we will look more into social ideas and you can integrate them into your teams.
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