How to Connect a Team While Working From Home

It is October and many of us have been in some degree of physical distancing for several months. The end is not in sight as many schools are going virtual this fall and large businesses have extended work from home through July 2021. What was thought to be a temporary situation has now drawn out longer than anyone expected.

Have you noticed your team is quiet during meetings? Is anyone speaking with each other outside of meetings? Maybe you’re noticing that processes are breaking down and not performing on time that used to flow smoothly before March. The teams that were built at offices are now falling apart because they are lacking the physical presence of each other. What can be done to put them back together?

Check-In

Checking-in has become a box to be checked instead of seeking the true answer. When you ask someone how they are doing and they respond with something positive, we think that is the end of the story. Checking-in is a way to establish trust. If you are the leader, check-in with every member of the team individually. Start with yourself. How am I feeling? Do I need to take a break? People do not have enough energy to listen to others if they are not well themselves. When you are met with the simple answer of good or fine, don’t let the conversation end there. I worked with a leader who would counter this with, “if I wasn’t me, would you answer that question the same?” This simple question made the receiver pause and think about their answer. When leaders ask us how we are doing, many people answer with what they think the leader wants to hear instead of the truth.

Continue to check-in with regularity. This will be different for each person. Some people are struggling and need to have a daily check-in. Others could be weekly or bi-weekly. This is the beauty of the differences in human beings. Checking-in regularly will help build trust. The first time you check-in with someone, you will likely hear what you want to hear instead of how they feel. Have you ever said you were doing well when you weren’t? I catch myself telling my boss that I’m doing well even when I’m not to give the illusion that I’m handling my workload appropriately. Someone like me needs to hear that it is acceptable to share my honest feelings. Sometimes that takes time to trust, depending on our past experiences.

If you are a member of the team and the leader isn’t checking in on you, check-in on them. Having empathy for each other strengthens the team. Approaching each other from a place of curiosity instead of accusation shows how much we care.

Senior Leaders Check-In

Senior leaders should check-in regularly with everyone to share how the company is doing. This can be accomplished in a video or small group conference calls depending on the size of the organization. People need to hear if their efforts are successful to drive the business at the highest level to maintain motivation. Keeping this information from employees can create unneeded stress when they are worried about job security. Sharing how the company is doing is also an opportunity to invigorate teams.

Senior leaders set the tone for the rest of the company. When senior leaders are checking-in, all down-line leaders will continue the trend. This is because the example has been set for them. They also may enjoy the way it feels to be checked-in on and want to create those feelings in others. Organizational Psychologist Adam Grant says, “In every team and every organization, the responsibility for creating psychological safety starts at the top. When people get penalized for voicing problems and concerns, they learn that it’s not safe to speak up.” If your senior leaders are not checking in with you, check-in with them.

Meetings

Create a short window of time to check in with feelings at the beginning of a meeting. When you’ve given space to air out feelings people can focus better on the task at hand. You could start a meeting with a question about how people feel about kids going back to school. This creates a trusted space with each other. Reassure everyone that there is no right or wrong answer and that we will all respect each other’s feelings and perspectives. Some people may not feel comfortable sharing. Connect with them after the meeting. Come from a place of curiosity. “Hey Bob, you were abnormally quiet during our call this morning, is everything ok? How can I help?”

Do this with calls with your clients and vendors too. Showing that we care about them can strengthen those relationships. A little vulnerability to share how we are doing can build trust with our clients and vendors. When we show ourselves as people instead of a business, understanding comes during times of crisis. People are encouraged to work together.

Create Boundaries

Every minute an employee gives is a gift of their time and talent. Each person on the team should have the freedom to create their schedule and stick to it. Establish some ground rules, like how many hours a day to work and create hours that all employees will be available. This respects everyone’s ability to have different work habits. Create a way that everyone can see hours and days of availability. This could be in an email signature or a shared calendar.

Respecting people’s time is another way to build trust. People appreciate knowing that you value their work time as much as their personal time. This will also reduce stress because it is established that we should not work outside of certain hours. It’s very hard to walk away from work when it’s in our home.

Increasing communication during this pandemic can increase job satisfaction and employee contribution. Teams can grow while being physically displaced. Increasing our curiosity and empathy while interacting with others regularly is key. Minimizing physical contact only limits one part of the relationship. Take the time to know your teammates and enjoy learning about them.