Forever Young is a new agency, two months old, in fact. And we are small (so far, just three of us). Individually, we have a lot of diverse experience and talents. But because of COVID-19, we have NEVER met face to face. We have Zoom meetings pretty much every day. We use the Slack app to communicate with each other (it’s like texting on steroids and you can sort messages by topic, even loop in your clients).
We start every meeting with something personal. Pictures from a birthday. Updates about what we are streaming. Stories about friends and how much we miss them. It only takes a few minutes and it’s super valuable. We have come to know each other this way. We celebrate and support each other. We appreciate each other. While technically virtual, it is real.
I just ordered logo T-shirts for each of us. Team T-shirts may be a little corny, but they are a fun and tangible way for us to demonstrate our team connections. Whether your company is three, like mine, or 3,000 or more, you can – and should – create a sense of connection at work.
T-shirts and other goodies are not the only way to create cohesive team energy. Acknowledge your team’s hard work, creativity, honesty and ideas in group meetings and one-on-one check ins. Show trust in their abilities and voice appreciation for their work.
When I started my agency (in the first weeks of the pandemic, I should add), I layed out a clear vision. I hired people who are both good at what they do and who share this vision. We all know what the shared mission is. We all take pride in the work that we do. We acknowledge each other’s accomplishments and trust each other’s abilities. We are confident we will nail our tasks and the deadlines entrusted to one another and our clients. This team synergy shows in the work we produce for our clients.
We are a small and mighty team… wearing killer matching T-shirts.
What’s next? Matching hats? You as our client?
Let’s talk!
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