During the month of March, Projectmanagement.com will focus on: remote and virtual work.
This is a passion of mine and something that I'm talking a lot about at conferences and webinars and the common thread that's emerging is: how to keep your communications "human" and not just business.
A top tip I use is: show and tell. Someone will share something from their weekend, a fun meme they've seen or a photo of their garden /what they're up to outside of work. This is a really nice way to stay connected.
So, what's your favourite way to stay connected virtually? Saving Changes...
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Luis BrancoCEO| Business Insight, Consultores de Gestão, LdªCarcavelos, Lisboa, Portugal
Dear Emily
Interesting this month's topic.
Let's see what contributions we will have
How about the idea of ??organizing a dinner for friends.
1. Contact a chef in advance and agree on the menu
2. Select the ingredients to cook the meal
3. Send the list of ingredients to the group of people and set a date for the meal (team members ... or friends)
4. Book a session, on the agreed day for dinner, using a communication platform and prepare the meal according to the chef's instructions
5. Enjoy the meal together after it is prepared Saving Changes...
Emily,
My favorite way of staying connected virtually is by minimizing amount of virtual time. Virtual connections are in some cases inevitable and preferred. This type of communication requires much more time and effort to maintain, while lowering benefits and productivity (when compared to Face-to-face or colocation). Colocation is where people can learn from each other, motivate each other, and plan future improvements "outside of the box". Saving Changes...
Piotr - What are some ways that you would stay connected non virtually? would you call them? what if you can't be co-located?
I've done a few different things with my team:
- online wine tasting. Everyone was sent some tester bottles and we could talk, taste wine and chat about it
- Calling for a quick call and walk outside
- Visiting (if possible) for a socially distanced coffee or walk. Saving Changes...
I am agree with Piotr. I am from construction industry, in some cases it is good to be connected virtually for saving time but most of the time we need to meet people and site with them face to face for different reasons. Saving Changes...
Robert JonesProject Manager - CEO| RJEV ConsultingHalifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
I'm with Luis - Hosting a dinner is a good way to engage with people around the world. I have had a virtual dinner(and occasional drink) with teams around the world. Just remember that as the host you need to have dinner in the time zone of the team! Saving Changes...
The best way for me is how better works for the team. We did late last year some zoom social chats, however we realized that we were overwhelmed with calls non-stop, some people where having zoom for work, zoom for a babyshower, zoom for a funeral... so, this year I'm trying to use the first 5 minutes of the meetings to "humanize or socialize". It is useful for me, because I can check how team members are feeling and maybe catch up with a certain group after the meeting, ask if they are open to a middle morning chat break. Saving Changes...
Adela TataruSenior Project Manager| Self EmployedVancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Having a virtual after work drinks can be a fun way to decompress and share personal stories.
The dinner idea suggested by Luis is great, I have done it with friends and family and it can be quite fun :) It should also be quite interesting to share this with co-workers.
Another thing I used to do with my team when the pandemic started last year was having a 15 minutes break during the work day where each one would exchange as if we were around the coffee machine at work: what fun activites one has done during the weekend, what movies we have seen, how are the kids doing etc etc
I have since changed jobs and entered a different dynamic, but I do miss those moments. Saving Changes...
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