Tips for At-Home Team Building

After working remotely for a week, I was feeling really productive. I enjoyed the freedom to work in my pajamas and the minimal interruptions. The projects that had been sitting on my to-do list for what felt like months were slowly getting checked off one-by-one. Maybe working from home wasn’t so bad after all.

Then it was week four…and then week seven. And I was really missing my coworkers and the office camaraderie. Marketing is an extremely collaborative industry, and trying to keep that up in a remote workplace felt tough at times. Now after working remotely for 11 weeks, I’ve mastered at-home project management and am here to bring you my best tips to keep teamwork, morale and productivity thriving in a virtual world.

1. CHECK IN OFTEN

Working remotely limits your ability to walk over to your coworkers for a project update, but that shouldn’t stop you from keeping tabs on where things are at to ensure project deadlines are met. Reach out to your coworkers often via whatever communication mode they prefer — email, Slack, Zoom or phone. They’ll probably appreciate the reminder (and the conversation).

2. SET UP VIRTUAL WORK SESSIONS

Some of my most productive time during remote work was when I set up working sessions with my coworkers. Most of the time, we just sat in silence while working on our own computers, but by being on a Zoom, we were able to communicate far more effectively than if we were emailing back and forth. If you’re trying to complete a big project while working remotely, this strategy can be very effective.

3. VIRTUAL HAPPY HOURS

If your job is all work and no play, you probably don’t have very fun coworkers. This one feels like a given to me, especially if you typically have happy hours or get-togethers when working in the office. Whatever your in-house team bonding activity is, take it online. During L&S virtual happy hours, we kept our competitive spirit alive with games like Scattergories, Drawful, Cards Against Humanity and more.

*Cue Google search to figure out how to play your favorite board game online.*

4. GIVE RECOGNITION

Whether you shout out a coworker on a Zoom meeting or send a thank you email after a big project goes out the door, show your coworkers a little bit more recognition than you would during a typical work week. We can all get in a slump in this weird reality, and a little appreciation can go a long way.