THE BENEFIT
„Good afternoon, how are you today? Busy?“… questions that you hear a lot in the halls in the morning. Usually, you are having a natter with your colleagues in front of the coffee machine or at your desk. In “real” social interactions, we can quickly determine the mood of the other person. But online (depending on the medium) that’s not always that easy. Most important: If your team just started to work remotely, the situation is new and unfamiliar for everyone. This situation has much potential, but it needs to be developed together by the team first. Fast and continuous feedback is essential for further development and joint learning.
HOW IT’S DONE
Feedback conversations between colleagues, small talk during the lunch break and retro perspectives (#10) are also possible online and help to balance the mood in the team. Nonetheless, spontaneous exchange is lacking online, and therefore, communication must be actively encouraged by arranging fixed meetings.
For example, begin with a retro, that takes place every two weeks as a video call. Reflect together as a team on your level of satisfaction with the current situation and what you want to change in the future. It is helpful if one person shares his*her screen and writes down the outcomes on a digital whiteboard.
Suggestions for categories of the retro:
What can we do to make you feel better?
1. What should we stop immediately?
2. What should we do less?
3. What should we do more?
4. What should we start in the future?
If you want to do more than that and look at other digital possibilities, here are a few suggestions for the active introduction of a feedback culture and supporting tools to query the mood in the team:
– Officevibe: Program for anonymous online survey
– Kununu engage: Platform for employee feedback
– 15Five: 360-degree feedback, OKR management, check-in functionality
– Mood: employees can indicate their mood at weekly intervals
PLEASE CONSIDER
Virtual work may change the roles in a team, because everyone handles virtual work differently. Conflicts and insecurities can remain undiscovered for a long time period and reduce the productivity of individuals. Even colleagues with whom you haven’t had much contact lately are happy about a quick chat.
(All tools mentioned are unpaid advertising)