Remote Support of Teams, Can it Work?
9/11/2020
One this we can all agree on in these unprecedented times is that how we do life has likely forever changed. From a personal perspective, I know we have a better understanding today of the importance of what really matters. Good health, better habits, family time and meaningful connections are more cherished than ever before. As a consulting firm who has always served clients from afar, we’ve really adopted new ways to ensure our support is more accessible and more affordable to you than ever before.
I’m so thankful for video calls! Before Covid-19, Jim and I spent a lotttttt of time on airplanes, and as a client you could look forward to seeing us as often as you requested, whether weekly or monthly. Spending quality time in person with you and your team was our greatest honor and we loved laughing with you and “getting our hands dirty” as we worked in person with your team from time to time. In the last six months, we’ve expertly adapted to video visits, and we’ve encouraged you to do the same with your own meetings and team interactions. What we’ve found is an even more meaningful eye-to-eye connection and intentional face-to-face time. And we’re thrilled to hear that as we’ve all adapted to social distancing requirements, you, our cherished clients have found our support to continue to be extremely beneficial to your success!
We love zoom – I won’t talk to anyone any more on audio only. I encourage you to adopt this as well. The ability to read facial expressions, ensure genuine listening and hearing, and connect in a human way that we’re all missing is invaluable. There are lots of platforms to accomplish this. I even zoom with my 90 year old mother each evening now – and I don’t know why it took a pandemic to decide to connect in this way!
If you haven’t done this yet, increase your communication with your team in intentional ways. Pick up some ancient and beneficial performance management techniques, like writing handwritten notes to thank your team. Share a meal over video, where everyone receives a pizza delivery for example and you all laugh and share over a video chat while sharing a team lunch. Reward your team’s hard work with any number of virtual events that are available online. We recently participated in a team wine and painting event and it felt like we were all together in the studio painting masterpieces. And for work meetings, ensure everyone turns on the video! Unless their work circumstances prevent it, no one should be “phoning it in” for a video call. The more you look people in the eyes, the better you’ll remain connected and efficient as a team.
We’ve doubled the number of teammates we’ve been able to connect with while supporting remotely. Without the hassles of airplane travel and the associated exhaustion that inevitably sets in, we’re able to be more flexible with scheduling and actually have increased the number of hours we can serve our clients. Our clients enjoy the elimination of travel expenses. And we don’t miss airplane trips one bit.
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