5 ideas for creating great company culture with Microsoft Teams while working remotely
Let�s face it � there�s a shortage of fun in all our lives right now. Plus, feeling valued by our employers and connected to co-workers is more difficult as many of us are working from home. We looked around to find fun ideas for using Microsoft Teams videoconferencing tool for cultivating culture within a team that can�t be physically together. Here are our favorite 5 tips:
Breakfast club Mondays: �Every Monday morning, any of Keyfactor�s employees can join a video call,� writes Lisa Ardill of siliconrepublic.com. "They�re encouraged to bring their favorite mug of tea or coffee and chat about how their weekend went. This is a great way to kick off the week with some interactive engagement that doesn�t rely on business talk.�
Daily syncs: �At Skillcrush, we spend our mornings syncing up on video conferences including a 15-minute �daily� in which each team just � talks,� writes Kit Warchol of Skillcrush.com. �In fact, our 15-minute meeting often expands to half an hour because a good chunk of it revolves around us making the sort of small talk you�d usually get at lunch.�
Lunch for 5: �We usually have a randomizer that selects 5 people from across the company each week to get a stipend and go out to lunch together,� said Mathilde Collin, CEO at frontapp.com. �The goal is to encourage cross-functional bonding with people you might not work with day-to-day. This continues to run, but instead people can order delivery and hop on a call to eat and chat."
Open mic Thursdays: �Thursday afternoons at Keyfactor are set aside for a video call dedicated to casual conversation and bonding,� writes Lisa Ardill of siliconrepublic.com. �Employees are encouraged to perform, whether it�s playing an instrument, singing or showcasing another talent. The company referred to this as a fun way of helping staff to decompress at the end of the day and towards the end of the week.�
Messy desk pictures: �When you work in an office, you feel compelled to keep your desk at least minimally clean: no used tissues, 3-day old cereal bowls, or constellations of coffee rings,� writes Sarah Goff-Dupont of atlassian.com. �But when you work from home, there�s no such social contract to uphold. So one of our rituals � is �messy desk Thursdays� in which we out ourselves for the abysmal state of our workstations while the ROTFL ?? and ??????? facepalm emojis fly fast and thick. It�s also a chance for your preternaturally tidy teammates to do some humble bragging about their austere, magazine-worthy office spaces.�
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What is your team doing to stay connected while working remotely? Share your experiences with us on Twitter, Facebook or LinkedIn.