Sometimes you need a bundle of ideas or suggestions from creative minds to solve a problem or kick off a project. Given the current lock down scenario, there would not be a better opportunity than now, to brainstorm remotely with your team!
But what if your team is spread out across a city, state or even a country? How do you brainstorm when you’re working in different locations, different cities, or even different countries?
Post outbreak of COVID-19, a majority of the organizations across the world have started working remotely.
Email communication during such times may be tedious and time consuming as most of us would find it hard to read a lengthy email with ten paragraphs. Even if you use a webcam and scribble notes on a whiteboard at home, it may not necessarily keep your team engaged, and motivated as there may be negligible or no participation. Moreover, you would also not be sure if your team has understood what you wanted to communicate.
Following a few guidelines and having the right set of tools is very important to improve efficiency for your teams working from various remote locations. Here are few of the tips and best practices to brainstorm productively while working remotely.
(1) Prefer Video Calls for Communication
Working remotely doesn’t mean you can’t reach out to your team over phone while at work. Hop on to a video call, be it a one-on-one or a team meeting, and have the same conversation that you would have had in person while at office and, of course, do make sure someone is taking down notes. Video calls keep everyone focused, attentive and accountable.
One can also use screen sharing feature that video call applications support and, in some cases, you can even ask your team members to share their screen so that either of you could highlight a few points and make the brainstorming/discussion more fruitful and productive.
(2) Have a seasoned moderator
Having a seasoned moderator will help in encouraging participation from all the team members including a few who may prefer to keep quiet and not share their view point. Additionally, moderators would also ensure that one or two team members do not hijack the entire time and not allow others to talk or voice their opinion. They should start each brainstorm session, with a well-articulated brief and then keep the team totally engaged during the course of the brainstorming.
Moderators should define the objective of the meeting, and share a brief well ahead of the scheduled meeting. This sets the agenda for the brainstorm. The moderator should also keep an eye on active participation of the team and also enable everyone to share their thoughts without any fear or hesitation.
(3) Trust your employees
Employers considering remote options often hesitate since they think their employees aren’t going to put in enough hours — but in reality, it’s the other way round, as typically remote staff put in a greater number of working hours than defined.
Encourage team members and the leadership team to keep their calendars up to date with the hours they work, so that the team does not end up working and responding to mails on a holiday unless it is an important customer deliverable or a gate crasher. Clear communication and regular connect amongst team members will help a lot, when one shifts their workplace from an office to a remote place.
(4) Build a team culture
Creating a work culture can be one of the biggest challenges for an organization which has remote teams. It is hard to build trust, interpersonal relationships and bonding when we don’t have daily interactions with the team members. Directors and Managers can conduct a family fest during weekends. These kinds of events/gatherings, should be conducted periodically, more so during festival times.
With all the staff members working remotely due to COVID-19 pandemic, organizations should also try to inculcate a sense of belongingness through regular updates and videos conferences by the Directors and virtual coffee breaks with all their employees. This encourages a team bonding at a more personal level. It is important to stay connected and communicate very often with the team when working remotely as this would give everyone great comfort and an occasion to share their day to day schedule after working hours as well.
(5) Ensure employees have all the resources they need
Lack of necessary infrastructure, equipment or resource is a huge challenge for those working remotely. Poor and erratic internet connections and disrupted power supply could make it difficult for some of the employees to work from home. As Managers, you should ensure that these challenges are taken care of.
(6) Use the right tool
Availability of a conference call or a video conference facility may just not be sufficient to manage the vast load of work that every employee needs to deliver. Look for various tools that can improve the efficiency of the team and create a better team environment, for example, online whiteboards. There are multiple time management, team collaboration tools that you would need to evaluate and adopt based on the team’s requirement.
(7) Follow proper timelines
Create a schedule and have a defined start/end timing for all the meetings. Being punctual and following laid down timelines would be mandatory for the team’s productivity.
So, with these tips and best practices, brainstorming with your team, even when you are in different locations / working remotely, can be a productive, enjoyable and a positive experience.
HAPPY BRAINSTORMING!
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