10 steps to build connection and engagement.

THE CORONAVIRUS HAS CAUSED all of us to experience our greatest fears of being excluded and losing control. On top of that, the number of employees working from has shot up from 16 to over 60%. Working virtually has major challenges: 1) not being able to have deep and meaningful conversation, and 2) keeping people engaged.

The team and interpersonal challenges you had before Covid-19 just got more serious.

So how do you as a team leader address to these two issues:

1. Encourage videos on. We’re more engaged when we can see each other,
2. Test the technology first and for larger meetings, assign one person to manage the technology,
3. Every 8 minutes engage your audience with a question, poll or activity to prevent people from checking out,
4. Spend a lot less time presenting and a lot more time discussing,
5. Wear business appropriate clothing. People behave differently when they are wearing business casual than when they are in their shorts and a tank top,
6. Establish a meeting code of conduct,
7. Send out the agenda in advance and clarify the roles of the participants: “listen to a presentation”, “Brainstorm new ideas”, “Report your results”, “Make a decision”.
8. Connect personally with each member of your team to find how they are doing, and lend support,
9. Build structure and routine
10. Reassign work to bandwidth: Some employees are overwhelmed by work while also providing childcare.

Depression speaks in a quiet voice and shows up downstream. Double your efforts to keep people talking, connected and asking for help