Although our teams are working remotely at the moment, we haven’t stopped enjoying the company of our colleagues during the lockdown. Each week we meet online for an all-hands catch-up and spend some time socialising. Alex shares what we get up to!
Leading from the front!
The meeting opens with an update from our board of directors. They share any important businesses updates with the team so that everyone’s on the same page – it’s essential to our culture that we have as much transparency as possible and our colleagues have trust in their leadership.
The “SMT Takeover”
Our senior management team (SMT) meet every week to discuss employee wellbeing, engagement, and ideas for improvements. Using a suggestion scheme which has been adapted for remote working, our team members can provide feedback to the SMT for discussion.
At the weekly company meeting the SMT takes over the floor to bring an update on what’s been happening. At last week’s meeting, they also lead a discussion on how eating habits are being affected by the lockdown – some people are eating more, some less, and some are just happy to have time for a relaxed breakfast in the morning!
Time for fun
After the business has been taken care of, it’s time for us to have some fun. So far we’ve had a pub quiz run by our Technical Sales Manager Dan, and a game of Pictionary hosted by Head of Sales Tim. We’ve also shared our recommendations for lockdown entertainment, collaborating to create a list of books, films and albums. When we return to the office, the sharing library will be stocked with some of the books on the list so everyone can find their new favourite!
It’s been great to connect with our colleagues and get to socialise with each other outside of our usual business setting. The games are a chance to let off some steam and stay connected during lockdown while we’re isolating at home.
Tips for your team
- Check-in with each other. It’s great to schedule some time to catch up, but if you don’t have time for a weekly meeting, then stay in touch ad-hoc and check everyone’s getting on OK during the lockdown.
- Set up a drop-in room. We’re looking at ways to recreate our office culture remotely. It’s common for colleagues to spend a few minutes chatting with other teams when they visit the kitchen for a tea or coffee, so the SMT has set up a drop-in chat room that lets people pop in for a chat while they take a break from the laptop.
- Create a feedback or suggestions scheme. In the office, we use a simple bowl for submitting any suggestions or feedback to our SMT. While we’re working remotely, we’ve been using freesuggestionbox.com for the same purpose.
