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How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

  • 1.  How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-08-2021 11:38

    Hello, Community members! We hope you are ready for a productive week and the next Huddle of the Week discussion.

    We're sure you and your teams have been busy (maybe busier than ever) planning and executing your virtual events, or planning for safe hybrid and in-person events at your venues. While it is exciting to be working on new experiences, it is understandably a heavy undertaking for planners and venues. Often, this is where strong team building comes into play to keep up the success and team morale.  

    So, our questions this week are:

    • How are you and your colleagues handling working virtually and keeping up your morale & spirits?
    • What type of virtual team-building activities have you been a part of?

    Let us know any of your creative or favorite experiences with your team thus far! If you have any more ideas or questions, let us know, too. #HuddleoftheWeek #VoiceIt


    #BiddingonGroupBusiness
    #Miscellaneous
    #ManagingVirtualEvents

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    Danni Czark
    Senior Associate, Online Community Marketing
    Cvent
    ------------------------------


  • 2.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    User Group Member
    Posted 02-09-2021 11:22
    Consistent check-ins both 1:1s, small team, and department get togethers have been key this past year. I would bet money that I have seen and talked with my coworkers more since being virtual than before given our constant group chats and 1:1s. Most of our meetings are only 30 minutes so they aren't time killers but really give the assurance of being there for one another, keeping up with going on both with work and personally and letting us vent when needed. We have also had some fun team activities like escape rooms, charades, yoga sessions, and more.

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    Megan Ridgway
    Sr. Specialist, Event Operations
    S&P Global Market Intelligence(PreviouslySNL Financial LC)
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  • 3.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-09-2021 11:23
    They key is to keep employees engaged. I have regular calls and conversations with my staff that are not just about works and what needs to get done but about what is going on in their lives.

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    Scott Sward
    Global Travel and Events Manager
    Viewpoint, Inc.
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  • 4.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-09-2021 13:28
    Our division has a monthly happy hour, we send out birthday and work-a-versary celebrations, we hold raffles of items that other colleagues create by hand, and each team meeting (whether it's 4 people or 10 people)  starts with our accomplishments and 1 thing about us. We all talk a lot!

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    Amanda Adams
    Mid-Atlantic Territory Client Services Coordinator
    Cognia, Inc.
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  • 5.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    User Group Member
    Posted 02-09-2021 16:02
    • How are you and your colleagues handling working virtually and keeping up your morale & spirits? Some handle it better than others so we know who needs to be checked in with more and who doesn't. We started doing biweekly marketing checkins with the whole team. For my group specifically I have a 1:1 once a week with my direct report to make sure they feel kept in the loop and up-to-date in what's going on. When there's bigger milestones (someone leaving the team, birthdays, etc) we've been doing virtual events that are for fun get togethers and organizing creating litle videos of people holding up sign of giving messages to the team member in question. 
    • What type of virtual team-building activities have you been a part of? We've done a virtual baby shower with fun baby themed games, we have quiz shows, name that tune, corporate wide talent shows (singing, dancing, art, we even tried a Guys Grocery Games style competition)


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    Rachel Sigley
    Sr. Brand Marketing Manager
    Tata America International Corporation
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  • 6.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    User Group Member
    Posted 02-10-2021 07:39
    We have a virtual lunch with the department utilizing Microsoft Teams, and  we do not talk about business.
    We also purchased a book that we are all reading and meet once a month to talk about the book.

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    Mary Ann Hall
    Event Planner
    Federal Reserve System
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  • 7.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-10-2021 08:19
    Our events team has weekly meetings and we have all-staff meetings at least once a month. If there is a birthday in our department we will throw a "surprise meeting" party that are themed to fit that specific person (Harry Potter trivia for the HP lover, a list of fun facts about things that have happened on the same day as a birthday, or virtual happy hours). We also have a social events committee that will hold virtual events a few times a month, specifically weekly themed trivia days, a virtual Christmas party, and a virtual Valentine's Day party. The Christmas party was my favorite, the committee mailed each staff member a box with a small present (blanket with our logo on it), a secret Santa card that you could opt in to participating in, and items that we would use for the party (Christmas hats or glasses to take an all-staff picture during the party, a bingo card, and a drawing game).

