Vanya Wryter Consulting Services

Tag: remote work

  • Creating an Inclusive Culture – Remote Work

    Creating an Inclusive Culture – Remote Work

    Technology has made it possible for a situation that didn’t exist a couple of decades ago: working with strangers. In a new culture of remote work, collaborating with coworkers in another city or country has become more commonplace. This situation can be comfortable for some people, and awkward for others.

    This possible disconnect between coworkers is an issue that remote companies must address. How do these companies create an inclusive culture for their remote teams? 

    When you work from home, you may never meet your coworkers face-to-face for a casual conversation at the water cooler. You may have staggered interaction times because you’re logging into work as coworkers are having lunch or getting ready for dinner. 

    Interactions are formal: meetings are done virtually, with set start and end times, and people stick to the agenda to respect schedules. Meetings can also seem less formal because you get a peek into your coworker’s home, and you’re not meeting in the boardroom. 

    However, it’s harder to relate to someone you know little about, apart from their name, job title, and what their home office looks like.

    The leadership team has an important role in creating an inclusive work culture for their remote teams, starting with how they communicate and meet.

    1 In-person team events

    Virtual meetings are an effective way to collaborate quickly without wasting time on travel, but it isn’t easy to get to know people by meeting on a computer screen.

    Technology cannot replace in-person events. If a group of coworkers lives within driving distance, it’s worth it to find a day when most people can meet for lunch and a chat. Occasions such as greeting a new team member, saying goodbye to someone moving away, or celebrating a holiday are the perfect reasons to socialize and get to know your team members in a non-work-related context.

    If possible, arrange for the whole company to meet at a central location. This annual meeting can be a day for everyone to meet in person and bond over activities that are completely unrelated to work.

    2 Developing an inclusive culture from the top down

    An inclusive culture for a remote company starts at the management level. New hires and team members follow the example that their direct report or supervisor sets.

    The tone used in emails, group chats, and direct messages is a part of the company culture. Do messages sound supportive and friendly? Or do people stick to the point? (The occasional curt message doesn’t count – eventually, you’ll catch someone in a hurry if you message them often enough.)

    Do group chats and meetings include sharing news and photos about what company members have been up to? A photo of a company lunch helps to connect names to faces and gives a sense of what other teams or departments are doing. 

    Group chats and meetings are also opportunities to share what individuals have accomplished. For example, what projects were completed this past quarter? What did Jane contribute to the company lately to improve operations? What presentation did Sean do last month that won an award?

    These are just some ways the company can create an inclusive culture that connects names, accomplishments, and faces. People become more than employees that you know by name.

    3 Starting team meetings with a little socializing

    Team meetings are usually scheduled for a half hour to an hour. It’s typical to have a lot to cover in that short period of time. However, the team can spare a few minutes for some socializing. That casual start to the meeting can do a lot to build relationships.

    The person acting as meeting moderator can start with a question such as, “How is everyone doing?” or ask about the weather. When your team lives in different cities, comparing the weather can be interesting. If the weather seems dull, other neutral topics are also worthwhile, such as everyone’s upcoming weekend or holiday plans (although this topic tends to create long discussions that take the meeting off topic).

    These short one to two-line conversations are a way to break the ice and get to know team members more personally. You find out that a teammate’s work buddy is a dog (who may pop by during the virtual meeting). Or you may find out someone likes beach weather as much as you do.

    These bits of trivia come in handy when you need to message someone for the first time with a work request. You can add a personal note by adding, “Hope you have a good rest this long weekend at your summer cabin and let me know when the report is finished!”

    4 One-on-one chats with remote team members

    One-on-one chats with team members are a great way to get to know other people who work at your company. When you can speak one-on-one at a virtual meeting or on a phone call, you have the chance to get to know each other on a personal level. 

    For example, you can find out what brought that person to the company or what their specific role is (especially if you don’t work directly with that coworker). Depending on how social the other person is, you might share details about your personal life. 

    Team members can message each other with work requests and add the latest picture of their dog or cat if they discover that their coworker is also fond of animals or has a pet. In some cases, these chats evolve into sharing anecdotes about hobbies or jokes interspersed with work-related chatter.

    When you really connect with your coworkers, you may also open up personally, knowing your coworker will offer you support. For example, offering to pick up a work task for you because you’re sick, or sending you a joke to help you feel better because you’re struggling with something in your personal life.

