Six Simple, Yet Highly Effective Ideas for Virtual Team Building
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Are you an interior designer with remote employees or outsourcing collaborators? Then you know how challenging it can be to maintain open communication and build a sense of camaraderie while juggling everything else. While the idea of team-building can elicit mixed reactions, it's a worthwhile and sorely underestimated investment for any business owner. By fostering connections between team members, you can deepen their bonds and improve communication, leading to better work performance, productivity, and job satisfaction.
The good news is that virtual team-building exercises don’t have to be complicated, time-consuming, or necessarily cost you a penny. From simple check-ins to team games, you can build a stronger and happier team. Here are some easy ideas to get started.
1. Master your online platforms and software. To create a strong sense of community and effective communication in a virtual team, it's important to make the most of an online platform like Slack, Asana, or Trello. These platforms provide a space for colleagues to interact, share ideas, and collaborate seamlessly. Knowing your way around your video conferencing platform of choice, such as Zoom or Google Meet, is essential, as features like screen sharing, breakout rooms, whiteboards, and remote control are indispensable tools for virtual communication.
2. Set regular team meetings. By scheduling regular company-wide communication, you can create a welcoming environment that encourages everyone to share their thoughts and ideas. These meetings help to keep everyone informed, ensure that short and long-term goals are within sight, and give everyone a voice. To make the meetings more engaging, consider starting by having each person share their "high" and "low" of the week, whether it be work-related or not. Alternatively, you can kick off team meetings with an icebreaker question to get everyone thinking and interacting, such as “If you were alone in a dark cabin, with only one match and a lamp, a fireplace, and a candle to choose from, which would you light first?”
3. Welcome feedback. While team meetings can be a great forum for sharing ideas, they may not be the best place for constructive criticism. To encourage honest feedback, consider setting up a virtual “suggestion box” for anonymous submissions, and commit to reading and addressing them once a month. Additionally, taking the time to check in with each team member individually can provide valuable insights and allow for open discussion on what's working well and areas that could be improved. Even though you have the final say in your own business, being receptive to your team's feedback can be incredibly valuable.
4. Celebrate the wins. It's easy to get caught up in the momentum of completing tasks and immediately move on to the next one. But taking a beat to celebrate big milestones (completing an important project) or small successes (finding a creative solution to a design conundrum) boosts morale and pumps the team up to keep going. Whether it’s a quick shout-out in a team meeting or an Uber Eats gift card for a job well done, the gesture goes a long way. When team members feel appreciated and united, their performance tends to improve, so it’s truly a win-win.
5. Play online games together. One great way to encourage team bonding is by playing online games together, especially those that require collaboration and communication skills. Set a time limit beforehand and inform your team about it, so that no one gets stressed about time constraints and can organize their workday accordingly. Then it’s time to have fun! Here are some options:
"Can You Hear Me Now?" is a virtual game that requires excellent communication skills and collaboration. One team member becomes the speaker, and the others are artists. The speaker must describe a randomly generated image using only geometric shapes, and the artists must draw it and then share their masterpieces. The game is not only fun but also teaches the importance of effective communication in a remote team setting.
Pancakes vs Waffles is a decision-making discussion game that encourages team members to share their values. In each round, the team must choose between two options (such as Pancakes vs Waffles), with one being eliminated each time. The game starts with a simple choice and gradually becomes more personal as new options are added. The game mechanics are helpful for virtual team building because they create a low-stakes environment for sharing personal values.
There are infinite online games that you can play with your remote team, whether competing in groups or individually. Online trivia, quizzes, and games are a great way to spark enthusiasm. Some fantastic free options are Words with Friends, Scattergories, Skribbl (like Pictionary), TypingTest, or even Geoguessr. If you use Slack, you probably already know about their own game apps. Why not create a “Guess Who” quiz on Kahoot with fun facts about you and your team members? There are also paid platforms designed specifically for team-building experiences, such as QuizBreaker or TriviaMaker.
6. Spend time together offline.
If it's feasible within your company's budget and team members’ travel abilities, consider renting a property that can accommodate everyone and planning a fun itinerary with both group sessions and activities. Make sure to leave enough free time for spontaneous deep conversations that can really strengthen your team bonds. Otherwise, meeting to attend industry events together is a great way to keep up with design trends and also bond and learn as a team.
As you can see, when it comes to team-building activities, there are endless options to choose from. From team meetings to virtual games, the most important thing is to create an environment that fosters open dialogue, collaboration, and enjoyment among your team members–yourself included–who are the driving force behind your company's success. Not only will it add some joy and insight into your work day, but investing in your team today will reap high returns for your company. So why not start planning a team-building activity today and watch your team thrive?
xx, Danae