Many employees are continuing to work remote during the first phase of reintegration during COVID-19. It can be feel difficult to stay connected to your coworkers and maintain your workforce network when you are remote. For those who are used to being in an office and getting to know people in the break room, in the hallway, or in person meetings, it can feel hard to connect from home. However, with a little creativity, it may not be as hard to connect with your colleagues from a remote workplace as you might think.
There are many web-based communications platforms you can use to chat with your coworkers!
First and foremost, LinkedIn is my favorite place to connect with coworkers and others in my industry. It’s a really fun social media app where you can post, leave peer recommendations, showcase your professional history, as well as motive and encourage others. It’s a great way to gain visibility with others in your industry and connect with peers and executives alike. Microsoft Teams is another great way to connect socially with your colleagues. On this application, you can having chats, send GIFs & emoji’s, and even host a video call. Slack is another fun way to connect within your organization. The application is available phone, tablet, and computer and allows you to communicate in one place. You can have group or private conversations, share & use tools, and create specific channels. These are just a few examples of ways to stay connected, but there are many other online applications available out there.
Keep communications regular in order to stay connected & develop relationships.
It can be tempting to send an e-mail instead of picking up the phone to explain something to your coworker. Many of us have been conditioned to send e-mails instead of interrupt someone in the office. However, during these unprecedented times, it actually may be more beneficial to pick up the phone and have a conversation rather than just shoot over an email. You might consider hosting daily or weekly calls with key stakeholders for collaboration as well as the ability to just catch up with your coworkers. Find a remote buddy who you can chat with regularly, and even schedule regular touchpoints with, so that you can enjoy socialization as well as motivate and encourage each other. You can even schedule a team video happy hour to stay connected.