How can you help remote teams feel connected and effective?
Use the template below to help you support remote teams communication by sharing experiences and tips on video.
Like many other learning and communication teams you may have experienced a shift in how they are supporting the business right now.
With every organisation and employee responding to the changing situation, many teams are now working remotely. Even if your team has experience with the hybrid working model, working at home because of the coronavirus does present a different set of challenges. It will feel sudden and uncertain.
Not everyone will have a dedicated workspace and many people will be sharing bandwidth with their kids without the opportunity to let off steam or see a different human face afterwards.
How can you continue to share knowledge, stories and successes as your people adapt to this new way of working and living?
Help remote teams support their work and each other
To help in a small way, we’ve created three new StoryTagger templates to make it easier for you to share crisis update videos with your teams, get subject matter expertise to your frontline and support your remote workers.
The four templates below are designed to help people share knowledge and support each other as part of remote teams communication.
- Work tips: An easy, agile way to share advice, insight and breakthrough methods.
- Daily or weekly update: If your team are shift-workers or on different time zones use this as an asynchronous scrum, or for anyone to share progress and blockers.
- Give kudos: Working remotely, especially unexpectedly, can feel lonely and disconnected. Taking time to recognise and thank someone will mean even more than usual.
- Home-working stories: Use this topic to help remote teams share their experiences, ideas, challenges and advice. What can we take as a positive from this difficult situation?
Remote teams communication and knowledge sharing templates
You can use these frameworks to support your teams as a one-off exercise or for ongoing morale, wellbeing and capability. If you’re already using StoryTagger, the set-up is simple; select from our list of templates and distribute to your participating teams.
Template: Work tips
Share advice, insight and breakthrough methods
PT1: INTRODUCE YOUR TIP
- In this video…
- Open with what you are going to share and who it could help
- What’s your tip in a sentence?
- Share your lightbulb moment.
NOTES: Get people’s attention with the headline and help them understand whether or not this tip is relevant.
PT2: WHAT CHALLENGE IT SOLVES
- Why is this tip or insight important?
- Describe what challenge it solves
- I discovered it when…
NOTES: Be clear about its value and when you’d apply it.
PT3: ADVICE TO OTHERS
- So, my advice is…
- Share any extra detail that will help others benefit.
NOTES: End with a takeaway or any extra information on how to execute it.
Template: Daily or weekly update
Share progress and blockers
PT1: ROUND UP
What have you achieved? Any wins big or small today / this week
Describe your next steps.
Share any blockers to you getting this done.
NOTES: Share a progress report and keep activities or project moving towards your goal.
PT2: THE BEST THING
What’s the best thing that’s happened to you at work or outside of it?
NOTES: Share a gratitude to keep a human connection and help yourself feel positive.
Template: Give kudos
Recognise and thank someone
Tell us who you would like to thank and why.
How did they go the extra mile?
What difference has this made to you, the team or business?
NOTES: Recognise an individual or team for a positive contribution. This might relate directly to a project, a way of working or an impact on wellbeing and morale.
Template: Home-working stories
Share your experiences and ideas
PT1: INTRODUCTION
Tell us about your homeworking set up.
How did you feel about changing how we work as a team?
What was your biggest concern?
NOTES: Share how you feel about home working and describe your practical set up. E.g. working in kitchen, sharing bandwidth with the kids.
PT2: HOW I’M MAKING IT WORK
What do you like most about working remotely?
Share any challenges you’re facing.
How are you overcoming these?
Tell us how you’re finding ways to relax.
NOTES: Reflect on what’s going well, not so well. If you’re facing challenges how are you overcoming them? Share even if it’s a work in progress.
PT3: ADVICE FOR OTHERS
What have you learned about yourself?
My one piece of advice for others is …
NOTES: Take this as an opportunity for personal growth and share with others.
Supporting remote teams with video
Help remote teams feel connected and share knowledge with video.