Team Dynamics in a Virtual Setting
These days many organizations still operate remotely. While we are all more comfortable with mute settings, share screens, and breakout rooms, we still need to take time to consider the health of our teams.
Working from home doesn’t mean that team dynamics are out the window. Carefully thinking through how your team members relate to each other and work together in times of crisis is critical.
One of the most important aspects of healthy staff dynamics is to think through your teams carefully. Many teams fail due to the misconceptions that “Everyone will get along!” or “They are all adults, they can work out their differences!” or even, “I don’t have time to hold everyone’s hand.” But with a few easy tweaks, you can set your teams up for greater success.
Set group expectations.
Have a discussion with your team about how you want to behave together. I like to walk groups through a process of naming their group expectations. For example, do you think it is okay to eat during a virtual meeting? Is showing up late understandable? Is it considered rude to turn your camera off? Different groups have different expectations. Individuals carry their own internal understandings of what is acceptable and what isn’t as well. Even if your team has worked together for decades, it is still good to revisit expectations for how you will behave virtually. Try opening your next staff meeting with this phrase. “Hey, I was in a meeting the other day where everyone ____ it got me thinking about virtual expectations. I thought it might be helpful to list our expectations together so that we are all on the same page.”
Model Healthy Behavior / Don’t reward unhealthy behavior.
Just because many of us work from home these days does not mean that you should always be available or on-call. Unhealthy work-life balances lead to burnout. If you are burnt out, you aren’t productive. Therefore drawing healthy boundaries around work time and free time helps you achieve your mission and saves you money on costly employee turnover.
Model healthy work-life balances by becoming well acquainted with the “schedule-send” feature in your email. If you chose to work at midnight because that is the only time your house is quiet, that is up to you. However, don’t send off-hour emails. It sets the precedent that everyone should work late into the evening or early in the morning.
Don’t reward unhealthy behavior. How many times have you heard the phrase, “Vacation? What’s that?” or “I work way more than 40 hours a week.” These types of statements are prevalent in the nonprofit sector. Laughing at these jokes perpetuates the narrative that we all need to work ourselves to the grind if we want to be a real nonprofit leader. Next time you hear someone make a similar comment, try responding with, “We’re in a global pandemic, we need vacation time now more than ever, and I encourage you to take the time and space you need to bring your best self to work.”
With some easy steps, we can still create and nurture healthy teams during COVID-19. If you are interested in more ways to support your team and feel like you need help, then contact Spark Group today for a free, 30-min chat!
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