4 Ways to Feel Like Part of a Remote Team

Thanks in large part to COVID-19, the world is working from home like never before. As many opportunities for innovation and work-life balance as this has opened up, it also comes with its own set of drawbacks, including, for some people, a sense of alienation. In fact, it’s been said that the more you work from home, the more you need really need those relationships with your fellow team members.

So if you’re struggling to feel like part of the team while sequestered in your home office, try these tips for boosting your workday.

Stay in communication

The beauty of digital is that it allows you to be in touch with your team much more frequently, no matter where you might be. Though you might not be able to run down the hall and get an update on something from a project colleague, using project collaboration software lets you stay in the loop as you communicate and share information easily.

Make a point of checking in with the team daily, whether it’s to give an update, share some helpful information or congratulation another team member on work well done. If you work in digital project management and prefer to start your day with a standup or any kind of a group activity, encourage your remote team members to take part using Zoom, WebEx, Google Hangouts, or your preferred video communication platform.

Start your workday with a consistent, enjoyable task

Sometimes how you start your day can make or break it. To get yourself into work mode, try starting your day with a task you enjoy and find engaging. This is a key reason that many project teams start their day with a standup meeting, but if you work remotely, you might need to find a replacement.

Identifying this makes it more likely that you’ll be able to wake up motivated and enthused to get started.

Dress, eat and break like you would at the office

For some people, one of the perks of working from home is getting to dress in sweatpants and eat out of a box of cereal for your lunch. Most remote team members will tell you that this gets old pretty fast.

To keep your momentum going, consider planning your outfit the night before and dressing much the way you would if you were heading into work. Not only does this save you time, but there’s actual research showing it may increase your productivity. It also means you’re prepared should you get a last-minute request for a lunch date with a friend or for a video conference with a stakeholder.

Keeping your daily schedule much the same as you would for an in-house job is also helpful. If you stick to a 9-5 or 8-4 schedule, you’ll be in sync with your team members, which makes scheduling meetings, calls or updates easier.

Make sure you carve out time for a lunch break too. Giving your brain a break is essential.

Involve other people in your life

As easy as project collaboration software makes it to stay in touch with your team, sticking with other social routines are key too. A recent study from Cigna found that barely over half reported having even a single meaningful interaction with another person on a daily basis.

In addition to staying in touch with your project team daily, make sure you keep up other consistent social routines too. That could be going to the same coffee shop every morning to grab an espresso and check your emails. It could mean committing to the same fitness class three times a week. It could mean volunteering one evening a week or spending time in a dog park on a daily basis.

Ready to see how TaskBranch can help you manage your remote team members? Start your free 30-day trial today.