Strategies for Remote Team Building

Too often, work goes unnoticed. But people want to be seen. A recent statistic had me thinking: 37% of employees claim that increased personal recognition would significantly enhance their work output. This insight comes from an O.C. Tanner survey, which leveraged 1.7 million responses from employees across various industries and company sizes. Beyond just feeling nice, recognition emerges as the most impactful driver of motivation. It makes real-time feedback, personal appreciation, and meaningful rewards not just nice-to-haves — they're must-haves to fuel performance. Here are concrete ways you can supercharge your recognition efforts to resonate deeply with your team: (1) Spotlight Specifics: Highlight specific achievements. Hilton’s Recognition Calendar equips managers with daily actionable ideas that turn recognizing real accomplishments into a routine practice. (2) Quick Kudos: Swift praise is so important. Timeliness in recognition makes it feel authentic and maintains high motivation levels. (3) Tailored Cheers: Personalize your appreciation. Crowe's "Recognize Alert" system enhances recognition by transforming client praises into celebratory moments, encouraging recipients to pay it forward. (4) Genuine Thank-Yous: Don't underestimate the power of small gestures. Regular acknowledgments, whether through handwritten notes or intranet shout-outs, create a culture where appreciation is commonplace. You do it, others will do it too. (5) Big Picture Praises: Connect individual achievements to the company’s larger mission. Texas Health Resources celebrates personal milestones with personalized yearbooks that link each person’s contributions to the organization’s goals. Using these practices genuinely and consistently can make every team member feel truly valued and more connected to the collective mission. Each act of recognition builds a stronger, more engaged team, poised to meet challenges and drive success. #Recognition #Appreciation #FeelingValued #Workplace #Culture #Innovation #HumanResources #Leadership Source: https://lnkd.in/e8jUtHZH

Artificial intelligence (AI) is often discussed in terms of risks, but its positive impact, especially in enhancing creativity, is equally significant. In the Marvel Universe, AI aids characters like Tony Stark and Shuri in achieving remarkable innovations. In the real world, AI can similarly boost creative processes. Here are five ways AI does this: 1. Enhancing Ideas and Concepts: AI tools like ChatGPT help overcome creative blocks by offering insightful suggestions. These tools are best used not as sources of finalized ideas but as aids to develop and refine existing concepts. 2. Streamlining Creative Processes: AI can automate tasks, speeding up production and freeing up time for the creative aspects of projects. For example, AI in game development can identify bugs and performance issues far faster than humans, allowing developers to focus more on creative elements. 3. Providing New Perspectives: By analyzing data, AI can offer new insights that inspire creativity. Tools like Salesforce Einstein deliver real-time recommendations, simplifying decision-making processes. 4. Amplifying Human Creativity: AI-powered tools in music and other arts can work alongside humans to enhance their creative output. For instance, AI music software can suggest chords and beats, fostering new musical creations. 5. Enabling New Possibilities: AI takes on routine tasks, allowing humans to focus on innovation and self-expression. This not only improves current creative endeavors but also paves the way for new industries and achievements. The creative process originates in the human mind, with AI serving to enhance and refine ideas. As AI technology advances, embracing its potential to augment creativity could lead to achieving previously unimaginable goals. As Tony Stark said, "Sometimes you gotta run before you can walk. #ai #creativity #gamedev

Please stop with the BORING zoom meetings! For anyone who hosts virtual meetings, please add one little thing. At the beginning of a meeting with a group of 4 or more, ask an icebreaker question in the chat to get the good vibes going. This can replace small talk and can serve as a knife to cut any tension. Use this if you usually have meeting participants slowly trickle in for the first few minutes, or if you're waiting for one particular attendee. Icebreaker questions in the meeting chat can be especially useful to get creative juices flowing and get people feeling comfortable speaking up if you're hosting a brainstorming session. Here are a few questions you can steal: --> If you could time travel, would you prefer to go forward or backward? --> What's a great book you've read recently? --> What city would you love to travel to next? --> What would be your strategy in a zombie apocalypse? --> What was the first concert you saw live? --> Which famous person would you invite to dinner? --> Favorite quote? --> Favorite food to eat? Asking icebreaker questions like these is exactly what Ryan K. and I did in my podcast this week. I really like his management style and I took a page out of his book and brought some fun into my workday :) Life is short. Office life can be dry. Introduce some fun. Let's give it a shot. Find a question in the comments below that makes you smile and leave a reply (or comment your own question that people can answer!)

