Remote work has blessed us with convenience, flexibility, and savings. However, it has also reduced the human interaction and bonding that the traditional workplace offers.
For some, this can make work monotonous and exhausting, impacting their performance negatively. Fortunately, the internet offers many ways to bridge this lack of human connection among your team.
In this article, I’ll share some engaging and practical ways you can build human connections while keeping your team entertained in a remote setting.
Virtual Coffee or Lunch
Let’s start with the basics and the most quickly applicable team bonding initiative. Encourage your team to set a fixed time for coffee or lunch using virtual communication tools. This helps break free from formal settings and create a safe space where they can share their dreams, goals, and personal struggles.
By providing a platform where individuals can feel supported by their team, you can minimize the lonely element of remote work while boosting human connections beyond just projects. If that is difficult to implement given varying time zones, dedicating an informal group chat for this purpose can also work, as members can stay connected without feeling pressured.
Kids and Pets Meet and Greet
Knowing your team is the first step to humanizing them, and what better way than to start with those right by them as they work: their families and pets. This simple meet-and-greet can go a long way in making your employees feel seen and valued, while finding common ground with others. It’s better to do this live over platforms like Zoom or Google Meet, as it bridges the robotic feeling of pre-recording.
3 Things in 3 Minutes
Since we’re on the topic of finding common ground, why not plan an entertaining game around it? Split your team members into pairs, and give them 3 minutes to find 3 common qualities or interests. Then allow each duo the time to share what they’ve learned. This can help build rapport and ensure smoother collaborations during diverse projects.
GeoGuessr
GeoGuessr is a geography-based browser game that places your team members into random Google Street View locations around the world. Players then have to guess the location of the images using clues like license plates, local architecture, or road signs. The one who gets the closest answer wins. In addition to great entertainment, this can also help familiarize your team with different cultures. It will not only entertain your employees, but also challenge their quick thinking and general knowledge.
Art Meets Song
This one is entertainment, collaboration, and innovation, all packed into one. It works using tools such as Chrome Music Lab’s Kandinsky. One team member is assigned to draw shapes as other members instruct them. Once the artist has drawn all the shapes, they use the tool to convert them into music. Give each member a turn to play the artist, and let others share their creativity and passion for art and music.
Emoji Song Titles
This is another great way to use music to bring your team closer together. As the title suggests, one team member will have to display the name of a specific song using just emojis while others will have to guess it. In addition to challenging their pop culture knowledge, this is also a great way for them to express who they are in a lighthearted way.
Whose Life Is It Anyway?
A picture is worth a thousand words. It can also potentially be a thousand times more effective in helping your remote employees connect and learn about each other than any other way. This game is about each team member bringing photographs of personal belongings (without the individual being in them), while others try to guess whose life the pictures are from. After a person is revealed, they can share the stories behind those pictures and what they mean to them.
Remote Work – A Well-Functioning Team, A Well-Functioning Company
In a remote setting, your employees may live across different parts of the world. Their ability to get along, stay entertained, and satisfied makes all the difference between stagnating or scaling your operations.
The activities above can help you create an environment that caters to each of these needs. They can help bridge cultural or geographic barriers, create a sense of respect and resonance, and strengthen bonds.
In addition to keeping your team satisfied, entertained, and connected, these activities can go a long way in ensuring all members work well together, no matter the challenge. Such a well-functioning team will eventually lead to a well-functioning company.
