5 Things Teams Can Do to Help Each Other Thrive While Working From Home

This piece was originally published on Business Insider on March 30, 2020

The coronavirus has had a significant impact on the world, the economy, and just about every aspect of our day-to-day lives.  For those of us who are fortunate enough to have a job that allows us to work from home, we’re now working in a completely virtual environment, which poses a whole new set of challenges for people, leaders, and teams.

How can we communicate, connect, and collaborate effectively?  How will we brainstorm and solve problems?  What’s the best way for us to give and receive feedback?  How can we make sure people feel included and have a sense of belonging when we’re isolated from one another (and from just about everyone else in our lives)?

These and other important questions have become front and center for many of us and most of the leaders and teams I work with.  And while working from home and connecting virtually has been a normal part of our working lives for many years now (and often seen as a perk), being forced to work remotely because of a global pandemic and not knowing how long it will last isn’t something any of us planned for or even thought was possible.

And, here we are.  How can your team still thrive in the midst of this challenging experience?  Through my work and research on team performance over the past twenty years, I’ve learned that there are two things that separate good teams from great ones: Authenticity and Appreciation.

In the environment in which we find ourselves at the moment with everyone working from home, it’s essential for teams to double down on authenticity and appreciation, so that the team can stay connected, communicate openly with one another, support each other, and still do great work in the midst of everything that is going on.

Here are a few specific things you and your team can do right now in this regard:

1.  Lower the waterline on your iceberg – The metaphor I use when talking about authenticity is the iceberg.  How we can show up more authentically and enhance the culture of authenticity on our team is by lowering the waterline on our iceberg – sharing honestly about how we’re really feeling and what’s truly going on for us.  There’s a powerful exercise that I’ve facilitated for many years with teams which I explain in my TED talk on authenticity called, “If you really knew me…”.  Each member of the team takes a minute or two to answer this question and shares how they’re feeling in the moment, vulnerably, with the team.  This is a great exercise to do regularly, especially right now.

2.  Reach out for support – Most of us are more than happy to help others, but we have a harder time asking for help.  One of the best ways to be authentic in a practical way and to create more connection with our team, particularly when we’re separated from one another, is to reach out for support.  And, when we do this, not only might we get the help and connection we’re looking for, we give other people the opportunity to do something that most people love to do – contribute to others.  As the saying goes, “The answer is always ‘no’ if you don’t ask.”

3.  Check in with each other – Now more than ever it’s important to check in with the people on your team.  People are understandably feeling stressed and scared.  Everyone is dealing with a lot right now – children at home, people in their lives they may be worried about, uncertainty about the future, isolation, loneliness, and more.  Checking in with one another about more than just work, projects, and deadlines, but about life and how people are actually doing and feeling, can go a long way in both staying connected to each other, and also supporting everyone’s well-being.

4.  Ask for feedback – Feedback is hard to both give and receive, although it’s necessary for our growth and development, individually and collectively.  And, given the circumstances we find ourselves in right now, it’s even more challenging to make sure we’re getting and giving essential feedback.  One specific way to make this easier all the way around is to pro-actively ask for it.  When we do this, we not only make sure we’re getting important feedback ourselves, but we make it more conducive for others to give it.  We all have to make lots of adjustments right now, so we’re going to need even more feedback than usual.  A great way to do this, which I talked about on a podcast episode early this year, is to ask, “What can I start, stop, and continue doing right now to ensure that I’m as effective as possible.”  This “start, stop, continue” technique is simple, specific, and direct.

5.  Appreciate each other – There’s a really important distinction I’ve learned over the years working with people, leaders, and teams.  It’s the difference between recognition and appreciation.  Recognition is about what we do.  Appreciation is about who we are.  Both of these things are important and motivating.  And, appreciation runs deeper and cuts to the core of who we are and our relationships with one another.  Teams that appreciate each other authentically have a huge advantage, especially in difficult times of change, adversity, and uncertainty, like right now.  Take time when you connect one-on-one with each other on video or the phone, and especially when you meet virtually as a team, for everyone to get some genuine appreciation from others.  People are starving for appreciation, especially right now, and if we can make sure that everyone on the teams knows that we value them, care about them, and that we’re all in this together, it can make a huge difference in their lives personally and in the success of the team.

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