Welcome back, Remote Work Tribe! As August continues to ramp up and fly by, the majority of workers are experiencing yet another month without in-person networking events or company outings, leaving them to network remotely.
While most of us are still strictly #WFH, one Twitter user posed an interesting question about the preferences behind team bonding events. As these unusual times of the COVID-19 pandemic dwindle, the responses to this question may surprise you.
Nearly almost tied, the divide between missing team bonding events and forever exterminating them from our lives was pretty fascinating.
I miss celebrating important events like finishing projects and milestone work anniversaries with pizza parties. I don't like socializing that much, but I do like hearing people enjoy free pizza while I eat quietly at my desk.
— Carol Brands (@CSBrands) August 5, 2020
Need an option for “always hated them, now I miss them”
— Nicole Sullivan – Black Lives Matter (@stubbornella) August 5, 2020
Only sort of. I did sometimes enjoy them. But… now with a baby, my priorities are different. I don’t really want to take a whole evening away from her to socialize with my team. An evening away from her (even in non-covid times) is only worth it on something I REALLY love
— Caroline (@CarolineTaymor) August 5, 2020
Now more than ever, remote leaders have been searching for ways to recreate in-person team bonding. While it may seem difficult, it’s certainly not impossible.
Rather than relying on calendar invites or hoping someone on your team has an actual desire to orchestrate some sort of virtual gathering for you, why not create a designated “watercooler” Slack channel? Use this channel to drop funny GIFs, share uploads of furry friends, and debate top Netflix series.
By dedicating a platform to the casual conversations you miss from social outings, your extroverted employees have somewhere to mingle while more introverted employees don’t feel pressured to participate.
Also, don’t stick solely to your immediate team. Encouraging conversation across departments can offer rewarding work relationships and connect employees who typically don’t cross paths. Aside from a dedicated Slack channel, consider hosting an optional weekly video conference for the whole company to help gather departmental teams, generate engagement, and network remotely.
If you’re looking for more tips and tricks for how to replicate in-person team bonding remotely, check out our guide for How to Create Water Cooler Talk in a Remote Team.
Aside from the great debate of who misses in-person bonding, let’s check out what else the Remote Work Tribe chatted about this week.
The Tribe’s Weekly Vibes
1. The honest truth behind all of those extra hours.
2. This new, large addition to the Remote Work Tribe (plus a healthy stipend for a home office).
3. This question we’ve been asking since quarantine started.
4. This wanderlust-inducing remote work setup.
5. This RWT-inductee in training.
6. This MacGyver-approach to remote work.
7. This ~enthusiasm~ for lumbar support.
8. This true definition of man’s best (and most patient) friend.
9. This casual approach to #WFH (also, we’re absolutely referring to these latest Weekly Roundups as “Plague Journals” from now on…).
10. This act of fashion sorcery. ✨
***
What’s new in your remote role? Tag us over on Instagram, @TheRemoteWorkTribe, or on Twitter, @RemoteWorkTribe, for a chance to be featured on our next weekly thread!
Best view i have ever seen !