5 Powerful Ways to Build Better Virtual Connections
I have not met any of my colleagues in person.
Gasp. It’s true. I started working for Cultivate in June 2020, smack dab in the middle of a global pandemic. For all I know, my colleagues are two-dimensional bobbleheads and, depending on the internet connection, a bit pixelated.
I used to work at a company where the Marketing Ops and the Marketing team weren't friends. The tension–tangible. It made sense. We were cross-functional teams that had different goals but relied on the other to exist. When I wanted a $65K budget to test out an AI-powered chatbot and needed Marketing Ops buy-in, I knew what I had to do. Make a friend.
There was only one Marketing Ops person in the Nashville office with me. His name was Adam. The rest worked out of San Francisco (further cementing that remote connections are harder to make). Our office was U-shaped, and Adam & I sat on opposite sides.
I made it a point to book meeting rooms in his general area, and I'd swing by his desk to say hello. I'd supplement the more professional and terse emails between our teams with casual messages on Slack. I sat with him one day at lunch and learned he was training for a half marathon in Yosemite. I left Tiff's cookies on his desk for his birthday.
These intentional interactions led to genuine friendship and a better work relationship. The relationship would have been much harder to cultivate if we were not in-person. What can we do now that these critical in-person encounters are so limited, if not non-existent, for some of us?
(By the way, I got the $65K approved).
Here, five minor behavior changes you can make to improve your virtual workplace.
1. Greet your colleague before asking a work-related question.
I've noticed lately: I'm about to send my colleague a PM to ask a question about a deliverable that's due later that day. As I type my request, I realize I haven't even greeted this person yet.
Say "hello," "good morning," or "what existential crisis are you ruminating over today?". Wait for a response before asking your work-related question or request. A little goes a long way–boosting morale, opening up lines of communication, and starting the day on a positive note.
2. Send a virtual coffee
Back in the office days, I used to block off time throughout the day to walk around the city neighborhood with some colleagues. We'd usually swing by a coffee shop or the farmer's market. Before placing an order once, I took a quick detour to the bathroom. When I got back, one of my colleagues had ordered and paid for my coffee.
These spontaneous delights are more challenging to do when you exist through a screen all day. There aren't many, if any at all, opportunities to do something kind for someone.
Send a colleague a coffee through cyberspace. And hey, make virtual coffee chats a thing while you're at it.
3. Create space for inefficient meetings
Those of us who have been in the workforce for at least 3 ½ minutes often harbor negative feelings towards inefficient meetings. The proof is in a million memes about it. I'm not advocating for them, but I am advocating for making space.
Without hallway conversations and coffee pot greetings, there isn't a lot of room for casual check-ins. And no matter how well-intentioned, the virtual team building activities can feel sterile and forced.
If you are a meeting facilitator, don't be afraid to leave five (or, gasp, ten) minutes for open, non-work related dialogue.
4. Sign off before the weekend
Signing off before the weekend can be a great way to have a final touch base with your team. It's the perfect opportunity to say something like, hey, I see you. You're doing great. Head into the weekend feeling good about yourself and your work. Because sharing gratitude can transform your workplace.
When in doubt, share this.
5. Go to the virtual happy hour, even if you don't want to.
This sounds like contradiction to what I said earlier, doesn’t it? Planned virtual team building activities feel sterile and forced. So, why should you participate in them?
The idea that humans resist change isn't new. Virtual team building activities often feel forced because they are forced. Do them enough, with full support and participation from the rest of your team, and you'll recognize patterns. As a community, you'll discover what feels good and what doesn’t. You might learn that, as a collective, the virtual happy hour is a complete waste of time.
But, the virtual Catan game where everyone watches Sally continuously screw over Jerel?
