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Quaran-Tools: Deepen Connections at Home and at Work

5/26/2020

Social distancing, isolation, and uncertainty create new communication breakdowns, and can intensify relationship issues at home and at work. We’re in close quarters at home, with more chances to get on each other’s nerves. At the same time, we’re working remotely, with the unique challenges of virtual teams.

In our recent Webinar, Communication in a Time of Social Distancing: Deepening Connections at Home and at Work, we shared five evidence-based micro-communication behaviors to strengthen your communication with significant others, family members, and work teams:

Ask open-ended questions and then share your understanding: Ask questions like, “What do you need most from me right now?” Then carefully listen to the answer and clarify your understanding.
Share your own contribution to the problem: Nothing signals integrity like acknowledging that you are part of the problem (“In my zeal to get a small business loan I’ve not been taking a meaningful role around the house, even though my schedule is more flexible than yours.”)
Consciously share your feelings: Self-disclosure (“I’m sometimes overwhelmed with fear for my health”) is the greatest predictor of successful relationships—and that’s what sharing vulnerable feelings does. (Tweet it!)
Pinpoint details: Vague complaints inflame, but specific examples instruct. Instead of saying “You’ve been distracted and unresponsive,” you might say, “Yesterday when you joined the Zoom meeting you said you hadn’t completed the all-employee email and I agreed to do it.” Then get the other person to share their view by asking: “What was going on for you?”
A do-over can be healing: Pave the way for a relationship reboot by saying, “I’ve been thinking about our conversation and I believe I can do better. Can we try again?” When you decide on a do-over, remember to use the four guidelines above!

What have been your biggest quarantine communication challenges at home and at work? How are you handling them? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

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Bringing Out the Best in Remote Teams

5/19/2020

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Like many of us, you may be facing the challenge of working remotely or managing a newly virtual team. If so, Vlada Bortnik, Co-founder and CEO of Marco Polo, the popular video messaging app, has some advice based on best practices of her company, which has been operating fully remotely since its establishment in 2012.

Set core collaboration hours—Define a daily stretch of time when team members are expected to maintain connectivity—this creates a scheduling window and establishes a routine. Also, consider beginning each day together with a short team meeting.

Trust team members to do their part—Aside from core hours, different people work according to different rhythms. As long as the work gets done and is of high quality, trust them.

Create an ongoing feedback mechanism—Set aside time for a weekly reflection where team members share what’s working and what needs improvement.

Over-communicate—Everyone should have an open invitation to jump in and add to a conversation, as if working together in an open space.

Encourage social bonds--Create forums where team members can share random fun items, from pictures of their kids and kitties to recipes and binge-watch recommendations.

Set boundaries and encourage breaks--Some people think working remotely means working all the time, but health and wellbeing depend on down time. (Tweet it!) True Type A’s may need to set timers to remind them to stretch, walk, or have a glass of water—but whatever works, works!

What are the key lessons you have already learned from working remotely during this time of social distancing? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs.

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Keeping Remote Teams Motivated

5/12/2020

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Many leaders have crossed the first hurdles of ensuring that their remote team members have set up their tech tools and defined their processes. The next step is keeping everyone engaged and motivated. Though academic research on remote productivity is mixed, with some studies saying it declines while others promising it increases, Lindsay McGregor, co-author of The New York Times bestseller Primed to Perform and co-founder and CEO of Vega Factor, a technology and consulting firm, says success depends on how you do it:

Motivators that lead to increased productivity, says McGregor, include play (the joy of problem-solving with a colleague), purpose (visibility into one’s impact on clients or colleagues), and potential (access to colleagues that teach and mentor). What can leaders do to try to keep these elements present in remote work? McGregor suggests the following weekly rhythm:

Monday: Hold a performance cycle meeting for the team that covers the asks: 1) What impact did we have last week and what did we learn? 2) How can we help each other with this week’s commitments? 3) How can we experiment to improve performance this week?

Tuesday-Thursday: Have at least one individual meeting with each team member, focusing on helping them tackle challenges. Coordinate small group meetings in which employees can collaborate on the week’s experiments and tackle problems together. (Tweet it!)

Friday: Focus on reflection. Review and gather input on the experiments of the week. Have team members share metrics and insights. Check in on each other’s motivation and progress. How are people feeling, where did they struggle, and where did they thrive?

If you are suddenly working remotely, do you feel more or less motivated in your role, and why? To join the conversation, click "comments" above.

If you would like to learn more about creating a habit around masterful communication, check out our online learning programs.

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Quaran-Tools: Deepen Connections at Home and at Work

Bringing Out the Best in Remote Teams

Keeping Remote Teams Motivated

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