Millions of people are working from home right now. 

We recently gave some tips on how to stay productive (AKA how to not watch the office in your PJs until 3:00 pm), but what about those of us who work in teams?

How can you foster community and connectedness among work teams in this new remote environment? 

Here are a few ideas:

Create a channel for chit-chat — Think a digital watercooler. With no face-to-face time, office chatter levels will be slim to none. While that might sound ideal for productivity, personal conversations are vital to forming bonds that encourage trust and community; two things everyone wants (and needs) in the workplace. Slack, hangouts, skype, and zoom are all great. Dedicate one to “water cooler talk” and keep it open all day. 

Introduce Creative Conversation Topics — Every day toss a prompt up somewhere for people to collectively share their answers. Make it relevant and helpful; Try “What ways are you finding to spend time outdoors?”, “What’s something you’ve been doing to stay happy?” or “Share something positive you saw or heard this week.”

Setup Team Activities or Challenges — Form a book club and set aside some time throughout the workday to discuss the book. Start a fitness challenge with a step counter and encourage people to have some friendly competition (while social distancing!) Organize virtual yoga classes or even a virtual happy hour! Many people are searching for a sense of connectedness and community right now, you’ll be surprised at how many participants you get!

Share these suggestions with your co-worker or boss!