Is remote work fraying your team’s sense of connection?

Slide UX has been remote from the start, and we’ve learned a lot along the way. Founder Erin Young and Research Director and People Ops Coordinator Sam Meazell discuss lessons learned in staying connected as a remote team, including:

• Advice for new COVID-remote companies that are starting to feel disconnected

• How to develop an effective remote “People Ops” program

Erin Young (Founder & Principal Consultant):
When I chose to start a remote company in 2012, it was because most of the clients and colleagues I was collaborating with were already in other locations. I noticed I was dedicating a couple of hours every day to getting office-ready, and fighting traffic to-and-from the office. There, I was on conference calls all day with people that were in other locations! I had to shove personal tasks and responsibilities into the evening and weekend when I could have had a more productive week by skipping the office.

As Slide UX grew, folks often wondered whether an office was in our cards. We held firm, always checking in with our team to gather feedback about their preferences and feelings of “connectedness.”

We were especially lucky when we were introduced to Sam Meazell. As a certified social worker and workshop facilitator, she brought us not only fabulous user research and strategy chops, but also loads of lessons about connecting groups of people. In her capacity as People Ops Coordinator here at Slide UX, she makes sure we stay connected. That’s why I want to talk with her today about how we’re doing it, so we can potentially help our friends and other companies realizing that remote might be here to stay for longer than we thought.

EY: Sam, what are the components of the People Ops program here at Slide UX?

Sam Meazell (People Ops Coordinator): Hi Erin, great to see you. Thanks so much for reaching out. You know I love talking about people. With our People Ops program in particular — thinking about the components of how we come together as a team — I try to keep in mind that each of us really does have a different way we like to engage in groups.

Some of us love jumping into group discussions. Others prefer to teach our group something new. Some of us like to absorb a conversation and then share a new perspective. So for my contributions to People’s Ops, I try to vary the ways in which we bond.

As you know, we hold a weekly staff meeting on Fridays. It's fun and it's called “All Faces.” Brilliantly titled (not by me) because, rather than the All Hands term you know, we're All Faces on one Zoom screen.

So at the start, the majority of that meeting was me facilitating management's announcements and some project recaps. All of that was fine, but we heard only a handful of voices in that format. Always one to love a good icebreaker, I started asking the team a question at the top of each meeting. Sliders played along and we started getting to know each other a little bit better I think. And again, we started to notice that the same core group was engaging in the icebreaker, while others were sort of less apt to speak up. That's where we had this idea to intentionally mix up the voices that we heard in that meeting. Now when I build the agenda for our All Faces meeting, I assign Sliders to run parts of the meeting. We switch up who's asking the icebreaker. We have a you've-got-the-floor-time when someone fills us in on what's going on at home or at work or wherever. We have project recaps to share our completed work. We pass a virtual burger (named for a slider burger) around to each other. It's sort of a way to offer kudos, individually.

And finally, my absolute favorite spot of our All Faces agenda is “the closer.” Early on our meetings would just kind of fizzle out. We get to the end of the agenda and sort of say, “Okay. Well, bye.” Now, we have this closer position and that person has a minute or so to end with something of their choice, a video clip, a joke, a fact — anything. I love that part.

We also have Lunch and Learn. It’s a big component of our Peoples Ops program. Those are a combination of internal and external teaching moments. We do those once a month. We've learned about meditation, building an app, and time management. This sort of format works best for our group — a little upfront teaching and lots and lots of sharing throughout.

We've gotten used to the sharing part, which is really nice. Finally, when I think of the components, a final big one is what we call Team Time. Formerly it was Team Week, and then we realized well, it wasn't an entire week. So let's call it Team Time. That's when you (Erin), Brant, and I coordinate these. This year it'll be remote but I have a feeling we'll come up with something really special. Whatever we do, I know our team will be up for it.

EY: Aha, okay. What advice would you have for a newly COVID-remote company who is feeling that sense of connection start to fray after months of being disconnected?

SM: Advice that I would give a newly COVID-remote company that's feeling a lack of connection is to mix it up. First of all, if you feel like you're doing too much work, if it gets too hard to get your team together or have it feel meaningful, switch gears and look for ways to bring more voices into the conversation. Open up the floor. Assign sharing like I was talking about in our All Faces meeting. Bring in an outside facilitator.

You'd be surprised what might bring your group together. Send out a short survey asking for ideas. Engagement really does happen even before the actual engagement in the form of feedback, preparation, and just all-around hype that goes into group gatherings. Really, the advice is to mix it up and try a lot of different things and see what fits for your team.

EY: Now can you tell us what has surprised you most about the experience of coordinating the People Ops program here at Slide UX?

SM: What always surprises me is how willing people are to play along. You know that thing about the hostess breaking the first plate and no one worries about breaking a plate after that happens. I would say I break a lot of plates and that either makes people pity me or they play along. They realize how fun it is to break plates. Either way, it seems like we have a lot of fun together and I'm always really surprised and thrilled how willing people are to play along.

EY: For firms that feel like it’s daunting to develop these new People Ops programs that they haven't had before, what information would you provide? What would you say to those teams about the importance of staying the course with the good remote People Ops program?

SM: I would say to those firms who feel like it's kind of daunting to set this kind of stuff up: Here's the deal. It won't just happen on its own. You really do have to be intentional about it. You do have to care. Try some stuff out. Ask for feedback — lots.

Know that you won't please everyone, but gauge if you're pleasing most. Don't take it personally. You're putting yourself out there and people are people. Ultimately it's really nice to have some touchpoints with your colleagues, especially in the world of remote work. Make it happen and good luck!

How are you managing the new normal of remote work culture? We would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, and questions! Reach us at (737) 201-6300 or info@slideux.com.

You might also enjoy our blog post, “6 Tips for Remote Hiring.”