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    Lauren Blakey
    Event Logistics Planner
    American Legion Auxiliary
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  • 8.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-10-2021 08:49
    We created a weekly newsletter. The brainchild of our team development manager it started as a daily email and through her furlough/return, very low work periods/increased workload, and just the ever-changing environment has changed into what we have now. 

    A weekly company newsletter that contains:
    - Team wins (big projects executed successfully, reminders from specific departments, etc.)
    - Team celebration (focuses on a specific topic for the month, this month it's black history) 
    - "Collecting team genius" (fun content shared by the team; this could be an article, a funny animal video, etc.) 
    - Featured employe (one employee is interviewed a week and gets spotlighted - lots of fun photos included :) 
    - Value chain (photos of the team; staff will send the editor photos of anything they're willing to share. It can be work-related or life-related. Engagements, baby showers, dogs, cats, birds, artwork, home projects... we've had it all! It makes you feel like you're still connected and gives great opportunities to send a chat message to someone and open conversation) 

    We've also done small contests like: 
    - Throwback Thursday guess who 
    - Funky footwear contests 

    Where the team sends in photos and then vote on a winner via a survey.

    ------------------------------
    Natalia Ramirez
    Trade Show & Events Planner
    Visit Orlando
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  • 9.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    User Group Member
    Posted 02-10-2021 08:49
    Working virtually for this long has been tough, but we rely heavily on our weekly check-ins to keep up morale. We don't use these check-ins to just talk about work -- every other week we devote the time to just general life updates, people bring on their babies/pets, etc. to keep us all connected. We also do Jackbox games once a month to celebrate people's birthdays.

    ------------------------------
    Robin Tiberio
    senior marketing manager
    American Psychological Association
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  • 10.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-10-2021 09:49
    Aside from regular communications and check-in meetings, we host monthly happy hours. The sessions usually include some kind of game for a little fun, sometimes a discussion about company initiatives, state of the business, etc. and often times we throw in some development as well, like having guest speakers join to talk about leadership, goals, etc. Everyone looks forward to these happy hours because they provide a great way to unwind but also bond with the team.

    ------------------------------
    Bouran Qaddumi
    National Field Trainer
    Cajun Operating Company d/b/a Church's Chicken
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  • 11.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Community MVP
    Posted 02-10-2021 11:32
    The days that we do work from home there is a ton of communication, via phone, e-mail, text and virtual we utilize all sources.  I love home photo days.  Where you capture moment or random home objects and share them with team members.  For example we all share a picture of what if for lunch in your home office.

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    Colleen Beck
    Director of Sales & Marketing
    The Westin Tampa Bay
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  • 12.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Community MVP
    Posted 02-10-2021 11:38
    Good morning Danni,

    we have weekly check-ins as the whole office, and in addition with just the Sales & Services team. We have one-off calls and send encouraging emails. As we are working from home, we do have the option to go into the office and we team up and have lunch afterwards if possible.

    We had a few happy hours and a fun karaoke event last year.

    Curious to see what others are doing.
    Andrea

    ------------------------------
    Andrea Timbes-Cox
    CRM Administrator & Lead Catcher
    Visit Fort Worth
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  • 13.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-11-2021 11:32
    We have been doing more zoom calls (with video) so we can actually see one another as if we were in the office. We are also having happy hours and trivia each month to increase employee interaction outside of work matters.

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    Charly Solomon
    Project Executive
    Daiichi Sankyo, Inc.
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  • 14.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-15-2021 09:18
    It's been almost a year now since our office has had to work remote. For the most part everyone is handling ok. We have bi monthly "team unity" virtual meetings soemtimes with a theme but we all can re-connect. When the weather warms up, we have socially distanced picnics.

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    Coy Rushton
    Graphic Designer
    Primary Residential Mortgage
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  • 15.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Community MVP
    Posted 02-15-2021 11:06
    The most important aspect of this has been to ensure it does not feel like it creates MORE WORK for anybody. We are all juggling enough, never mind working from home during a pandemic.

