Over the past two years, you may have participated in many virtual meetings. You know how to use virtual background in teams, and you have learned how to engage your team in collaborative discussions. However, one consequence of remote work is a lack of bonding among coworkers.
There is something about seeing and spending time with others in person that builds better personal connections, and communicating virtually is not the same. Fortunately, there are many virtual activities that promote engagement and bonding among teammates.
Set Goals for Each Activity
There is a wide variety of virtual activities you can do, and they have different purposes. Some are designed to both bond coworkers and improve the way they work together, while others are purely just for fun and engagement. Choose the activity based on your goals. If you want your teammates to bond more and trust each other, you should try activities like corporate scavenger hunt.
For example, if you want to open a virtual meeting with a quick activity to connect before the boring stuff starts, start with an icebreaker activity. Or use a strength finder activity to not only help teammates get to know each other but also to find how each person can better contribute to the team. Further focus on the team aspect by incorporating immersive view zoom backgrounds. This depicts all of you in the same room, even though you are all at your respective homes or other private space.
Top Virtual Building Activities
Activities for Just Fun:
- Team Lunch Date: Have the team meet virtually over the lunch hour to talk about things other than work. If you can afford to, allow each teammate to expense a certain dollar amount so they can order something more special than warmed-up leftovers.
- Icebreaker Exercise: Before a meeting, it always helps to start off with a quick icebreaker. This could be anything, from finding out what is the last song each one listed to to asking what their favorite thing about the previous weekend was.
- Messy Desk Photos: Most people do not keep as clean of a desk at home as they would at the office. Have people post pictures of their messy desks to build connections and get some good laughs.
Activities for Fun and Team Improvement:
- Individual User Manuals: Have each team member discuss how they work the best. This could include what time of the day they are most productive, how they prefer to communicate, and if they prefer planning or going with the flow. This improves work flow and communication among coworkers.
- Circle of Learning: To help colleagues expand their professional skills, help them find other employees who share their interests, whether it is software development, social media messaging, or presentations. Have them form small groups in which they get together about once a month, using a custom google meet background of course, to discuss a book or article or listen to short presentations about their shared topic.
- Emotional Check-ins: Another good way to start weekly meetings is to ask each team member how they are doing that week. Some may be feeling great and confident, while others may be struggling for some reason. This helps everyone know who may need some extra patience, help, or support during the week.