Building a Remote Team (Part 3) - Gamification... Let´s Play!

There´s an expression in English, “All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy.” In our previous "Building a Remote Team" articles we have covered “Welcoming and introducing new team members” (click here to read) and “Work-related activities” (click here to read). Introducing a “fun” element in a work team is incredibly important for many reasons. Once introduced, there will be a very obvious “before and after” level of your team's cohesion. A large portion of each team member´s life is spent at work so you need to make an effort, have the intent and be committed to make it a place where they are happy and enjoy spending time. Playing games creates a completely different atmosphere and opens a whole new avenue of conversation among team members.

If managers don’t know how to build and lead teams, they need to learn. Such skills are highly learnable. Such leadership skills are a competitive differentiator now. In the next decade or so, they’ll become essential for anyone who wants to hire and retain top talent. That’s because top talent has the most career optionality, including the choice to work remotely or not. Now that workers have gotten a taste of work-life balance (that isn't more work than life) I don't see them choosing to go back, if at all possible.

Once your team have had initial interaction and feel a little more comfortable with each other, switch tactics and introduce some FUN! This is the part that will assist with mental wellbeing and should build trust. This is where work colleagues have an opportunity to become friends. Initially, people will feel reluctant to join in as it may make them feel exposed and vulnerable; enlist the help of other team members to ensure participation occurs.

Playing at work, or gamification seems like a paradox. Usually, they are considered poles apart and don´t usually go hand in hand. However, it could be a way for a worker to have fun, improve skills, gain confidence and improve relationships with co-workers and the company.

1.                 Bucket List Challenge

Have the staff compile a list of 5 things together for their bucket list. Originally, a bucket list was a list of things people wanted to do before they die, in our current circumstances with the looming threat of Covid-19, this is perhaps a morbid explanation. Instead, explain that a bucket list is like a “wish list” of things each person would like to do. Have them share what is on their lists and talk about similarities between people. This is a great way of having people open up about personal things in their life and find commonalities.

2.                Charity Challenge

One of the things that emerged during the previous lockdown was people´s sheer enjoyment of challenges. It gives a sense of purpose and is even better if it is a shared experience. My personal favourite is when you can merge the challenge with a good cause and raise money for people in need. Here at Think Communicate Lead, one of our founding members ran a marathon up and down the length of her hallway and raised money for the Red Cross. Get everyone involved and give them a purpose.

3.                Movie Night/Karaoke Night

Something you may never have done in person, but, for some reason, people´s attitudes change when the location is shifted to online. Get all employees to vote on a movie and watch it on Netflix Party or through a video conference call. Keep the chat room open so that everyone can freely share their thoughts and observations while watching the movie. It´s like your own modern-day version of the movie “When Harry Met Sally”.

Alternatively, host a Karaoke Night and have the staff compile and vote on a list of the music they would like featured.

The voting session allows people to share a little of their personality and offer memories etc as to why they are proposing their movie/song. Team members may find similarities with others that they hadn´t previously realised existed.

4.                Staff snapshots

Have staff send a random snapshot once a week. It could be something they are interested in, something they ate, something in their house that they love etc. The other members of the team are encouraged to comment on the photos. Again, it´s a non-work related conversation starter and gives an insight into their lives. It is another great bonding activity. This was a photo that Adolfo, a connection of mine, shared on LinkedIn recently – it just put a smile on my face! How often do people share photos of their ACTUAL office space, however, for some reason, people enjoy sharing snapshots of their “home office”.

5.                Show and Tell

Similar to staff snapshots is “Show and Tell”. Team members have 1 minute to show and talk about something, such as a favourite item, something they won etc. After the presentation, allow time for conversation among the rest of the team, it could be related questions or talking about a similar experience.

6.                Scrabble

Board games have stood the test of time and have held on to their popularity throughout the ages. Obviously, with remote working, this is something that you wouldn’t normally think of. Find online apps for games such as Pictionary or office trivia.

 There´s an online version of Scrabble called “Words With Friends.” Have employees download the app and compete against each other. Share the results with all the members of the team to open a conversation. Host a “Leader board” to make it more of a challenge.

7.                Team Cribs

Like the popular TV shows, MTV Cribs, Through the Keyhole or House Hunters, team members submit a photo or short video of somewhere in their homes. The photos are shared and everyone on the team tries to guess whose home it is and say why. This can be fun and again offers a small “window” into the personal lives of the staff.

8.               Personal facts

Have the team members submit some random personal facts to the manager about their interests outside of work or create a Google form – to look at one we have created, click here.

The manager will then compile these facts into a list to be shared with everyone. Along the same vein as Team Cribs, employees try to guess which team member the fact belongs to. This can also be done in a Zoom chat with a scoresheet of how many choose the same people and why. Once again, when people share personal details it can be fun and bring a new element of camaraderie to the team.

9.                LOST

Like the popular TV show, your team have survived a plane crash and are stranded on a desert island. There are seven objects but they can only grab 3. It´s a good idea to make the objects as obscure and challenging as possible to force team members to use their critical thinking skills and planning skills eg, a knife, a rope, a bedsheet, a pen & paper, a bag of seeds, a bucket and a can of petrol.

Depending on the number of employees in your team, split them into smaller groups or have them work individually to decide which items they will pick. Once they have decided and strategized have everyone join in a video chat and discuss the results. You can allow them several days to work on the most whacky and off the wall strategies and a special award could be offered for the most creative and innovative ideas!

10.           Secret Santa (“Invisible Friend” in Spain)

Make sure team members are included in Secret Santa at Christmas! Set a budget for the gift and set it up as early as possible to allow people time to get information about whom they are sending a gift to. After, team members can discuss why they decided on that particular gift.

This list has been compiled from many different sources. We are always looking for new ideas and trying to find ways to improve for our teenagers, university and corporate coaching courses. If you have any further suggestions for us, we would love to hear them! You can contact us on our website by clicking here.