Do you miss the office camaraderie? With many of us now working from home, you may be feeling a bit lost without your colleagues near, or the chitter-chatter around you. But have no fear! With the use of Microsoft Teams, Skype or other virtual devices, there’s plenty of ways for you to stay connected.
As well as conference calls, here’s a few suggestions on what you and your colleagues can do to stay virtually connected:
Get set up
Making sure your PC or laptop is ready for home working is crucial for keeping in touch. Our amazing colleagues in Information Services have provided this great guide to working from home, to show you how. It also includes crucial information from other professional service colleagues on data security, redirecting you phone and looking after your health and wellbeing.
Weekly virtual coffee
Schedule a time every week for you and your team to catch–up over coffee via a video conference. This can be different from your regular meetings – you can put the kettle on and chat about other things than your work, as you would normally in the office. This works for virtual lunch too!
Share photos and videos
A good way to bond with your colleagues is sharing (appropriate) photos or videos with them. Whether that’s your garden, your pets or even your work station, it’s a great way to create that personal touch you may have lost by working from home. Set aside a time in the day or week where you can share these photos and connect with other.
Please use #UniKentHomeWorking and share your home set up with us. Be careful with privacy though – please don’t include clues in the photos as to your location or the names of your family members. You wouldn’t want to have bank details lying around either!
Read all about staying protected, while working remotely.
Morning status updates
Start getting into a routine of having virtual updates with your team. A daily or weekly morning update via video conference is a great way to communicate important information and to share what work has or needs to be done. It’s also a good practice for setting people up for the day.
Team activities
Activities can be as simple as attending a webinar or starting a book or cooking club together. For a good sense of wellbeing, why not participate in weekly meditation or yoga as a group? It’s a great way to stay connected, without it always being about work.
Tell us what you think
How are you keeping in touch with your colleagues? Share your thoughts and ideas on how to stay connected with colleagues by sending them to stories@kent.ac.uk.