    Recently, because of Dr. Vivek Murthy's book, "Together" (brilliant book, by the way, check it out on Audible.com), I asked my boss if we could start having people share something totally UN-WORK-RELATED. He was such a great sport, and he started with his love of science fiction (Star Wars and Star Trek fandom), his passion for hockey, and his work with his sons mowing lawns all summer.

    Then my boss asked if anyone else wanted to talk about a sport or interest or passion, and EVERYONE chimed in! We had a great "meeting," learned so much about each other, and we'll do this each meeting for the first 5 minutes.

    I love the idea of a periodic newsletter like @Natalia Ramirez has. I will talk to my VP about that.

    I shared my aerial silks videos and screenshots of my favorite books (I am getting into neurophenomenology - I love how the brain works) as well as buddhic writings such as Jay Shetty's awesome "Think like a Monk" and science + buddhism book, Judson Brewer's "The Craving Mind." Most recent read: Nassir Ghaemi's "A First-Rate Madness" about famous leaders such as JFK, Napoleon, Lincoln, Churchill, Hitler, and others and how mental instability contributed to their success as great leaders during times of crisis. 




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    Brenda Ainsburg
    Channel Program Manager
    brenda.ainsburg@siemens.com
    Siemens Aktiengesellschaft
    United States
    ------------------------------



  • 16.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-17-2021 10:40
    We've been using Microsoft Teams to communicate. We have an all staff thread where people will post their "good morning" and "happy hour" gifs as well as general chit chat. Then we use individual or smaller team threads to actually communicate on work topics. It did seem to keep morale up early on and our team were engaged but now it's just the same small group who utilize it and the rest are kind of tuned out. 

    We've done some good team building/ice breaker activities with our board of directors to kick off our meetings. We'll have everyone answer some kind of question as we do role call such as:
    As soon as we can travel again, where will you travel to?
    What's your favorite morning beverage?
    Biggest life event  that occurred for you or your family in 2020 (we learned about secret weddings, pregnancies and so much more!)

    And then we did a scavenger hunt where a list was shared on the screen and people had to run and around and collect as many of the items as they could find around their house before a timer went off. Then they would report back. Some reports were just "Everyone hold up your role of toilet paper!" While the more personalized items collected people were asked to explain why they picked it or the story behind:  "something that makes you happy",  "a souvenir", "Your favorite piece of clothing". We played this game during a happy hour and it actually went across really well and you could drag it on as long as people were engaged or cut it short by only reporting on certain items.

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    Sharna Pascolo
    Program Director
    Texas Society of Architects
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  • 17.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-17-2021 11:25
    We have been back in the office since May, only working remotely for 1 month.   But, keeping morale up has been important since being back in the office.  There is so much added pressure in meeting goals with way less demand than usual along with keeping up with homes, family members, quarantining co-workers, etc.  We have allowed for a lot more general conversation time (i.e. checking in with each other on non-work related topics).  It is important to celebrate the small victories to keep the team from going to the dark place.

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    Amy Zientek
    Director Of Sales
    Visit Lubbock The Convention and Visitors Bureau
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  • 18.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Posted 02-17-2021 13:57
    Nothing too exciting for us, we toggle between weekly team meetings and one-on-ones via Skype, and we've done one virtual happy hour, which was fun. Thanks for asking, because I've read some really creative ideas here that could help shake things up a bit!  :-)

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    [Nikki] [Burn]
    [Travel Technology Administrator]
    [Maxim Healthcare Group]
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  • 19.  RE: How are you keeping up team morale while working remotely?

    Community MVP
    Posted 02-18-2021 14:42
    It has been difficult! Especially because there has been changes in the team and we are even going to have somebody join start with us when we are all remote. 
    The occasional Happy Hour has been good, and work-wise we use Webex teams (a slack equivalent) to stay connected and have more relaxed form of communication available.

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    Béline FALZON
    Conference Program Specialist II
    California Teachers Association
    ------------------------------