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Communicating and staying connected and engaged with each other while we are physically apart from one another is really important for teams, especially as we navigate a new temporary normal. It’s great to add a little bit of fun and levity where we can, and to take this opportunity to connect in ways that aren’t just 100% work.

Here's a few ideas that I’ve heard of teams incorporating that you can do, or maybe these will inspire some ideas that are unique to your team.

1. Mix up your video chats

We’re all on a lot of video calls these days. Mix it up a bit. There is an app called snap cam that you can download that has a bunch of different filters (there’s a scuba diver one that I really dig) and it works with a number of video platforms like Zoom and BlueJeans. Have a meeting as a team where somebody is a pickle.

I have seen images of other teams dedicating one day of the week to do their meetings in costume or interesting outfits. Maybe one day everyone has to come as someone else on the team.

Yes, it can be distracting but we can all use a little distraction these days. Finding these moments of fun also helps to break up the monotony and create some laughter and levity.

2. Lunch & interesting questions together

I heard about a team who gets together a couple days a week at noon and has lunch together and they're using some prompted questions to create some interesting and fun conversations. The questions can be standard things like what favorite TV show or book that you're consuming right now, but also some fun questions just to get to know people better like, “What was your favorite weird snack that you ate as a kid?” If you search around a bit on the internet you can find tons of great question prompts for this.

It’s another chance to mix things up a bit and also get to know your coworkers a little better. Two birds, one stone.

My favorite weird snack as a kid, by the way, was mustard and mayonnaise sandwiches. I’d slather a ton of both on two pieces of white bread and live my best life. I used to eat them all the time when I was a kid, loved it.

3. Team happy hour

Another idea that I heard about was a team just coming together to do a happy hour at the end of the week. At the end of the day on a Friday, everybody grabs a cocktail, or wine, or any beverage of their choice (doesn’t have to involve alcohol), and just spend 30 or 45 minutes just catching up and shooting the breeze.

I think it's really important to stay connected right now. Being isolated is pretty uncharted territory for a lot of people and impacts everyone differently. It helps to keep afloat mentally to stay connected, check in, and be there for each other.

Final thought: Let people off the hook

All that being said, we also all move through this time in different ways and we all need different things. It’s important to honor that diversity and ultimately make space for these types of connections, while also allowing for times when people don’t feel like participating and having that be okay.

Forcing someone to participate in a way they don’t like isn’t cool, and making them feel bad for that choice is equally uncool. Come from a place of support and empathy, provide the opportunity and let people decide what’s best for them.

It all feels a bit easier when we feel like we’re supported by each other and in it together.

Have fun ideas?

Get creative! If there’s any need for you to be convinced of the value in fostering creativity on teams, here’s an interesting piece pulled from a recent Gallup study:

“Organizations that foster a culture of creativity seem to generate an interesting self-perpetuating employee experience: By promoting creativity, they engage workers, and engaged workers are more creative.”

If you have creative or interesting ideas that your team is doing or has had success with around these topics, share them with me and I'll share them on Monday and Thursday during the live videos.

Featured resource

Fitness and community at home:

Whole Life Challenge has launched a 12-week at home program that encompasses all aspects of adopting a healthful lifestyle while connecting virtually to a supportive community.

The latest program launched April 11, but it’s not too late! This specific program is built to allow people more flexibility to drop in, and offers sliding scale registration options. Our team is signed up, let us know if you join!

Want more?

This article was created by Galen Emanuele for the #culturedrop. Free leadership and team culture content centered on a new focus every month. Check out the rest of this month's content and subscribe to the Culture Drop at https://bit.ly/culturedrop

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