    These personal connections can also happen with your supervisor or mentor. People who are in management or supervisory positions should take the time to get to know their team members by booking time for one-on-one meetings. 

    During that time, they can find out more about why someone is working for the company (they might not have been involved in the hiring process), what that person’s career goals are, and how that person likes to work (such as they like to be included in teamwork or they prefer to work independently). 

    This is also the perfect time to find out if the team member is struggling with something at work or at home but is reluctant to share. Discussing a solution can help to deal with mental health issues or possible future challenges.

    These types of connections are entirely possible with remote teams.

    5 Setting a tone of sensitivity

    People who work with remote teams can find it challenging to connect with their coworkers. You don’t have the chance to run into them before or after work for a quick conversation, for example. This lack of opportunity to connect results in coworkers that are faceless entities that you email with work requests.

    However, if company culture includes the occasional in-person event, promotes having a snippet of social time at the start of a meeting, or encourages people to get to know each other on a more personal level, people will feel more included.

    Some may resent social opportunities and consider this inclusive culture to be a waste of time. Introverts want to be left alone to work. A direct, to-the-point person will avoid wasting time with unrelated chatter. 

    The downside of this type of disconnect is people working in silos, and when they need help (and this will happen), their coworkers aren’t as quick to give a helping hand. This isolation can also open the door to misunderstandings and resentment.

    An inclusive culture of respect and support for others will create a more connected workplace. There are a few ways to create this sensitivity. 

    For instance, if you discover that your coworker has social anxiety, the team can be more encouraging. They can ask for that person’s opinion, knowing that person isn’t likely to share. They can also respond in a non-judgemental way and show appreciation when their coworker does share an opinion or idea.

    Key Takeaways

    Taking the time and initiative to get to know your coworkers creates a positive environment for your remote team. Making these connections is important when you don’t see everyone day-to-day. It’s too easy to see coworkers as just names when you work from home. But when you discover just a little about a coworker’s personal life, such as a hobby, number of kids, or favorite food, you start to see them as people.

    You’ll want to support and help each other when these coworkers are humans that you care about. Creating an inclusive culture begins with taking the time to build relationships with your coworkers.

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  • Fashion Trends, Virtual Meetings, and 3D Digital Projections

    Fashion Trends, Virtual Meetings, and 3D Digital Projections

    Updated post

    Fitness and comfort have influenced the fashion style of work from home (WFH). As technology continues to make working from home more commonplace, it won’t be as necessary to pack a suitcase for a business trip. In the near future, we could be going to work in a digital outfit.

    A few years ago, WFH became a household word and began a trend that continues today. When that switch happened, many people became uncertain about what to wear for work.

    Home was where you walked around in PJs, fuzzy slippers, or gym clothes. Were you expected to dress up in slacks and a shirt while working in your home office? People continued to dress the way they did for the office because it was familiar. Later, the fashion became a hybrid of styles. At virtual meetings, people wore business casual tops for the camera, and shorts or yoga pants for under the desk.

    As the years continued, people accepted that the worlds of work and home could be blurred, and they showed up to virtual meetings wearing clothes that they could do housework in. Work-from-home fashion became more casual and influenced by sportswear.

    For example, fashion has become cardigans, sweatshirts in material that’s too nice for gym clothes, comfy dresses with pockets, and pants with a jogger waistline. These pants have a flat front and elastic back like very casual slacks. 

    Fashion continues to evolve. 

    In the near future, video calls will be replaced with 3D digital projection. The technology will reduce travel costs – an important consideration with the rising cost of EVERYTHING from inflation. Consider the time saved from traveling to and from airports and the money saved on hotels and airfare!

    In these futuristic meetings, your image is beamed from your location to the meeting location. Your image will be able to look around and interact with the people in the meeting room – you’ll be much more lifelike than in current 2D calls!

    For the 3D projection to work, you will stand in a portal surrounded by cameras and microphones. However, you will need to dress up for the presentation (unlike a virtual meeting in which you only need to be presentable from the waist up).

    We wouldn’t be able to shake hands or hug people during a virtual call yet, but we’re getting closer to that technology.

    Perhaps the next advancement in virtual meetings and networking would be alternate projections. Just like our current capability to create virtual backgrounds, you will be able to roll out of bed with your PJs and project a pre-programmed image of yourself to your meeting.