Team retrospectives are not only a tool for individual software teams, I used this on a team of teams with amazing results. I had the privilege of leading a Team of Teams, quarterly retrospectives were a catalyst for our group's transformation into a high-performing team with an exceptional culture. Here are some of the results: Scaling Continuous Improvement 🚀 Individual team retrospectives focus on localized improvements, group retrospectives zoom out to inspect our cadence, communication, and overall culture. It helped us continuously improve in each of these areas at scale. Amplifying Employee Engagement 🌟 Team members often commented on feeling truly heard. They felt valued and were driven to contribute to our ongoing growth. This fostered a sense of ownership across our group. Strengthening Team Collaboration 🤝 Retrospectives bridged the gap between team members beyond their immediate circle. Bonding, knowledge sharing, and cross-functional partnerships - retrospectives were a melting pot for all of this. The key takeaway? Retrospectives, they're the most potent formula in a leader's arsenal. Minimal effort, unmatched benefits, especially across a Team of Teams. Have you participated in a Team of Teams retrospective yet? #Leadership

🚀 Lessons in Teamwork from Game Jams 🎮 I recently asked Rayan about his experience participating in online game jams, where small teams form over Discord and build a game in just a day or two. His answers gave me a glimpse into how collaboration, creativity, and adaptability come together under extreme time pressure. Here are some of his insights: 🔹 Team formation – “I usually work with people I’ve jammed with before. Either I ask them, or they ask me.” 🔹 Roles – “I’m usually the programmer, sometimes the artist.” 🔹 Idea selection – “If there’s a game designer, they propose ideas and we vote. If not, we all pitch until we agree.” 🔹 First step – “We start with the core mechanic.” 🔹 Scope management – “We always overscope, then prioritize and cut low-priority features when time runs out.” 🔹 Tools – GitHub, Trello/HacknPlan, Discord. 🔹 Biggest challenge – “Art.” 🔹 When things went sideways – “Once we had to completely pivot to a new idea after setbacks.” What struck me most is how much this mirrors real-world teamwork: Building on existing relationships. Clarifying roles quickly. Starting with the core. Adjusting scope to reality. Using the right tools to collaborate remotely. Balancing the highs and lows of intense deadlines. I’m amazed at how these experiences in a fun, creative setting, teach resilience, project management, and collaboration; skills that carry far beyond game development. 👏 Here’s to all the game jammers out there who remind us that impossible deadlines + creativity + teamwork = something playable (and sometimes wonderful). #gamedev #gaming #teamwork

9 ways to combat loneliness in your virtual team. Virtual teams are becoming the norm across industries. While this shift offers numerous benefits, it also presents a unique challenge. Remote teams grapple with an invisible adversary: 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗲𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. Loneliness occurs because- - Isolation from Team Dynamics - Lack of spontaneous interactions - Reduced sense of shared experiences - Absence of non-verbal cues in communication - Blurred boundaries between work and personal life - Difficulty in building trust without face-to-face interactions This social isolation causes ↳ feelings of detachment, ↳ a drop in productivity, ↳ loss of motivation, ↳ struggles with teamwork, ↳ increased risk of burnout, and ↳ even anxiety. Loneliness in virtual teams is a growing concern. Here are 9 ways to combat loneliness in your virtual team: 1) Embrace Casual Connections: ▶ Schedule casual talks, like online coffee breaks or game nights. 2) Regular Check-Ins: ▶ Schedule regular one-on-one and team check-ins to promote communication and connection. 3) Mentorship Programs: ▶ Partner with team members for mentoring or skill swapping. A structured approach to foster deeper one-on-one bonding within the team. 4) Celebrate Wins (Big and Small):  ▶ Acknowledge and praise accomplishments. A brief team chat message or virtual cheer is impactful. 5) Prioritize Video Calls: ▶ Use video calls for teamwork, ideas, or casual chats. They create a stronger sense of being together than texts or calls. 6) Invest in Team Building Activities: ▶ Schedule online team-building activities. Options include games, trivia, or shared brainstorming on non-work subjects. 7) Encourage virtual "watercooler moments": ▶ Create dedicated online channels for non-work-related discussions, fostering a sense of community and shared interests. 8) Lead by example:  ▶ Managers engage in team-building activities and virtual social events. Prioritize the team's well-being. 9) Support Mental Health:  ▶ Offer mental health aid, like counselling access and wellness plans. --------- Connecting virtual teams reduces loneliness, fostering productivity, innovation, and organisational resilience. What tips will you add? --------------- I am Jayant, a big supporter of raising awareness about #MentalHealth. This week (Mon/Wed/Fri) on #JayThoughts (follow it), ▶ we focus on #Loneliness. You can follow me and then press the bell 🔔to receive new post notifications. #Culture #Leadership

Here’s a simple but powerful icebreaker I use all the time. I learned it from Brad Jacobs, the serial entrepreneur and founder of XPO Logistics. Normally, you’d ask everyone in a meeting to turn to the person next to them and share something they appreciate about that person. Since we’re a remote team, we adapted it for Zoom. Everyone shares something positive about the person to the right of them on screen (or the next row if they were last). What happens next is always incredible. The screen fills with smiles and blushing faces as everyone hears something positive about themselves. The energy shifts, and what could have been just another meeting turns into a memorable and uplifting experience. Sharing gratitude in this simple way sets a positive tone for the rest of our meetings. It also reminds me that showing appreciation can make a significant impact on someone’s day, their week, and even their work. Next time you’re looking for an icebreaker or a way to kick off a meeting, try this out. It’s a powerful reminder of the impact of gratitude. How do you start your meetings? Share your favorite icebreakers in the comments!

