Megan Ingram
January 21, 2021
We’ve all been living in this new remote reality for just under one year now, and the WFH life can wear on us all. But one of the continued struggles of remote work can be finding renewed energy and focus to get excited for the year ahead, especially in light of the political events of recent weeks and the absence of physical interaction. As a pre-COVID remote worker, I can’t tell you how much I miss just parking myself at my local coffee shop. For my fellow remote managers and remote leaders, here’s some inspiration to get your team pumped up for this year.
It’s a new year but some of the old problems with 2020 have still followed us around. I know it’s a drag. Here are 5 ways that you can create a positive remote work culture. Let’s celebrate each other, not tear each other down.
In this environment, creating goals and planning a calendar year can feel like the hardest thing in the world. How can you inspire your teams to be their best selves?
Provide a place where your team can communicate, engage, and discuss work and non-work related things. Personally, I love Slack for this but there are tons of great tools and ways you can create an environment where team members feel connected to their co-workers virtually, which creates a more productive team. Check-in on your team and let them know that you are around in case they need anything. An “open text” virtual policy can allow your team to feel flexibility while letting them know you are around and available, as needed.
Set dedicated time each month to get together. Virtual events allow for team bonding in the absence of physical interaction. Some events that have worked well for our team: virtual happy hours and coffee sesh’s. Even more important for solo workers and freelancers can be the feeling of isolation and I’m a big believer of having events and spaces people can interact with if they need it. I also love to test and try new technologies for these events - Hangouts, Zoom, Facebook Messenger. Keep it fun, interactive, and conversational. You don’t need to prepare much just an open forum for people to connect and engage with each other.
One of the best things 2020 did in my opinion is provide the space and time to think more creatively now that we have all this time to sit around in our homes. According to We Transfer 2020 Ideas Report, which surveyed 35,000 creative professionals a few things were evident:
• We embraced creativity this year: 45% said they had more creative ideas in 2020 and 61% of people in new job said they are having more creative ideas than ever.
• We’re using this new normal to embrace a new creative age: 40% had more confidence in their own ideas this year.
• Me, myself, and I are inspiring us: Yes, you heard right, it's ourselves that we are looking inward for inspiration over even family and friends more often than not.
What does this mean for remote work culture? As leaders, we should be embracing this new found passion and motivation and harnessing it into projects we love and get us excited to get out of bed in the morning. One of the reasons I firmly believe in freelance avenger style teams is as agency leaders, we need to move away from shoving people into any project and think about fit and passion for the project. We produce the best work when we are inspired and passionate about the project. Find those projects for your team this year.
We are all going through this process of goal setting and creating action plans for the year ahead. It’s a balancing act to create goals that are both measurable but also give you a healthy level of challenge and motivation. Keep striving and working towards that. Help your teams figure out what that version is for each person. I love having micro goals each quarter so that while I’m trying to achieve this bigger thing over the course of the year - I’m also keeping myself motivated day in and day out. It helps me get excited each morning and focus on what’s ahead.
Don’t neglect the importance of self care and unplugging. Even if its redundant and repetitive, you must take time for yourself. I know it can be hard as digital marketers and social media managers to find the time and energy to step away but WE ALL NEED IT. I’ll confess its not my strong suit either especially when there is not much to do in the house outside of technology and you’re trying to build a company. Find ways to take care of yourself mentally: do a workout, find a home project, do some side hustle if it suits you.
January 21, 2021
