It is hard to believe that with the advent of virtual meetings, we are still using the same techniques to foster team building and collaboration. Whether in-person or remote, there are ways to create a more cohesive and collaborative environment to make your meetings more efficient and productive.
The best team-building activities for virtual meetings are the ones that help you create a sense of community, encourage participation and make the most of the limited time you have.
1. Set an Agenda:
Before the meeting starts, have each participant send an agenda that includes their top three goals for the meeting and any specific topics or questions they want to discuss.
You can also include a link to an article or video relevant to those topics or questions so people have some context before joining the discussion. This will help keep everyone focused on what is important and reduce the chance of getting off-topic during your meeting.
2. Use Visuals:
Visuals can be beneficial when working with a virtual team. They can be used to save time when explaining something complicated or to visualize a process that would otherwise be hard to explain verbally.
Team members who may still need to learn each other well can also benefit from visuals to help promote collaboration and build rapport.
3. Create a Sense of Community:
Creating community through group activities is an excellent way to build rapport among teammates who may not know each other well. Such as brainstorming sessions or group chats where everyone shares their thoughts about what is happening in their lives outside of work (this could include things like family members or pets).
You can also create a sense of community by creating opportunities for people from different teams within your organization (or even outside companies) to meet face-to-face at conferences.
4. Play Games:
Playing games is a great way to build teamwork. For example, you can have everyone in your group share a word or phrase that describes their company and then have them guess who said what! This helps your team get to know each other by learning about their interests and values and having fun in the process.
Another option is to play charades or Pictionary with your remote colleagues. This will allow you to practice your communication skills while getting to know one another better. Just ensure everyone has plenty of time to feel free of a rush!
5. Encourage Participation:
Virtual meetings can feel impersonal because there is no face-to-face contact between participants. To counteract this feeling of being disconnected from each other, encourage everyone participating in the meeting to participate actively by asking questions or sharing their thoughts on the topic at hand!
