Understanding how to work remotely and connecting with your employees to keep them motivated can be a challenge. Our new everyday workspaces present their own difficulties, but manageable once we start getting creative. To make the most of our time apart, we have to come up with activities, tasks, challenges, games, etc. that are useful not just for fun but also inculcating collaboration, compassion and care.
Let’s step out of our comfort zone and come “together” like we never have before. If you get inspired by this list and come up with your own ideas, share them with us on Instagram @rightsizefacility or @rightsizedetroit.
1. Make Monday a Fun Day (Creatively)
Mondays can be boring, so you have to think of an activity that isn’t physically and mentally demanding yet fun enough to get everyone interested. Spice things up by introducing a challenge. For instance, you can ask your employees to share a picture that summarizes their week. However, it may not be enough to just ask them to send you their pictures. Get everyone involved with a caption contest or see who can come up with fun ways to show off their new office style.
2. Try Telephone Tuesdays
There couldn’t be a better time to show compassion and care for each other. Self-isolation may cause employees to use the internet even more, but they will get tired of it soon. In fact, they might want to take a break from social media to avoid the fear that comes with every new pandemic-related video. Give them something better to do. How about asking them to reconnect with someone they haven’t spoken to in a while? Not only will it strengthen the bonding within your teams, but it will also show your employees that you care about them.
3. Turn Wednesdays into Wellness-days
Deskercise will keep your co-workers moving. Working from home does not mean a sleep-work-eat-repeat routine. Share in-home exercises with your employees, whether it’s how you keep yourself active in your chair to where you’re walking (in or outside of the house). Seat squeeze, desk squat, wall-sits, etc. are only some of the many exercises you can ask your employees to do while working. Here’s an amazing YouTube video on Deskercising that you can share with your employees.
Or, it wouldn’t hurt to lead by example. So, record yourself doing some of these desk-exercises and be the inspiration your employees need to live and work healthily.
4. Urge for Thoughtful Thursdays – Meditation Medication
The buildup of the weekdays can create a clutter of thoughts in the minds of your employees. Urge them to meditate and relax. Meditation will help them replace the clutter of worrying thoughts with calm and serenity. Once they have meditated for a few minutes, they will be ready to take on the day. It will increase their focus, boost their performance and reenergize them to overcome their obstacles.
As simple and straightforward as it seems, meditation can be a challenge for first timers. They will struggle with focus and concentration. Show them this helpful meditation video on YouTube to get them started.
5. Top It Off with Feel-good Fridays – Make Them Feel Fulfilled
Do you know nearly 79% of workers resign because they feel under-appreciated or not appreciated at all? Complimenting is more important than you may realize. Dedicate Fridays to make your employees feel good about themselves and to send a message that you value their presence.
End the day with a toast to someone, or all, who made significant contributions that week. Grab your favorite glass and cheers! Or just send a wine emoji.
Conclusion
You may find it difficult to get everyone involved while we’re away from the office, why not try to lighten mood? In these tough times, we have to do everything we can to make not just our employees but everyone we interact with online feel good. In the end, we encourage you to come up with your own creative ideas to stay connected and form a team that’s bonded with care, compassion and love.
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