7 Ways to Use ZOOM for Relationship Building
My favorite words of wisdom this week are from Seth Goodin. We need to stop using the words "new normal" and accept that there is "simply the normal of now."
ZOOM and other virtual meeting platforms are here to stay. And for the most part, ZOOM has been a game-changer for organizations. Imagine life without this digital space?
So now that we are comfortable in a ZOOM room, what's next?
Relationship Building!
As a leadership coach for teams, I've observed lots of trends in the past six months. The data tells us that the need for community and connection is more important than ever. That without a mission and purpose, employees will disengage.
Now that we are in the normal of now, leaders are asking important questions. How can I go from keeping my team connected to how do I rebuild relationships with teammates? It's not enough to just show up with a status report or policy update. As leaders, we need to get creative and CREATE space for conversations.
With that in mind, I've been doing some research for all of you. Here are a few tips to use in your ZOOM meetings to build a connection.
1) Conduct an Energy Check-In. Simply ask participants this question...on a scale of 1-10 (1 being no energy and 10 being fired up), where is your personal energy today? I've used this tool for almost every team meeting I've had and it works like a charm!
2) Create an Agenda to Share In Advance. Remember the old days when we would have an agenda for every meeting? As a leader, be intentional about the time you get in the ZOOM room. Map out your team time with a beginning, middle, and end. Always start with relationship building.
3) Spotlight the Work of Others: Let different members of your team facilitate the relationship-building part of the agenda. Share the gavel. This is a great way to build bench strength. And it can re-engage unengaged employees.
4) And speaking of sharing, consider this. Use your screen to share Google Documents or other collaborative platforms. Jump into a Share My Screen with your document prepared and allow others to edit or comment. Again, this creates a different level of engagement for team members.
5) Use your meetings to imagine the future through brainstorming. I was recently introduced to a new free tool called IdeaBoardz that I found to be very easy to use. And fun! (Yes, fun and work can go together!)
6) Celebrate Successes by surprising your team with a Virtual Awards Ceremony. Buy dollar store gifts and present them to your team as ways to recognize their unique talents.
7) Build Familiarity, Comfort, and Compassion by using any of the following "icebreakers"...(this is a small list)
Share one thing that's on your desk.
Show up with your favorite ZOOM background. Explain why you chose it!
Set up a game show like Family Feud and create internal competition
Use the polling function to see what people are watching or reading
Use the "What's Outside Your Window Exercise" to share what the view is outside of their window.
It's time to #thinkdifferently about our time together. Leading with intent worked in the past. It worked in the "new normal" and is equally important in the normal of now.
For more information about team coaching visit https://www.thethinkgoodcompany.com/lead-it
