Staying connected with your colleagues

For some of you, the extent of your in-person interactions over recent months have largely been with pets, kids or those in your household. As you venture out of isolation and return to work on campus, you’ll start to enjoy some of the face-to-face interactions you’ve been missing.

But don’t shut down the webcam just yet; our gradual return will see some colleagues working remotely for part of the week. Rebuilding and maintaining connections with our teams and colleagues during this transition to working back on campus will be critical for us to do our best work. Here are some tips to consider:

Check in and connect

• Get together as a team for 15-30 minutes one or more times a week, depending on what works best for your group.
• Update each other on current work and projects, and flag any escalations or support you might need.
• Communicate with the team about where you’re working, on campus or remotely, and determine how you can reach each other when needed.

Want better engagement in virtual meetings?

• Allow for more than listening by creating opportunities for others in the meeting to participate, and inviting conversation, input and feedback.
• Be conscious of your communication style, especially if there’s multiple people in the room and online – think about how to engage all participants
• Explore the features of the meeting platform and try things like chat, virtual hand-raising and breakout rooms.
• Invite a special guest from another team or service to learn about what they’re working on and share your insights. This is often easier in a virtual environment.
• Factor in regular breaks for participants to stretch and move away from the screen, and also try to allow time between meetings.

Be kind to yourself

• Join in the upcoming self-care virtual workshop on 2 June.
• Read about the three key focus areas to help you navigate this transition back into the world in the article Dealing with the anxiety of being set free.
• Share your stories of how your team is staying connected on the Working Remotely group, and learn about the experiences of others.