Managers and team leaders often find themselves overwhelmed trying to keep track of their remote workers and their progress, especially at the beginning of a new project.
When we first started working remotely, we were surprised by how much we missed each other. It seemed like we had lost touch. And we had. But once we got over the shock and realized that we could still connect virtually, we found that we could stay connected and even get “closer” to each other, despite the physical distance.
We decided to create fun ways to check in with our team members and keep them informed about our projects, goals, and daily activities. What’s more, these methods are proven to be effective tools for keeping everyone engaged and motivated!
Here are some ideas:
1) Have your team members send you photos or videos every week.
Sending pictures of weekly progress on a project will help remind you of who’s doing great work and who might need extra support. You can also use these images/videos to show off your company culture and values. You can even show through pictures from when you started a project till the end, and you’ll be surprised with the progress you and your team make! Share those pictures that show your results with your entire team so that they know just how far you’ve come.
2) Send out weekly updates via email.
… or perhaps via Slack, Facebook Messenger, or other messaging platforms to mix things up a bit? You don’t have to go into detail; let your team know what happened last week. This helps them feel included and keeps them updated without giving them extra stress. You can get creative by sending funny GIFs or stickers. It’ll feel less formal like this, so you and your teammates can be more relaxed in relaying simple updates and messages.
3) Use video calls.
You may want to consider using Zoom or Skype, depending on where you’re located. Look for something simple but efficient, and works pretty well. We usually set aside time every day to do one call per day. The best part? You can play small games or use other entertaining icebreakers to set the mood in your meetings. You can find more about that here: 3 Fun Icebreakers You Should Try in Your Virtual Meeting (themagicofcoby.com).
4) What’s-up cards.
Who says cards and letters are outdated? Well, not anymore. You can be innovative and use “What’s-up cards” to check on your team. It’s a simple card where you can write something, as simple as “What’s up”, to check in on your team. You can use a post-it or re-use an old card… you can even download a template online for it. It’s not every day that you get to see a “What’s-up card” being used in a meeting, so why not give it a try?
You can also make them more interactive by adding QR codes or linking them to your website. If you’re going to use a What’s-up card, then go all out with one!
Sure, there are many ways to communicate effectively with your team. However, we should use modern technology to maximize our potential to communicate with each other in helping us achieve success. So, while communication methods such as emails, phone calls, etc., remain essential, I would suggest that managers and team leaders look beyond traditional means of communicating and embrace newer technologies.
