It has been two years since the pandemic threw the world into turmoil and changed the way we work forever by introducing the option of a remote workplace. Many businesses continue to conduct work from home and this challenge has not been without its hurdles. Thankfully, technology has got our backs, untethering us from an isolated lifestyle and keeping us connected with our coworkers and staff.
Check out some of these simple ways to keep the communication going:
Weekly Huddles: A weekly huddle among your team is a great way to keep the ideas flowing and the lines of communication open. Before jumping straight to business, take a moment to chat informally about non-work topics as you might have once done by the water cooler or the coffee pot in the breakroom. Maintaining social engagement can promote feelings of employee camaraderie and lead to a better work ethic.
One-on-One Check-ins: It can be hard to speak up in a Zoom meeting. In person, we can make eye contact and pick up on visual cues, which helps the conversation flow naturally. However, this is lost in the world of video calls, and we often wind up speaking over one another, or waiting for a lull in the conversation that never comes.
Take the time to check in with each member of your team to make sure their voice is heard and their needs are met. If you have questions, concerns, feedback, updates, or successes to share--do not hesitate to do so! A little communication goes a long way.
Slack: Have a quick question for a colleague about a client? Spare them the interruption of a phone call or another email in their inbox, and use Slack to give them a quick nudge. The Slack app is easy to use and a great way to connect with your coworkers, instantly! You can build private or group chats, shoot off quick messages, and even jump into voice chats where you can share your screen.
Slack also keeps communication streamlined by allowing you to react to messages with emojis rather than cluttering up the chat with replies. It's popular among all sorts of social and professional communities and is a great choice for those working remotely.
Trello: Trello is another option to help your team collaborate and stay on task. It can help manage projects, share documents, stay ahead of deadlines, and keep organized to-do lists for you. It's lauded as simple to use so even your most tech-challenged teammates should be able to keep up--and it's free!
With Trello, you can easily keep track of your cases and clients. It can send you reminders so you never miss a deadline while attending to your busy schedule!
Check out this free Trello template for lawyers from Trusty Oak!
If you're looking for something more specific to case management and don't mind spending the money for it, check out Practice Panther or MyCase. Both are highly rated and hold praise for their efficiency when it comes to keeping your practice organized.
Don't forget to have fun! At the end of the day, we are human before we are workers. Staying engaged with your staff should be a priority. Keep them interested and involved with creative activities that don't always relate to business. Ask icebreaker questions to new hires. Propose a "Question of the Week" where everyone can have a chance to talk about themselves and explore common interests (for example: Do you own any pets? If you had to live in another country, where would you live? Why did you choose to pursue law?).
A little friendly competition could ignite a spark as well: trivia contests, exercise step challenges, baking (photo) competitions, or costume contests are a few fun options and completely doable in a virtual environment.
Do you have a favorite app to keep your staff on track? How about a creative way to promote camaraderie? Share with us in the comments!
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