When I think back on some of my best work memories, they’ve included adventures after Christmas parties that ended with sore feet and a sore head the next day, and pit stops for kebabs. Or that time when my colleague made me laugh so hard that I snorted my drink out through my nose and had to change my pants for a client meeting.
It’s hard enough to organise events to celebrate wins for the team in a meaningful and memorable way, let alone during a pandemic. The ‘go to’ crowd pleasers such as team lunches, team drinks, parties, or lawn bowls are all a bit tricky to organise at the moment.
So, with physical distancing and the usual suspects off the table (hopefully not for too long!), how can we maintain our positive team culture – and celebrate our wins while working remotely?
Working remotely is unlikely to go away completely, so it’s important to look at celebrating team wins that capture the benefits we’ve enjoyed when being physically together.
Recognise the Wins
It’s important to start by recognising wins within the team.
The days of high-fiving a team member after a great client call are a thing of the past. Apart from being physically impossible, working remotely doesn’t provide that visibility of the day to day highs and lows. What you can do instead is set up a channel via Slack or Teams (or however you communicate remotely) to allow team members to “toot their horn”, sharing their wins in real time and receiving virtual ‘pats on the back’ and high fives.
In addition to celebrating wins in the moment, team wins should have the opportunity to be recognised and rewarded appropriately. For example, should you say congratulations in a Zoom team meeting or at the company all-staff meeting, or both? Should the recognition be from the direct manager or a senior leadership team member?
Whatever you decide, it’s important to make it as timely as possible. Also be specific about what you are recognising the person or people for. Not only does this help with their feel-good factor, importantly, you’ll be reinforcing the behaviour you are rewarding.
Create Opportunities for Shared Experiences
I’m definitely proud of all the achievements and accomplishments I’ve had throughout my career. But feeling connected to my teammates and having fun at work will always be what I remember most. The upside of this for leaders? It’s known that positive work cultures are more productive.
When it comes to team rewards, whether it’s a lunch organised via Uber Eats, gift boxes sent to their homes, or an online whiskey tasting experience, aim to create moments where team members can all share the same experience. It’s a great way to bond and create connections between team members. In iso, a photo posted by individuals sharing their experiences can paint a thousand words (as well as be shared, liked, and commented on). These experiences help to continue to create positive interactions, and stories which positively affect the organisation’s culture.
Create Moments for Fun and Laughter
Whether it’s trivia, celebrity heads, or ‘wear your PJs to work’ day (a bit easier to do at the moment), think of activities that provide the opportunity for team members to be silly and have a bit of a laugh. There are benefits to laughing at work and laughter can make employees better workers. Our team recently discovered Skribbl, which is similar to Pictionary, but can be played remotely. It definitely causes a lot of laughing (and shouting) every time we play!
How are you celebrating your wins remotely? What stories and memories are you creating for your culture?
Clicks has an excellent series of resources for remote working. For remote working team culture inspiration, you can check them out here.
For contractor support or any hiring needs, please reach out to your Clicks Account Manager or call us on 1300 CLICKS. We’re here to help.
Managing Director
