Uniting Remote Teams: 10 Fun Ideas That Will Raise You Up
Every manager knows how challenging it is to unite a remote team. When you have a physical office, people will usually bond by sharing the same space and seeing each other every day. But how do you do that with a team that’s never met in person? When you have Managed Squads who work remotely, building a good relationship among team members is vital for collaboration and great results. So, let’s check out 10 ideas to unite remote teams.
Top 10 Fun Ideas for Uniting your Team
Virtual Coffee Break
When people meet in the office, they usually share a cup of coffee while taking a break. They catch up on what they’re doing, how their weekend was, or what their plans after work are. This is something you can do online as well. Organize a short 15-minute call during the day, so your team can catch up. It can be early in the morning, as a breakfast, or late in the afternoon, before ending the day. You can do it as often as you want, and it doesn’t even have to be mandatory.
Non-Work-Related Chat
You don’t have time for video calls? Don’t worry! There’s another option for your team to bond. You can create channels on Slack, Teams, or whichever platform you use with specific topics for your team to get to know each other. They could talk about pets, trips, hobbies, or movies. Choose any topic that comes to your mind. Ideas are endless!
Game Time for Virtual Team Building
For sure, one of the best team-bonding activities are online games. They can be talking games such as Two Truths and a Lie, Would You Rather, or Dinner Party. You can also check out online games for remote teams such as Pictionary, trivia games, or even virtual escape rooms. There’s plenty of possibilities for your team to play.
Daily Huddles
A good way of bringing the team together while also getting the work done are virtual standups. Having daily meetings for the team to learn what each other is working on has been found to be super useful for team members to feel closer. This also improves communication within partners.
Knowledge-Sharing Day
Sharing random knowledge is a great way to get to know a person. Everyone has their own interests, and it’s usually super fun to share what you like. Get members to share a topic they’re interested in. It can be anything: sports, books, games, or just random facts.
Meeting Roulette
To get your team to bond, having a meeting roulette is a nice idea. Everyone can share a personal or fun fact about themselves, so their teammates can get to know them better. Another way is forming random groups in different virtual rooms to interact with other team members.
Shared Spotify Playlist
Music makes everything better, and sharing music with other people is a brilliant way of knowing each other. Spotify allows us to share playlists and even listen to the same song at the same time. You can also create collaborative playlists to discover what music each of them likes. Besides, it’s possible to have different playlists with specific topics, such as “favorite song,” “first band or singer I saw live,” or “songs that make me happy.”
Virtual Scavenger Hunts
Yes, you can do a virtual scavenger hunt. The best way to do this is by creating a list of objects that could easily be found in every home. Hand over the list to your team and give them a few minutes to find each item. The first person to find every item on the list wins. If there's a budget available, giving small prices, like gift cards, is a great idea that will make the game even more exciting.
Meme Chat
This is one of those bonding activities that don’t require much time but are super fun. Create a chat and ask every member to find a meme that represents them. After they share it, they have to explain why. You can also have different meme days; for example, a meme on the project they’re working on, a meme that represents another colleague, or a meme that represents their mood of the day.
Virtual Office Party
Even though there are a lot of games and activities that don’t take much time, it’s always important to relax and just chat. Having virtual gatherings like an office party or after-office is key for people to feel closer to one another. By just setting up one office party a month, you will create a great team synergy. Ask your team to prepare their favorite drink and just enjoy the time.
What Tools Are Recommended to Collaborate Remotely?
As remote work is becoming more and more common every day, there are plenty of tools for your team to collaborate remotely, such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, Discord, Google Meet, or Zoom. Another way of collaborating remotely is using Google app, Figma, among others, so your team is always up-to-date.
How Many Professionals Should a Virtual Team Ideally Have?
While there are a lot of opinions on what size a team should have, it’s usually recommended to have less than 10 people in a team. Smaller groups have been found to have better performances both as a group and individually.
Should Team-Building Activities Be Included in the Working Schedule?
Team-building activities in the working schedule are essential for fostering synergy within teams, especially in the context of remote work. It has been proven that a united team who’s happy in their company shows better results, reflecting a notable shift in the perception of work dynamics.
You can also organize longer activities after working hours. If you’re looking to start building your dream team, contact us so we can help you do it!