Creating Workplace Community Virtually

Amidst this week’s focus on community, we know that it can feel isolating to work from home, with your teammates located far from you. Today we’re looking at ways to establish a sense of connection with your colleagues and employers while completing your work remotely. Just because you’re completing your tasks virtually doesn’t mean you can’t still form real, lasting relationships with those in your workplace community. While you may not be in a “typical” professional environment, there are ample opportunities to share and learn from those around you even if they aren’t literally in your proximity. Check out the tips below from the pros for ways to create and maintain a great workplace community virtually!

We love this tip that Jodie Cook shares via Forbes, a key step that keeps her team working together even when they’re physically apart and working remotely:  “Overcommunicate. In an office environment, it’s obvious when someone is deep in flow work or open to a discussion. Whilst remote working, it’s anyone’s guess. Take the guesswork out by communicating your status whenever it changes. Keep your team informed of when you’re signed on to work, out at lunch, out for a walk, in pre-concentration-mode or happy to help…Don’t just share what you’re doing, share the results of what you’re doing. Since working from home we’ve ramped up the frequency and detail of status updates, sales reports, team capacity, client feedback and general team wins. Each month a ‘team wins’ report, including contributions from each member, is shared to act as a progress marker and showcase what we’ve achieved together.” Remember that it takes each and every person at your organization to achieve your company’s overall goals. You play a part in that success! Make sure to keep in touch regularly so that your team knows both what you’re doing and how you’re doing, so that they can best support and/or celebrate you. Communication is key. Instead of leaving your bosses and co-workers to play detective, let them know where you are, both literally and figuratively. Keeping everyone in the loop regularly is a great way to stay on track. 

Greg Kratz at FlexJobs also offers up this phenomenal suggestion that will help you bring your best self when showing up remotely for your workplace community: “Create a Strong Support System. Working remotely can lead to loneliness and isolation, but staying connected while working from home helps keep these feelings at bay. Until the pandemic is over, your only interaction during the workday may be virtual, but that’s OK! Virtual coffee breaks and lunches, interactive happy hours, and post-work Zoom meetings with friends can keep you feeling a part of a community. Once you’re able to, try to occasionally work out of a coffee shop or local co-working space where others tend to work. You’ll meet like-minded remote workers and feel like you’re part of a group, even though you’ll all be working for different companies.” We encourage you to connect with your colleagues, though make sure you’re respecting their boundaries when it comes to sharing personal details–after all, in order to best be there for you, they’ll need to first attend to their own needs. You also wouldn’t want to accidentally make anyone uncomfortable! That said, we love the way this tip encourages a sense of fun when forging your connections with colleagues. Experiencing joy together is a great way to create a sense of community, no matter where you are. And making time to connect with friends and family will help establish a phenomenal work-life balance that will allow you to be more fully present in your remote workplace, which will in turn allow you to be an even better community member.

As the saying goes, “Teamwork makes the dream work.” It may still feel strange to connect with your colleagues virtually, but by communicating and attending to your needs holistically, we know you’ll be able to foster strong connections with your co-workers while working remotely. Know that all of your relationships offer up opportunities to learn and grow, and that developing strong communication skills with your support system in your workplace and beyond will only better allow your unique professional strengths to shine. And remember that it’s more than okay to have fun along the way. Join us again tomorrow as we finish out the week with our Feel Good Friday: Community edition!

Image retrieved from Pixabay under the public domain.

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