Most of us are spending a lot more time at home lately, and even working from home. The distancing can get a little lonely, especially when you’re used to going into an office full of people every day. But there are plenty of ways to stay connected to your coworkers outside of the occasional phone conference. We’ve gathered some ideas from what we and other businesses around us are doing to keep up with the office.
1. Switch from phone to video conferencing
You might not be new to phone conferences, but using video isn’t always the norm for many businesses. However, this is a great time to start using it to stay connected and see everyone regularly despite being away from each other.
2. Do lunch together—virtually
Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, lunch breaks for many were spent with coworkers in the break room or around the communal lunch table. Now that we’re at home, you can still lunch with each other, it’ll just look a little different.
Jump on a video conference, but instead of meeting about client work, just meet to chat and have some fun. You can even break out a deck of cards and play games together.
3. Send each other mail (you know, like old times)
Sending someone a letter sounds so archaic now, but getting something unexpected in the mail really has a way of cheering people up. Think about sending your coworkers a cool postcard, funny card, or even just a quick handwritten note to brighten their day.
4. Get an office messaging system
If your company doesn’t have one already, consider adopting a messaging system to keep the whole office connected. There’s always email, but it can start to seem excessive and clunky to send an email just to ask a simple question.
Messaging systems that are pretty popular among offices include Slack, Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, Skype and Office Chat. But there are so many different systems out there to choose from.
5. Hold a weekly check-in meeting
Since the team doesn’t have that feeling of getting up, going into the office and seeing everyone at a morning meeting or by the coffee maker, it’s important to hold regular check-in meetings to regroup, reconnect and let everyone know what’s going on. During this challenging time, there are going to be changes, and regular meetings are a good way to keep everyone in the loop and feeling like part of the group.
6. Drop by and say hi—from a distance
Coworkers often become friends, and you just can’t live without seeing your friends, right? Although you can’t go into the office and go out for lunch, you can always drop by and say hi safely from a distance. Sometimes a video call just doesn’t do someone justice, and you need to see them in person.
We’ve also been seeing a lot of people doing drop-offs of baked goods and other fun items.
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