The massive shift to remote work has been a positive thing for many people. Work-life balance is a little easier to maintain when you don’t need to factor in a commute or a winding down after getting home. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been downsides as well. It’s hard to truly feel like a cohesive team if you only ever see their faces in tiny boxes on your screen. We’ll look into how to connect with your coworkers remotely to build stronger bonds with teammates.
Encourage Casual Chats Throughout Workdays
Whether you’re a remote manager or just looking to speak to more people than just yourself all day, it’s important to keep the lines of communication as open as possible. Whatever software you use for communication likely has different channels you can use to communicate casually throughout the day. If you want to build stronger bonds with your coworkers, you’ll need to talk to them about more than just work-related issues. Post your random thoughts and questions; you’ll be surprised by how many others will respond and engage with you.
Start a Collaborative Project
Remote jobs that don’t require a ton of collaboration can lead to teams feeling very disconnected from one another. A separate project that requires collaboration can be the perfect solution for when you feel like you’re a little too disjointed. A good example of this would be to start something like a donation drive with your coworkers. This allows you all to feel good about the time you’re using to help others and gets you working more closely with your colleagues throughout the day.
Create Exchange Programs
A good way to connect with your remote coworkers is to do more than just communicate via electronic methods. Physical letters or small gifts that you send through the mail can make a big difference as they really show how much you care about connecting on a deeper level with the people you work with. Think of it like a secret gift exchange that you run all throughout the year. It’s a great way to get coworkers to learn more about each other and what everyone likes.
Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out
No matter what you decide to do, it’s crucial to remember that you aren’t alone in wanting to reach out to others. Humans are social creatures by their very nature; even very introverted people need regular social contact. While it may be nerve-wracking reaching out to someone you don’t know very well, if you already work well with them, they’re more than likely going to be amenable to connecting more.
The massive shift to remote work has been a positive thing for many people. Work-life balance is a little easier to maintain when you don’t need to factor in a commute or a winding down after getting home. That doesn’t mean there haven’t been downsides as well. It’s hard to truly feel like a cohesive team if you only ever see their faces in tiny boxes on your screen. We’ll look into how to connect with your coworkers remotely to build stronger bonds with teammates.
Encourage Casual Chats Throughout Workdays
Whether you’re a remote manager or just looking to speak to more people than just yourself all day, it’s important to keep the lines of communication as open as possible. Whatever software you use for communication likely has different channels you can use to communicate casually throughout the day. If you want to build stronger bonds with your coworkers, you’ll need to talk to them about more than just work-related issues. Post your random thoughts and questions; you’ll be surprised by how many others will respond and engage with you.
Start a Collaborative Project
Remote jobs that don’t require a ton of collaboration can lead to teams feeling very disconnected from one another. A separate project that requires collaboration can be the perfect solution for when you feel like you’re a little too disjointed. A good example of this would be to start something like a donation drive with your coworkers. This allows you all to feel good about the time you’re using to help others and gets you working more closely with your colleagues throughout the day.
Create Exchange Programs
A good way to connect with your remote coworkers is to do more than just communicate via electronic methods. Physical letters or small gifts that you send through the mail can make a big difference as they really show how much you care about connecting on a deeper level with the people you work with. Think of it like a secret gift exchange that you run all throughout the year. It’s a great way to get coworkers to learn more about each other and what everyone likes.
Don’t Be Afraid to Reach Out
No matter what you decide to do, it’s crucial to remember that you aren’t alone in wanting to reach out to others. Humans are social creatures by their very nature; even very introverted people need regular social contact. While it may be nerve-wracking reaching out to someone you don’t know very well, if you already work well with them, they’re more than likely going to be amenable to connecting more.
