How to keep your events team connected when working remotely
You don’t need us to tell you that the events industry – and the world – are very different than they were a couple of months ago. We love the events industry and as we’ve been one of the hardest hit sectors, the future of events may have changed forever.
One thing that hasn’t changed though is the passion and determination of the amazing bookers, our brilliant venue partners and even our friendly competition, who are already coming together to think of ways to adapt and overcome this situation.
We’re doing our bit to help by offering some tips about how you can stay connected to your team when working from home. We know that everything we do will be different after this, so we’re spending our time finding the best ways of working.
Here are a few top tips from the team about the best ways to stay connected.
Have set meeting times
Settle on a day and time for your team catch-up meeting and make sure everyone knows when it is. You could send out a recurring meeting invitation via email to ensure it’s in each person’s calendar.
By having a set time in everyone’s mind instead of springing impromptu meetings on the team, it will give each person a chance to prepare, as well as emphasising the need for regular communication. It’s working for us!
Mix up your media
When remote working, just using email isn’t going to cut it anymore. It’s essential that your team members feel as connected as possible, which means you may have to try out some new communication tools.
Although it may be awkward at first, video conferencing is the best method for team meetings, as eye contact and body language help to keep everyone engaged. For quick questions and casual chatter, a messaging platform such as Teams is ideal for keeping everyone linked.
We also love using WhatsApp to share our daily achievements, including Izzy’s new pottery talents and Olivia’s new homemade scrunchies. We also love to check in on our newest member Wilson’s pupdates on Instagram. Take a long at our Instagram for pictures!
Clarity is key
We’ve probably all received an email and immediately thought: “Is this person angry at me?”. Working remotely can be isolating, and it lacks the friendly office banter and a lot of the context of what your co-workers are doing and how they’re feeling.
That’s why it’s important to be as clear as possible when communicating with your team to save time and to avoid any messages being misconstrued. A ‘Please’ and a smiley emoji (in the right circumstance) also go a long way.
Encourage collaboration
When the team is separated, it can be easy for each member to just focus on their own work. This is good for productivity, but might not produce the best and most creative results. Encourage collaboration where possible, whether that’s having a brainstorming session via video or just passing a piece of work around the team to get some feedback.
There’s so much software available to help your team work together, from virtual mind-mapping tools to Google Docs where individuals can add to the same document in real time. We’re using this time to talk about our brand, our values and how we will adapt to come out of this stronger.
Celebrate successes
Achievements like finishing a big project or winning a new client can get lost when everyone’s working from home amid new distractions. Encourage individuals to share when they’re proud of something they’ve done, and be sure to give recognition. Izzy converted a big Christmas party last week and our WhatsApp group was on fire from all the love!
Have wellbeing check-ins
As we mentioned before, working from home can be isolating, and without a proper structure it can take a toll on an individual’s mental health. As well as keeping track of your team’s productivity in group meetings, it’s just as essential to have some one-on-one time to check in on how they’re coping.
Make it clear that your metaphorical door is always open, and that your team can share if they’re feeling out of their depth or they’re struggling. It’s also a good idea to remind everyone of the need for self-care, and to look after their bodies and minds.
We are super lucky that Millie is a yoga teacher and she’s been putting us all through our paces on Zoom. She makes us keep our cameras on so we have no excuses!
Keep up the social side
Just because you’re working from home it doesn’t have to mean all work no play. Have a weekly social lunch where you all eat and chat together via webcam, or pour your favourite drink (alcoholic or otherwise) at 5pm on a Friday and play a game.
Everyone will value the chance to let off steam, and maintaining social relationships will make your team stronger as a result, helping everyone to stay happy, healthy and productive while we wait for life to go back to normal.
Even though we’re not in the office, we’re still here to help! If you have any queries or need some advice, get in touch at hello@thecollectionevents.com.