Here’s A Team Building Habit That Works
We are a small team with members who can work remotely and in specialised areas. It would be easy for some of us to only ever meet at the annual Christmas party!
So, we created a simple way to get to know each other. It’s a weekly 15-minute video call, and for many of us, it’s the highlight of the work week.
The meeting starts with a question. Each of us has a turn answering. It rarely happens, but sometimes, someone draws a blank. No problem, pass this week and enjoy what everyone else has to say.
At first, we used an automatic question generator. Yes, there is such a thing! Now, whoever leads the meeting brings the question for the day. Etiquette dictates that the person choosing the questions answers first. It gives everyone else thinking time!
Here’s a sample of the topics we’ve covered.
- Tell us about a teacher that you liked at school.
- It’s Christmas. What is one food you know your family will have on the table?
- What was the first car you or your family owned?
- What junk food do you find hard to resist?
- What is your favourite city and why?
- How do you feel about swimming? Do you have a favourite place to swim?
- What is one thing you put off and wish you didn’t?
- Is there something inexpensive you own and you find incredibly useful?
At first, these video calls felt strange because we weren’t used to talking about ourselves this way. It got easier over time, and there’s a great sense of fun. We often make each other laugh as we share surprising details about ourselves.
Oddly, this social check-in makes people bigger characters; some answers are sensationally surprising. It can be refreshing to have your assumptions thrown out the window (and find a workmate who can’t help themselves around a bowl of Cheezels).
What I love most is that someone you don’t work with closely can still be someone you regard affectionately. You discover things you have in common and delightful points of difference.
I guess what I’m describing is connection. Who would have thought such a little ritual could achieve that? Yet it does.