Smartphones sometimes get a bad reputation. However, in an age where face-to-face meetings aren’t always possible, they’re becoming even more useful.
Many companies are finding that working relationships have suffered in the last few years. It can be hard to stay connected if many people work from home or your employees are spread across many states or countries.
However, your smartphone might be the key to better working relationships. Read on for four reasons why they can help.
1) Try A Virtual Team Bonding Event
Working remotely can be disastrous when it comes to team bonding. It’s hard to get to know new team members when your only chance to talk to them is over email. Hosting a virtual team bonding event can be a great way to encourage communication and collaboration. This will lead to better relationships in the long term.
There are hundreds of possible ideas to choose from. Although it can be tempting to pick a corporate activity, why not try something completely new?
For example, virtual magicians like Jon Finch can help your team unwind and bond outside the workplace. You can all experience this type of bonding event through a smartphone, tablet, or laptop.
2) Take A Communications Course
You’ve probably heard the saying — communication is key. This couldn’t be more accurate when it comes to teams trying to work together. However, as the world rapidly changes, so do the most effective methods of communication.
For example, fax used to be a crucial method of business communication. However, knowing how to craft excellent emails is now much more important. Taking a contemporary communications course will encourage your team to collaborate with new tech skills.
There are many free or paid online courses that your employees can take together through their smartphones.
3) Do Your Research
Improved working relationships don’t happen overnight. It’s important to identify potential issues and fix them as they occur. Knowing what the problems are will make your job a lot easier and help you develop more effective solutions.
A great place to start is through a smartphone survey. You can ask employees what communication issues they’ve experienced and what solutions might work. This means that any operations strategies you introduce can be tailored to the unique needs of your staff. Not only will it solve problems, but it will help your team to feel included and respected.
4) Encourage Extracurricular Activities
A common mistake that working people make is thinking that networking stops when their shift is over. However, if your company runs extra-curricular activities, your entire team should be involved.
Company teams and activities can have a wide range of benefits for you and others. Physiologists have shown that employees involved in company sports teams are more likely to get to know others across the company. They also often have higher performance levels and better group dynamics.
This can also be translated to virtual teams. There are many games or bonding activities that you can take part in using your smartphone. Get creative to see your team’s performance improve.
Enjoy Better Working Relationships
A well-connected team is an effective team. Better working relationships lead to increased productivity, higher employee satisfaction, and great quality service.
Yes, it can be difficult to encourage team bonding, especially if your team can’t meet face-to-face. However, these four simple ideas will help to keep you and your team’s communication and social bonding. We recommend trying one item on our list first, like a virtual team bonding event, and see how it affects morale.