The past months have seen many best-laid plans put off. From finding balance and tons of rescheduling, organizations continuously search for ways how to recalibrate and thrive during this remote set-up.
It’s good to remember that having remote work isn’t simply about hustling; beating deadlines, managing work-life balance, keeping productivity at a high level. In this hustle culture, it is easy to get swept up with the demands of finishing one task after another.
While it is important for a team to keep track of its goals it is also equally important to ensure that team building is not neglected. Creating stress-relieving activities that are anchored in remote team communication, corporate values, and the well-being of each individual could pay a lot in the long run.
As a leader, you have to recognize the powerful force of having a strongly motivated team with high levels of commitment plays a huge part in the success of the organization. It is about liberating your team from their desks and allowing them to talk, have fun, and feel good about having a supportive community. Not only it is a great way to recharge as a company but it is also an excellent way to build camaraderie.
Here are some of the activities to get you started.
Eat Together
While home cooking has been a trend this quarantine, set up a day where you and your colleagues could have a virtual lunch or coffee session where they can showcase their specialties. Mealtimes is a perfect chance for employees to catch up and discuss anything separate from work. Allow video conferencing and free-form interaction. The goal is to build bonds and get to know each other. Who knows, one might just have a new recipe to try.
Virtual Show and Tell
The beauty of this activity is that each person gets to own a spotlight and be known differently. Have team members share something they own or even a memorable experience. This can range from topics like:
- Favorite workwear
- A family recipe
- Introduce a pet
- A plant they’ve been nurturing
- A book they are currently reading
- A personal must-watch list in Netflix
After each turn, allow teammates to share their insights. You’ll get to know a lot about them just by the story they choose to tell.
Virtual Escape Rooms
If you have ever done escape rooms in person, you have an idea of how thrilling solving a puzzle is. There are a lot of virtual escape rooms available ranging from simple text-based puzzles to mystery adventures and stopping a nuclear bomb. This experience aims to connect with your team, simulate problem-solving skills, and agile strategies.
Costume Contest
It doesn’t have to be Halloween to host a costume party. You can choose themes and categories for your online costume contest. Famous singers, superheroes, zombies, they are all welcome! Have them introduce themselves the way their character would and make sure to incentivize the most inventive teammate so they put extra effort into making creative costumes.
Who doesn’t love colleagues that you can share a laugh?
Fast Talk
This is by far the easiest virtual game to host. If you are looking for fun and insightful ways to know your colleagues, try asking them a series of questions they need to answer as fast as they could. You could try ice breaker questions like:
- This or that?
- Personal facts
- Never have I ever questions
- Most likely to ______?
- What is your favorite ______?
Campfire storytime
If there’s one thing we miss about being outdoors, it is having the freedom to camp. And with every camp comes a great story. Tell your colleagues to relieve a scary story and share it with the group.
Workout challenge
With the shift of work from home set up, businesses are now run from boardrooms to bedrooms, in corporate attire to pajamas and sweatshirts. When you work from home, it is easy to get comfortable and lose track of time especially when your living room is also your work area. Prolonged hours of sitting is one of the health concerns you should always check your employees.
Promote health and wellness to your team by creating group challenges. This will bring employees together and help them connect with shared targets by being accountable to each other. A simple 30-day fitness challenge they can do at home could inspire and challenge your employees to live a happier and healthier lifestyle.
Virtual Karaoke
Ready to showcase your hidden talent and have a good laugh? Virtual karaoke is just the right happy hour activity. It is much more fun and easier to work when you have awesome teammates who are up not just for any challenge but also for fun.
Photo contest
Another fun way to break up the day is to host a photo contest. Mechanics are simple – as long as you have a mobile phone with a camera, you can share a snap or two.
Here are some ideas for a weekly photo challenge:
- Best photo of a pet
- Morning Routine
- Favorite snack
- What I wore to work today
- Desk Situation
- What’s for lunch?
Group Charades
One of the most popular games in every team building is charades. You can easily play it during breaks and you don’t need extra materials or complicated guides to start the fun. All you need is a list of funny charade ideas for your team to act out.
Here are some charades categories:
- Household chores
- Song titles
- Holidays
- Sports
- Film Titles
Sharing of morning routines
We all know there will be always be remote team roadblocks therefore, you and your team must take care of yourselves when they happen. A morning routine prepares oneself for the rest of the day – it is said that can boost happiness and increase focus and productivity. Have an open forum where your team can share their best practices before starting the day.
Exchange of care packages
Thoughtful gifts are guaranteed to brighten someone’s day. Outside of group calls, it can be a challenge to show love and support. Thankfully it is easy to order online and have it sent to your colleagues’ place. It doesn’t have to be expensive; be creative and intentional. Care packages not only gives employees something to anticipate, but it can also remind them that they are not alone.
Despite the speed bumps of working from home and getting our careers going, there are simple steps you can take to look after your staff like these remote events. You may have experienced growth over the past year but always remember to look beyond the pandemic. Cultivate in your remote team something that will deliver happiness in the long run. The key is knowing when to step back – from multiple deadlines and work overload- and go for a mindful pause.
While you may be physically far from your associates, your support is stronger than ever- and this could be an opportune time to seek even more meaningful connections.
About The Author:
| Katreena is a scientist and a life hack specialist. She’s authored scientific journals on biotechnology and molecular biology. To take a break from scientific journals, she puts her mind into writing about lifestyle, health, and sustainability. She strongly believes that kindness makes the world go round. |
