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As the modern workplace rapidly changes from 9 to 5 cubicle teams to a network of fully work-from-home positions, we wanted to share some more of the lessons we’ve learned in our culture journey as a remote company. See our 5 lessons on how to create a remote culture that still WOWs, engages, and inspires your teams:
In a traditional office, you have the chance to interact with colleagues in passing in shared spaces, before meetings start, or by the water cooler. Those micro-interactions add up to the social aspect of your job, so how can you bring that back into the moments when you connect with your remote coworkers? Take advantage of your meetings by putting some personality into them. In other words, dial in your weird, authentic self in those first few minutes to catch up, tell some light personal stories or ask the team a silly question. Here are some questions you can ask:
Related: 5 Ways to Bring Happiness [and Fun!] to Your Office Meetings
At Delivering Happiness, our team uses tools like Slack, Basecamp, and Google Drive to keep us connected and collaborating on projects together. The only way for these tools to succeed is to make sure employees learn how to use them, take time to explore different functions, and commit to them. Commitment is key, and sometimes that communication can be put on the back burner during high-stress periods of work or during the holidays.
So how can you make sure communication stays a priority? Through a culture of accountability pact! A culture pact is essentially an agreement among employees on how they will uphold different aspects of your company's culture.
What will your pact look like?
Related: The Tools Every Remote Team Should Think About Using
You’ve probably heard of companies getting together for an annual meeting or All Hands Meeting. Those big get-togethers are important not just for business strategy but to also foster relationships between your employees [therefore nurturing your culture]. But what about opportunities outside of your annual meeting?
If there are coworkers traveling together to work on a certain project or they will happen to be in the area of another employee, your organization should help foster those moments. How can you do that? Opt to buy them lunch, purchase a day at a coworking space for them, or get them tickets to a special event. If you go the extra mile to make it easier to nurture those relationships, your employees will happily participate!
It’s easy to create a subculture within your department or team, but to create a culture of inclusivity, it’s important to recognize the success of outside teams too! In competitive environments, we get too caught up in our own work and put the blinders on towards other people’s achievements.
This is essential for teams to recognize how the success of the organization as a result of the whole, not the individual. Recognition is as easy as a shout-out at a meeting, a notable acknowledgment via email, or a highlight in a company newsletter. WOW cultures begin with wow-ing each other, so make sure those wins don’t go unnoticed!
Related: 5 Meaningful & Better Ways You Can Show Appreciation At Work
When you work remotely, most people think you are just working from home. On some days, this is true. If you don’t have a proper home office or live in a place that might interfere with your work, then finding a productive workspace can be a challenge.
With the rise of coworking spaces and the sharp influx of local coffee shops, consider budgeting funds towards these resources so your employees feel freer to leave their homes and enjoy the benefits of working remotely. It’s important that this working structure is seen as a positive instead of an inconvenience. Granting your remote teams the autonomy to change up their workspace can lead to more productivity in the long run.
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