Building Team Connections in Virtual Meetings



Building Team Connections in Virtual MeetingsIn surveys conducted during the COVID-19 pandemic, “camaraderie” was the main reason teleworkers missed the workplace. As one state HR leader said, “We’re banging through the agenda, and getting the business done, but we’re missing the sense of connection that we had in the office.”Because we rushed into telework, most teams simply adapted their worksite practices to telework settings without much adjustment. As telework and hybrid teams becomes a more prominent, it’s important to redefine how we telework. Teams can help develop new rules together, but it will take leadership to persist through the initial awkwardness of establishing new habits. Leaders and teams can use proven strategies like the ones below to build team cohesion and engagement in virtual meetings.Use your camerasVideo makes meeting more personal and can improve focus and attention in meetings. Commit to “facetime” for at least part of every meeting. If some employees are uncomfortable on camera, consider making video optional for portions of each meeting. Separately, ask individual employees about any resistance and help them with workarounds. Is it OK if their cat or toddler occasionally interrupts? The “blurred background” option can reduce self-consciousness and the sense that one’s home privacy is mit to full attention Nonverbal communication (tone, eyes, physical motions, etc.) often say more than words, but it takes conscious effort at first to grasp speakers’ full meaning through video or just audio.Be present and pay close attention to what people say, how they feel, and what they mean. Avoid multitasking (cell phones, email, other online activity) during meetings. Adjust meeting protocolsPause between speakers. Agree to wait a few seconds after anyone speaks. This makes for more effective listening and creates an opening for less extroverted employees to speak. Everyone participates. Expect each team member to contribute at some point in each meeting.Rotate facilitation or leadership of each meeting to help everyone be known, and to allow for variation in style and procedure.Shorten meetings or schedule breaks to re-energize Keep meetings short or break them into distinct sections. For many, it is more difficult to sustain attention in teleconferences. Build in breaks for people to move physically and to change focus for any meetings over an hour long.Encourage small talk Check-in during the first few minutes of every virtual meeting: “What’s new in your life or work?” or “How are you feeling today?”Schedule 15-30 minutes of informal chat about anything. Schedule it daily or weekly – at the same time – or more often. Suggested topics may help it get off the ground: recommended books, best snacks, worst vacations, for example.Arrange occasional team events to mark birthdays, team successes, or even good weather.Employee Assistance Program ResourcesOur Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides resources that can help you as a leader, as well as your team. Learn more about our EAP. ................
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