(Remote) teamwork makes the dream work!
Back in November when I’d only just started at Community Chesterfield, I wrote a blog post about working remotely and making connections with people online and mentioning some useful training we were starting called Training and Tea. Two months on – everything is still operating online for us and I can’t stop raving about how great our Training and Tea sessions have been so far!
The series kicks off again in 2021 with a session all about Working in and Leading Remote Teams. Andrew, the professional trainer who leads these sessions for us, will be using his Exceptional Teams Blueprint Framework as the basis for the 45 minute session. It’s worth pointing out that the content based on face to face team working, then he specifically focuses on the difference that working in a remote team environment makes – so there will be something for you to learn whatever your working situation!
These sessions are available free to staff or volunteers of voluntary and community sector organisations offering a service to Chesterfield residents, as well as staff and students at University of Derby. The training is paid for through funding from National Lottery Community Fund.
I’m looking forward to gaining from Andrew’s experience and insight, and I’m sure that I’ll go away from the session with a few more tools to put into my remote working toolbox… But before then I’ll share with you my three top tips for being a good remote team member:
· Communicate considerately – When you don’t see people regularly, keeping in touch is important but finding the right way to do that is key. Our team all work part-time, so I always try to be mindful of this. E.g. I’m a fan of using the “delay delivery” function on email – so even if I’ve written the email on someone’s day off, I can schedule it for a day and time that I think will be more convenient for them to receive it. One of the first things I asked the team was how it’s best for us to stay in touch, so we use a balance of email, WhatsApp or text – and sometimes just picking up the phone for a chat.
· Understanding the part we all play – Starting as Project Manager for Community Chesterfield and managing three members of the project team, I knew immediately that I needed to have a good understanding of what everybody did as part of their roles in order to fully understand my own! It may sound simple, but in reality there is generally lots of crossover between roles and the way it works on someone’s Job Description for example, may not be how it works in practice. We’ve been able to have some really honest conversations over the last couple of months about who should be doing what, and make some decisions that have given a renewed sense of clarity and focus.
· Get to know the person, as well as the role – As well as knowing what the role does, understanding the individual behind that role is also important as we all have our own strengths, unique perspectives and preferred ways of working. This is one element that could be made more difficult when working remotely, although I personally do feel that I’ve been able to spend quality (virtual) time with each member of the team and find out a bit more about what makes them tick. Give yourself time though, and don’t expect this to happen overnight! Getting to know your colleagues is a fun journey to go on, and offers an opportunity for reflection upon your own strengths and areas for development.
Photo by Nick Fewings on Unsplash