I helped 2000 people wake up on time every single day. A few months ago, I started a challenge with my online community to wake up early - MISSION AMPOSSIBILE. It began as a personal goal but then turned into a community challenge. Now, we’re working on reducing screen time—tracking our usage and holding each other accountable. Social media often feels overwhelming, but I believe it can also be a space for positivity and purpose. That’s what I hope to create through these challenges. Here’s how we’re taking online community-building to the next level: 1. Virtual Accountability Through real-time check-ins and updates, we motivate each other to stay consistent. We’re each other’s accountability partners. The fact that 2,000 of us are doing this together helps create a strong team mentality. 2. Gamifying the Challenge To make each challenge exciting, I’ve created a system to GAMIFY it! Followers can sign up directly through a link, track my real-time progress, and even share checkpoints on their Instagram Stories to stay accountable. 3. Creating Community Members, Not Just Followers My aim is to build a space where people feel they’re part of something meaningful, where they aren’t just “following” but actively participating. This fosters a culture based on accountability and impact. 4. Encouragement, and Feedback I share daily reminders, encouragement, and tips that help everyone stay consistent. Plus, I gather feedback from the community. This way, the journey feels truly collaborative. 5. Real and lasting impact These challenges let me connect with my community in a way that goes beyond posting content. I’m building my own tribe of A-players—people who are committed to improving themselves and are passionate about personal growth. These challenges have shown me the true power of my community and social media. It’s proven how transformative this platform can be.

Back in 2017, my team had a simple but powerful ritual. We held "I have a design challenge" meetings, where someone would bring a project they were working on, and we’d workshop it together. These sessions weren’t just about fixing problems. They helped us grow our skills as a team and learn from each other’s perspectives. In 2024, I wanted to bring that same energy to learning designers looking to level up their skills in a fun and engaging way. This time, I turned to Tim Slade’s eLearning Challenges but took a different approach. Instead of just participating, we started doing live reviews of the challenge winners. How It Works One person drives the meeting, screensharing the challenge winner’s eLearning project while recording the session. We pause at each screen and ask two simple but high-impact questions: ✅ What worked well and why? ✅ What would you do differently and why? This sparks rich discussions on everything from instructional design and accessibility to visual design and interactivity. Everyone brings their unique expertise, turning the meeting into a collaborative learning experience. Want to Try It? Here’s What You Need ✔️ A web conferencing tool with recording capabilities ✔️ Adobe Premiere Pro or a transcript tool (optional, but helpful) ✔️ A generative AI tool like ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude (optional for extracting themes from discussions) After the session, we take the recording and import it into Adobe Premiere, which generates a transcript in seconds. Then, using GenAI, we pull key themes, quotes, and takeaways, turning raw discussions into actionable insights. Why This Works This approach takes learning from passive to interactive. You’re not just seeing best practices. You’re critically analyzing them with peers, learning through feedback, and refining your own instructional design instincts. Would you try this with your team? Have you tried something similar? What worked well? #InstructionalDesign #GenAI #LearningDesign #eLearning #AIinLearning #CourseDevelopment #DigitalLearning #IDStrategy #EdTech #eLearningDesign #LearningTechnology #InnovationInLearning #CustomerEducation

🌟 **Icebreaker Ideas for Engaging Virtual Teams Meetings** 🌟 Working across global time zones, I've found that kicking off virtual meetings with a great icebreaker can set a positive tone and boost engagement. As a big advocate for using the camera, I've seen firsthand how these small activities can bring teams closer together. Here are some of my favorite icebreakers: 1. Two Truths and a Lie: Each participant shares three statements about themselves—two true and one false. The group guesses which one is the lie. It’s a fun way to learn more about your colleagues. 2. Show and Tell: Ask team members to share an item from their workspace and explain its significance. This can be a great way to break the ice and see a bit of everyone's personal life. 3. Quick Trivia: Prepare a few trivia questions related to your industry, company, or even general knowledge. It's a fun way to stimulate everyone's minds. 4. Virtual Background Challenge : Encourage team members to use a fun virtual background and explain why they chose it. This can spark interesting conversations and laughs. 5. Story Time : Ask everyone to share a quick, funny, or interesting story / fun fact related to a specific theme (e.g., favorite travel experience, funniest work moment). 6. One-Word Check-In : Have each person describe how they’re feeling or what they’re looking forward to in one word. It’s a quick and insightful way to gauge the team’s mood. 7. Pet Introductions : If appropriate, invite team members to introduce their pets on camera. It’s a light-hearted way to bring some smiles to the meeting. I’d love to hear your favourite icebreakers and best practices for keeping virtual meetings engaging. Share your ideas in the comments below! #VirtualMeetings #TeamEngagement #Icebreakers #RemoteWork #GlobalTeams