The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic has disrupted life to an extent that was unprecedented by all. It has caused untold human suffering worldwide resulting in crisis situations, on personal and professional fronts for the human race. The downfall of businesses has created an indelible impact on job cuts and the rise of insecurities in human life has been exponentially increasing.
In this alarming situation, it is high time for organizations to navigate to a new normal so as to counter and address the challenges and thrive their enterprises with new perspectives.
It has been essential for companies to accept remote work culture and work effectively.
Business models had to be rethought and updated by those who were resistant to the distributed work culture. Worldwide, companies have now allowed their employees to work from the comfort of their homes and thus taking precautions to halt the spread of the coronavirus.
Some Interesting Statistics
By some statistical data, renowned companies have fast-tracked digital transformation:
- Hubspot has created teams of 300 full-time employees. In the U.S., 4.7 million employees (3.4% of the workforce) work from home at least half the week. (Global Workplace Analytics). 44% of employees say that part of their team is full-time remote.
- 72% of talent professionals agree that work flexibility (which includes remote work options) will be very important for the future of HR and recruiting. (LinkedIn)
- 81% of employees say that the option to work remotely would make them more likely to recommend their company to job candidates and prospects. (Owl Labs).
Employees have been immobile owing to the digital transformation of work. While it is beneficial for many employees to be able to work from home, many corporations lack the infrastructure to offer the capability of the same whilst their business not being affected. In this situation, it calls for interactive and engaging sessions with employees so as to keep them interested and enthusiastic during their work.
Digital transformation in companies due to COVID-19
Work from Home
Even companies that were resistant to the concept of a distributed workforce were forced to allow work from home so that work could still be done while taking precautions to stop the virus spread. About a third of people in the United States worked for home before the pandemic, according to a study by Workhuman. Twitter and other large corporations allowed their workers to work from home, and other companies such as Google and JPMorgan created remote working strategies in the event they had to move home from work.
Telehealth
There had been some progress in telemedicine before the COVID-19 outbreak; however, public health officials are pushing healthcare systems to expand their telemedicine through smartphones and other tools because of the pandemic.
Remote Learning
As COVID-19 spread throughout countries, schools and universities started to look to possibilities for virtual learning. Many universities have decided to switch the rest of the work of the semester to online learning only, and some closed campuses to contain the virus spread.
Virtual Events
In reaction to the COVID-19 outbreak, along with several in-person conferences being canceled worldwide, some are converting them into virtual activities.
Technology
Remote working — and learning — with cloud meetings and team communication platforms like Google Meet, Citrix GoToMeeting, Zoom, Cisco Webex, and others are simpler for everyone. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, several technology providers are pushing out services that can assist businesses and organizations with extended trial times or lower costs when they go remote.
Virtual Team Building
Virtual team building reflects the ongoing process of putting together virtual teams. It will help your team build deeper bonds by building an atmosphere of collaboration that is close to an in-office setting!
The Importance of Virtual Team Building
Physical distance due to remote work during this pandemic situation can quickly transform into emotional distance which in turn leads to isolation. This is why it is important to build a relaxed team atmosphere for remote workers.
Remote Team Building Activities Everyone Loves
Here’s a list of fun team-building ideas and activities you can use to get your virtual team closer together:
A look Inside Each Other’s Homes
This virtual team-building exercise requires that team members remotely open one another’s homes.
Desert Island Scenario
In this virtual team-building game, group members are given a scenario where they are stranded with seven objects on a deserted island.
Personal Facts Guessing Game
The personal facts guessing game is a great way to learn the interests of your teammates outside the workplace.
Bucket List Sharing
A bucket list is a list of things you want to do in your lifetime or experience.
Other Fun Activities:
Some other fun activities can be:
- Problem-solving challenge
- Story-telling activities
- Show and tell the game
- Picture sharing and much more
Virtual team-bonding increases motivation, productivity, and collaboration among employees. It makes employees feel connected and valued, which in turn makes them highly dedicated to their tasks and overall to the organization.
Team building exercises allow virtual team managers to develop team leadership skills, and consider the strengths and abilities of each employee, making delegation of tasks more effective.
Managing remote teams can be difficult for virtual team members sometimes-but it’s not impossible! And you’ll have no trouble getting everybody on the same page with the right team-building practices.
Even with an ongoing pandemic situation, the learning bit has not stopped. Individuals and enterprise teams are getting reskilled and upskilled regularly by taking up widely-recognized certification courses across categories to combat this challenging situation and stay relevant in the future.
Some of the popular courses that individuals and enterprise teams can take up are:
