🎒 Microlesson

🪞 Reflect

When was the last time you learned something new about your coworkers? 

💡 Concept

Learning something new about your coworkers can be incredibly beneficial for fostering a sense of connection and understanding within the team. 

And in a distributed work environment, where face-to-face interactions are limited, discovering personal tidbits about your colleagues can humanize the virtual space and build empathy. 

Understanding their hobbies, interests, or even the challenges they may face outside of work can deepen your appreciation for their perspective and unique contributions. This newfound knowledge not only strengthens interpersonal relationships but also facilitates more effective collaboration by creating a basis for mutual respect and support. 

Additionally, sharing personal experiences can break down barriers and create a more inclusive and supportive work culture, ultimately enhancing team cohesion and morale in the remote setting.

🎬 Take Action

• Make time in virtual meetings for connecting. If your team tends to just dive right into action items, read this microlesson on how to make time for connections in virtual meetings. 

• Add a get-to-know-you icebreaker to your meetings. By engaging in light-hearted conversation, team members can break the ice and establish rapport, which can lead to better collaboration and communication.

• Send prompts in shared async channels. You don’t have to wait for synchronous meetings to learn about your colleagues. Send get-to-know-you prompts in Slack or Teams channels. Some examples: 

  • 🧑‍🎤 Let's play…some music! What song do you listen to when you need a pick-me-up?

  • 🧸 What was your favorite toy when you were a kid? Add a link or photo if possible! 

  • 🎲 You're packing for a trip with friends and can bring one board game. What game do you bring?  

  • 🤨 Which would you choose? 1) A robot that cleans your whole house inside and out, or 2) A 5-star chef robot that cooks your meals. 

• Schedule coffee chats. Schedule 1:1 meetings (on or off camera) to chat informally with team members. 

✅ Check In

🧠 Keep Learning

Learn more about connection rituals in Leadplaceless.

🎁 Learn with your team!

Refer our weekly microlessons to your team members to learn as a group! Just follow the instructions in the section below to get started.