How are you supported if you're now working remotely?

[hairycabbage]

Our entire team are now working remotely and I'm looking for some top tips on making them feel supported and valued during this period of uncertainty and anxiety.
So far we have a daily video conference check in call with no agenda, just chatting and socialising virtually, and a daily one to one conversation with everyone.
Workloads are also decreasing (but jobs are secure). Does anyone have any tried and tested methods for team building activities online? I'm thinking online quizzes, competitive games etc. They can access lots of CPD resources but my main aim just now is to make them all still feel like part of a team with support networks around them.
Any tips would be much appreciated- I just want the team to be happy and secure in work if not in the wider world!

We're doing bingo throughout the day. So it includes random tasks, some silly dares and phrases to try and drop into convo. We have to have proof so emails, pics etc. First one to get the full bingo card gets credit to a takeaway on Friday

MS teams has been a god send for my team to chat remotely with each other as well as a daily video confernece call

It's surely bad enough that we are in semi lockdown and you want to inflict team building over Skype into the mix

Just ensure that your team know they can dial you for a chat and they have plenty of work to do

A lot of them are looking for more to do and want to keep busy, hence asking for ways to keep them busy and creative. We aren't usually office-based so they only have a small amount of admin to do and aren't tied to a desk/ laptop at all. There's normally a lot of chatting/ catching up/ lighthearted competitions at work and any way of keeping the team spirit going in this respect while we are all at home would be lovely. It's certainly not a way of me inflicting team building exercised on them!

Set them an online gyymkhana. Then get them to make one to share with each other.

Have a theme day and dress up. One day blue, one day princesses, one day a fun hat.

Play online pictionary. Or charades.

Can I just say I wish I worked for you! My bosses are there and say we can always contact them - but no skype meetings or anything like that, when I started working from home there were only 4 of us ‘high riskers’ at home, now it’s the whole team but I only found that out because I asked!

I work for the NHS so although working from home we're not struggling with a lack of work as we get to grips with new work and new ways of working.

We're doing daily safe and well calls at a set time by line managers to all direct reports, daily directorate calls to be briefed and daily team calls to plan work, get updates, ask for help etc. So still very busy and in regular contact by telephone, online conferencing and email.

Our workloads are dropping too.

I'd massively appreciate being told from now on we can all clock off at 4pm rather than sitting at a screen with naught to do til 5.

Oh god, that’d be my idea of hell.

We’re just communicating by phone and email as normal.

Blimey, I’m responding to emails and texts from my direct reports and ensuring I check in once a day with a ‘how are you’ if they don’t iniate contact (well I would if that situation actually arises 😅)

My line manager is video calling once a week and otherwise responding to email if needed.

That is enough. There’s enough going on at the moment!

Tbh I’d feel hounded by that amount of contact, as it would take up the time I would rather be working, saying that our workload is immense atm
I would lose it if someone sent me a team building quiz to do.

We are a team of four and we just have a running email conversation during the day which people can respond to or not as the mood/workload takes them

To be honest, I'd be quite happy tucked away by myself and only communicating when needed. However, they are a sociable bunch and jump at any opportunity to chat online, share funny videos etc and if I can keep that momentum going with some games/ quizzes/ friendly competition etc then I know they would appreciate it.

What’s an online gymkhana, @elQuintoConyo ?

Sir
Find a picture of a blue frog
What's the longest anyone can breathe under water?
How much is a 1hour helicopter over new York?
What's the capital city of X country?
What's the Basque word for 'robin'?
What city was Monopoly originally based on?

Etc.

Odd questions to get people to skip about. Otherwise in your house:
Find a blue book.
Find a red dock.
Count your loo rolls.
Climb your stairs like a dog.

• Photo/video proof for everything!

Xanxangorri = robin

elQuintoConyo

Fuck that for a laugh.

Can't you just leave them be? Yes I can be an antisocial bugger but do you really need a daily video conference call? Once a week is surely enough.

Our company have mooted about virtual coffee mornings etc...... they are my idea of hell.

Absofuckinglutely Bernadette hence the breathing into a paper bag in my previous post! I'd hate this. But it's not my company, and someone asked me what an online gymkhana would entail.

I definitely wasn't thinking of anything that extreme, more online scrabble or similar for people to dip in and out of when they feel like it! Nothing compulsory, cheesy or time consuming.

Why not advise them to do some free online learning or something, to keep their skills fresh and learn new things they could apply in the workplace?

We’ve had nothing. No teams meetings, no calls not even a fucking email asking how we are feeling and to let us know we can call for a chat. There is a team group chat but I dont feel it offers support, it’s more for us to say we are online. I’m really new in my role and I’m feeling really down about it. I’ve been at home 2 weeks and feel forgotten to be honest.

Some of the posts on here are brilliant ! Wish I worked for a company like that x

I manage a remote team within a larger team.
There is an online chat for the larger team and I or one of the other managers post something to start the conversation every morning.

Then for my team there is a work related video chat once a day. Then everyone just gets on with what they have to do, there is no longer set hours so the people with young D.C. can manage their workload as best they can.

We don’t have long chats or play games when in the office so I am not starting that now.

I think everyone reacts differently in situations like this so I'd set up some quizzes and games etc but be clear that attendance is voluntary.

@kath