Try this if you're missing watercooler conversations whilst WFH

If you're anything like the leaders I work with, you may have been struggling with creating a sense of connection amongst your team members since lockdown. This has left you feeling a little like you are trying to lead with your arms tied behind your back as your normal, traditional face to face methods aren't working.

Even with the gradual loosening of lockdown protocols, there are many months of "new normal" working arrangements to come. Soon there will be more disruption as some workers return to offices, while other colleagues don't - thereby creating a situation where meeting's participants are either physically or virtually present. Therefore the communication predicament isn't one that can be ignored/overlooked because it will be resolved through time. It needs a better strategy to solve it.

I was speaking to a client a couple of weeks ago, let's call him Kevin, and he felt just this. Pre-COVID he was used to managing by walking around. Dropping by people's desks. Asking how they were, and passing on thoughts in corridors, lunchrooms etc. He got on well with most of his team and liked to spend time with them,

Not being the most technically savvy leader, Kevin was now struggling to use virtual meeting software and had resorted to writing down all of his questions in lists for each member of his team, which he would then "word vomit" each time he saw them on a virtual call. This was normally squeezed in at the end of another meeting making everyone late for their next call, or took over the meeting itself.

This was not only stressful for him because it was outside his normal working style and he felt disconnected, but it also created a sense of dread for his team members to connect with him as they felt like the connections were becoming the Spanish Inquisition. Also, because many of the questions Kevin had were time-sensitive, team members were left scrabbling around to find answers under compressed timelines. They were also trying to absorb Kevin's questions when their minds were on their next meeting. None of this situation was ideal.

Kevin didn't want to send emails either. A significant challenge he had identified was that it was hard to demonstrate tone/intent in written words - and his team already had overloaded inboxes. Also, some questions of his questions were more casual in nature and didn't 'feel right' in an email. Therefore Kevin was looking for another way to communicate with his team which meant he could have quick, impromptu conversations but in a new way.

So how did he solve this? I have been teaching my virtual meeting masterclass participants to use existing tools in new ways. Some research carried out by UCLA showed that "the greatest bonding effect occurred during in-person interaction, followed by video chat, audio chat, and IM in that order." So the challenge was to try and create quick video messages or voice messages as opposed to emails, texts or long lists! It was also to try and use tools people were familiar with so as not to require high levels of training or guidance.

Many of us use Whatsapp to text overseas friends and I recommend using the video and voice message functionality as a great way to check-in with your teams too. You can setup groups and you can connect with people individually for quick questions. 

To do a voice message, you simply start a chat with someone in Whatsapp and use the microphone button, pictured, and hold it down whilst you dictate your message.

You can do a quick video message by tapping the camera button and then holding down the shutter button whilst in selfie mode, before pressing send once you've done. It's super simple and gives you a new way of connecting which is more human than emails. The other advantage is that your team can listen/watch and repeat it to ensure they have all the details, on their own schedule, before responding.

Kevin discussed this new method of impromptu chats with his whole team. He explained why he was proposing Whatsapp and most of the team seemed keen to try it. He was able to connect with them as a group, and also to send individual notes to people on a regular basis. 

A few weeks on, he reported significantly lower anxiety for himself because he felt a lot more connected and could ask the questions when they were fresh in his mind. His team also said that meetings were not as pressured and that they appreciated the personal touch from Kevin - seeing his face and hearing his voice. They felt more connected.

It wasn't a super complicated fix butt through adopting Whatsapp messaging, he observed others in the team starting to send humorous messages around the group and encouraging each other too. It had become reminiscent of the "old days' office banter but in a new form. 

What other tools have you had success using which have helped you to reconnect with your team? I'd love to hear all about it.

MENTAL HEALTH NOTE - If you are feeling alone or overly worried about things right now, please reach out to me directly for a chat. I am here to listen and want you to know you have someone to connect with who cares.

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