How to Engage Remote Teams
Engaging remote teams in a fun way is difficult to do but important for the well-being of your team. Read this post to find out how to engage your remote team,
  • remote team
  • legal
Meredith Boe
Published on Dec 11, 2020

 

 

This year, more teams than ever before have gone fully remote. That means managers and business leaders are tasked with keeping everyone connected in new ways. People may quickly get Zoom fatigue, feel disconnected from their work and their coworkers, and struggle to focus on their mental health and growth.

 

To combat these very issues, NextChapter recently started having virtual team retreats every Friday! These give us time to relax after the workweek and bond as a team! Here’s a glimpse at what kinds of activities we’ve been participating in!

 

Around the World with NextChapter

We’re calling our Friday events “Around the World with NextChapter.” We wanted to give our team a bit of culture with art, dance, cooking, virtual tourism, and more.

 

We’ve already brought in an expert from Argentina to walk us through the amazing street art and murals in Buenos Aires, a secret tour around Venice, Italy from a local, and a trip to Prague, Czech Republic to see the city through the eyes of a plague doctor.

 

Our team also has an upcoming visit to Mexico City with a fun churro-making cooking workshop.

 

For 2021, we’re planning fun virtual retreats to visit Colombia, South Africa, New Zealand, Ireland, and more!

 

These short activities keep teams connected, engaged, and having fun while everyone is working from home. They’re also a big plus if you have remote workers who telecommute from other time zones and countries. Virtual experiences open up opportunities that can include everyone, no matter their location.

 

 

How to engage remote teams

Consider adding similar events to your calendar as everyone is trying to manage the winter blues alongside the pandemic. Some great ideas for team building and cultural experiences include:

  • Virtual happy hours where everyone makes the same cocktail (or mocktail). You can provide all the ingredients!
  • Virtual game nights with games from Jackbox Games.
  • Yoga, fitness, or wellness sessions that anyone can join.
  • Virtual home tours or pet show-and-tell.
  • Contests that will encourage friendly competition and fun.

 

Get creative with your ideas. NextChapter is using Airbnb’s Experiences for team building to plan our around-the-world events. These activities are given by professionals all over the world to boost cultural awareness and provide fun learning opportunities.