Staying Connected as a Team - KC Learning and Development

A common theme from the team development sessions I’ve facilitated virtually has been the overwhelming appreciation of “reconnecting with each other”.

Reflecting back, as the pandemic took it’s hold, conversations with clients and colleagues showed that businesses often tended to fall into 1 of 2 camps; Either their business boomed, and it was all “hands on deck” to meet the needs of their customers, adjusting their processes to fulfill demand and the safety of their staff and customers. Or, all or many staff were placed on furlough, as their business scaled down significantly, and at times coming to a halt. Subsequently, the majority of business & personal development activities were post-poned or cancelled.

Then in September, I noticed a shift as leaders started to press `play’ on their team’s development, reviewing the solutions to ensure they linked to the business strategies. Employees were keen to take the time and opportunity to develop their skills, and to explore the on-line development options available. Moving forward with investing in personal development also provided staff with an element of normality and certainty.

As many of you will know I deliver bespoke development to leaders and their teams, both individually and in groups. This has naturally moved mostly to virtual delivery since March.

One of my clients finished a series of team development workshops for a group of their senior leaders in December, and was delighted with how their objectives were met. Leaders created their own individual action plans, and were designated a `team buddy’. This enabled them to continue to support & challenge each other, and to keep the momentum going after the workshops were completed.

When collecting feedback from the team, a key value shared was re-connecting; working together, sharing experiences, ideas, and appreciating differences.

“The sessions have brought us together, and has helped us recognise our strengths in supporting each other, we know each other better. We really appreciated it Karen and enjoyed it! Thank you”.

As the pandemic swept across the globe, businesses, leaders and their teams swiftly adjusting to working from home. In conversations today many leaders look back and recognise that then most interactions focused predominantly on the `work element’, whether on video call, phone or e-mail.

Building relationships, the connecting, empathising, sharing, supporting, and those ad-hoc “water cooler” moments had been far less present.

Subsequently leaders shared they at times felt isolated and overwhelmed, and noticed confidence and motivation levels wane. They hadn’t realised that other leaders in their team felt the same way, and were also finding life tough. Each had experienced a range of personal challenges and loss, which they had not shared.

So, what changed for the leaders during our series of sessions?

Each session started with an individual check in using a range of exercises, inviting them to share how they were feeling, what was going well and what they were finding more challenging.
The group agreed a `way of working’ as we began, to capture how they would behave and participate, to get the most of the sessions for themselves and others. This included listening without judgement, attentive, honest and respectful, to give the exercises a go.
There were a number of focused and quality conversations with a clear purpose, and a shared agreement to listen and be curious, allowing time for thinking.
Once people started to open up and share, they realised they were not alone in finding elements of the past months hard, including working and leading remotely.
We worked through a combination of group and paired work (using the break-out rooms), allowing leaders the opportunity to work with everyone.
Action plans were formed, and then reviewed at each session. Leaders paired up to form buddies, checking in with each other in between sessions, providing a combination of support & challenge.
The connections between leaders grew quickly, as did their energy and confidence, as they identified on their action plans “what will they start doing, continue doing, do more of”.

So, taking time to reflect on you and your team; How well connected are you? What can help you improve this further? What is within your control?

Look at what’s different to how you are leading your team now to the same time last year. What opportunities are you creating to check-in with your team members and peers? What do they need? What do you need?
When holding your one-to-ones and team meetings, does this include an opportunity to check in, to build rapport, to ask how people are and how they are feeling?
How might you build in `water cooler’ moments to your week?
What might you ask others to better understand their needs? How consciously are you listening?
How are you managing your self-care? Ensure you’re taking regular breaks, and is there an opportunity at times to connect with someone then? Have you considered a `walk and talk?’
What can you share with others, to enable them to know what you are finding tough? How might `being vulnerable’ drive a stronger connection?
What options are there to create variety to the conversations you’re having? This could include a `walk and talk, a video call or making your connection calls in a different room or chair…
Remember your needs may well differ to others, and it’s important to adapt your approach.