Little conversation at work provides great advantages. Sharing our interests, goals, and ambitions strengthens virtual and hybrid teams. Connecting yourself to your coworkers is not about workplace high-fives. It’s about being your actual, true self at work. Strong personal ties across teams usually translate into improved performance. Deep rapport is much enhanced by scheduling time to discuss topics like your team’s common goals, what you expect of one another, and what “fills your cup” while you’re not at work.
Every company rests on a human connection basis. And you don’t have to be a structural engineer to understand that your house’s strength is limited by its base. You run your own danger if you believe connection and belonging are only flimsy concepts that may wait. Leaders must foster an environment where individuals appreciate their humanity while also being efficient and competent in their work. I’ll step forth on a limb and suggest that a decent beginning is not calling individuals “resources.” Where then do we move from there?
My one-word response is belonging. Feeling safe and connected at work—especially when we are not “at” work—is absolutely essential. It’s really difficult as well. Colleagues we may not have personally met are here with us Deeper connections are still in development, most likely. According to a recent Atlassian survey, 37 percent of respondents believe they cannot explore new activities or completely express themselves, while 56 percent of participants indicated their team is badly linked on a personal level. That is unfortunate news for general performance and potential for innovation of the team.
How then can one break this nut? Not quite sure, though. But I have enough observations to have some views worth discussing. It truly is about the capacity to be honest and, maybe, a bit vulnerable. Now that we hardly see each other physically as much as we used to (if at all), I believe connection and belonging are more about being seen in a metaphorical sense.
Not feeling that you should adopt a distinct “work persona” and only let your “real” self emerge from under cover when you close your laptop. Diving into deep conversations about your job. Clearly expressing opposing views (of course) without thinking about getting in trouble. Colleagues you love conversing with.
This has always, I believe, been the case. Simply said, the high-fives and grins and all-around buzz generated by physical contact were so fulfilling in the Before TimesTM when more of us visited the office every day that we never realized how dependent we were on it. Every one of those in-person contacts, the accidental chats, the casual friendships evolved naturally over time. It’s time to locate an oxygen source we can access after we have been holding our collective breath for over two years.
Four methods to foster harmony among distance teams From what I know of, very few leaders truly have the hang of this. We are aware that strong teams come from human ties and that these teams help the company run more profitably. Furthermore well-known are the characteristics of successful teams: They are meant for one another. They can see how their efforts add to the whole picture. Their surroundings are psychologically secure. Their working together is shaped by common traditions and rituals. Their high-fidelity exchanges help to deepen personal bonds.
Getting there without depending on being physically close is the challenge. These strategies help you create closer ties both inside and outside of the team wherever your level of team health falls.
1. Aim deliberately at getting to know one another. We usually fill up our ignorance with presumptions. Given our human nature. We do, however, usually have such presumptions incorrect. Thus, the first step is to ask the fundamental questions and attentively listen to the responses with open minds and hearts.
My User Manual – You will include things like your preferred working hours, how and when you want comments, how you learn best, and ridiculous stuff like your favorite animated.gif. Not only will this assist your colleagues come to know your working style and personality, but the process of considering it all will enable you to better know yourself. Working agreements: Together, you will draft a list of expectations and agreements to help you to operate effectively and prevent any misinterpretation. Consider this process as the codification of your team culture. (Which implies it’s worth redoing each time your team membership changes.)
This one-hour course aims to define roles and responsibilities and point out any areas that require filling in-depth. And you will record it in a style that makes sharing with other teams you deal with simple. Even one of these drills can help much if you walk through it. Better still if you schedule three’s worth of time.
2. Improve your awareness of the teams around you. Every team you surround has a different goal; your squad is one among several. You are your own. What are theirs, though? Talk to every team you deal with to find where your goals line-up. Share honestly about your experiences and lessons discovered on the road.
Doing this may be as easy as arranging everyone on Zoom for a show and tell for a company. Talk about your preferred mug and the background on it or some other such. Try a team-level variation of the My User Manual play, above if you want more organization or to get numerous teams familiar.
This will improve everyone’s professional relationships but it won’t instantly make your team best friends with all the other teams you deal with. If you oversee groups of teams, I also advise scheduling a listening session to learn about people’s top-of-mind issues and general mood. This should be a venue for both inquiries and concerns expressed. There is no neat little response for everything. Saying “I don’t know, but I’ll try to find out” is reasonable as long as you follow through on that.
3. Set aside time to rather sloppily relax. Once all the business-oriented things are humming along, turn your attention to personally creating meaningful relationships. Once more, this has actual commercial advantages, but you will most likely be having too much fun to notice. Banning any “store talk” for the first five minutes of every meeting is one efficient approach of achieving it. Perhaps even include a “around the horn” agenda item or a little icebreaker (lots of great ideas here) to highlight something you were appreciative of that day. This not only helps you to get to know one other as people but also tells your teams that you appreciate them for reasons other than their capacity for work.
Deeper subjects should not scare you. Ask folks what they want to be doing five years from now or what about their employment seems most fulfilling? Most individuals, according to a new research, are very ready to go deep with you even if you have just recently met. People also usually find those discussions quite fulfilling. So grab it.
4. Share it forward. See a recent hire in your department if you have been with the organization for some time and have solid rapport. Learn what they are working on, how their onboarding is going, and how you may assist. For this type of discourse, I enjoy a nice “walk and talk”. Not important if you are on the phone or in person together. Getting outside and away from the humdrum of work often helps us to be in a better mentality for personally connecting.
Then elevate that individual using the authority of your network. Introduce them to the individuals they never knew they ought to be meeting. Small discussion may lead to great things, as you recall.
