Right now there are millions of professionals working from home. Many are rebuilding their teams and their entire workflow during this work-at-home global event. After the challenge of building a remote network and establishing a diaspora of home offices, companies are facing a new hurdle. How can you maintain the company culture through a remote online workspace?
It’s true that rebuilding that team rapport and sense of shared purpose is more difficult at a distance, but with the right tools, attitude, and team workflow it absolutely can be done. Let’s explore how to keep your company culture alive during the age of remote work.
Keep the Communication Channels Open
It all starts with good communication software. A team can’t rebuild that human connection if they’re always fighting with glitching cameras and fuzzy audio. You need to recreate that easy same-workspace flow where team members can talk to each other and ask questions on the fly without initiating a formal call.
The best way to do this is by keeping communication open. Your team might want to video conference all day, or just keep an audio line open with selective screen sharing. Some teams prefer to connect via live chat, and this may be the perfect transition from their previous workflow in the office.
Talk About the Company Mission
Don’t let your team’s sense of shared purpose fall into the background. When you’re building a new team workflow is exactly the time to bring up the company purpose again. Talk about why the company was founded or what your current shared values or goals are regarding the work. This is the heart and soul of your company culture. Remind everyone why the end result and the quality of your combined work makes a difference that you all care about.
Focus on Productivity Instead of Hours
Remote working reveals something about a team that in-office work does not; everyone has their own best-hours schedule. Some people are morning people, and they might get their best work done at the crack of dawn long before anyone else has had their coffee. Some are night owls and prefer to do all their focus-work after dark. When one member or the entire team is working remotely, emphasize productivity instead of specific work hours.
This gives your team the flexibility to work when at their best and to manage their own productivity.
Encourage a New At-Home Workflow
Bring remote work into your company culture. Your culture doesn’t have to be based on everyone sharing the same office and work hours. The world and the workforce are changing, and your company culture can easily change with it. Embrace the new around-the-clock style of people who live and work in the same building and focus during their best hours.
Instead of worrying about obstacles, focus on building the best solutions. Help each other to optimize home offices, improve broadcasting quality, and optimize the shared remote workflow. By making remote work part of your company culture, you can build your culture into remote work.
Make Goals and Feedback Part of the Routine
Finally, you can help to unify a remote team by regularly sharing goals and feedback. Check-in with everyone on what their goals are and their progress on meeting them. This will help the team to create a productivity-focused workflow. From there, invite regular feedback and encourage teams to work through any remote-working issues they have each encountered.
Learn More About Keeping Your Company Culture Alive During the Age of Remote Work
Your company culture is a part of each team. The difficulties of maintaining company culture in remote work all come down to communication and rebuilding that team rapport. With open channels, teamwork, and regular discussions about goals and shared purpose, your company culture will self-perpetuate naturally. For more insights on building a strong remote team, contact us today!
Leave A Comment