    There won’t be a need to dress up or check your appearance. Your pre-selected meeting outfit is ready to be projected with the press of a button. As technology advances, the possibilities are limitless.

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  • How to Create an Inclusive Culture with Remote Teams

    How to Create an Inclusive Culture with Remote Teams

    Repost

    Technology has made it possible for a situation that didn’t exist a couple of decades ago: working with strangers. In a new culture of remote work, collaborating with coworkers in another city has become more commonplace. This situation can be comfortable for some people; awkward for others.

    As these situations occur more often, it has become an issue that remote companies must tackle. How do these companies create an inclusive culture for their remote teams? 

    With work from home, you may never meet your coworkers face to face for a casual conversation at the water cooler. You may even stagger interaction times because you’re logging into work as coworkers are having lunch or getting ready for dinner. 

    Interactions are formal: Meetings are done virtually, with set start and end times, and people stick to the agenda to respect schedules. Meetings can seem less formal because you get a peek into your coworker’s home, and you’re not meeting in the boardroom. 

    However, it’s harder to relate to someone you know little about, apart from their name, job title, and what their home office looks like.

    The management team has an important role in creating an inclusive work culture for their remote teams, starting with how they communicate and meet.

    1 In-person team events

    Virtual meetings are an effective way to collaborate quickly without wasting time on travel (by transit or by foot when you walk to the meeting room), but it isn’t easy to get to know people by meeting on a computer screen.

    Technology cannot replace in-person events. If a group of coworkers lives within driving distance, it’s worth finding a day when most people can meet for lunch and a chat. Occasions such as greeting a new team member, saying goodbye to someone moving away, or celebrating a holiday are the perfect reasons to socialize and get to know your team members in a non-work-related context.

    If possible, arrange for the whole company to meet at a central location. This annual meeting can be a day for everyone to meet in person and bond over activities completely unrelated to work.

    2 Developing an inclusive culture from the top down

    An inclusive culture for a remote company starts at the management level. New hires and team members follow the example that their direct report or supervisor sets.

    The tone used in emails, group chats, and direct messages is a part of the company culture. Do messages sound supportive and friendly? Or do people stick to the point? (The occasional curt message doesn’t count – eventually, you’ll catch someone in a hurry if you message them often enough.)

    Do group chats and meetings include sharing news and photos about what company members have been up to? A company lunch photo helps connect names to faces and gives a sense of what other teams or departments are doing. 

    Group chats and meetings are also opportunities to share what individuals have accomplished. For example, what projects were completed this past quarter? What did Jane contribute to the company lately to improve operations? What presentation did Sean do last month that won an award?

    These are just some ways the company can create an inclusive culture that connects names, accomplishments, and faces. People become more than employees that you know by name.

    3 Starting team meetings with a little socializing

    Team meetings are usually scheduled for a half hour to an hour. It’s typical to have a lot to cover in that short period of time. However, the team can spare a few minutes to socialize. That casual start to the meeting can do a lot to build relationships.

    The person acting as meeting moderator can start with a question such as, “How is everyone doing?” or ask about the weather. When your team lives in different cities, comparing the weather can be interesting (even competitive when you’re deciding who is having the hottest summer). If the weather seems dull, other neutral topics are also worthwhile, such as everyone’s upcoming weekend or holiday plans (although this topic tends to create long discussions that can take the meeting off topic).

    These short one to two-line conversations are a way to break the ice and get to know team members more personally. You discover that a teammate’s work buddy is a dog (who may pop by during the virtual meeting). Or you may find out someone likes beach weather as much as you do.

    These bits of trivia come in handy when you need to message someone for the first time with a work request. You can add a personal note, “Hope you have a good rest this long weekend at your summer cabin. Let me know when the report is finished!”

    4 One-on-one chats with remote team members

    One-on-one chats with team members are a great way to get to know other people who work at your company. When you can speak one-on-one at a virtual meeting or on a phone call, you have the chance to get to know each other on a personal level. 

    For example, you can find out what brought that person to the company or what their specific role is (especially if you don’t work directly with that coworker). Depending on how social the other person is, you might share details about your personal life. 

    Team members can message each other with work requests and add the latest picture of their dog or cat if they discover that their coworker is also fond of animals or has a pet. In some cases, these chats evolve into sharing anecdotes about hobbies or jokes interspersed with work-related chatter.

    When you connect with your coworkers, you may also open up personally, knowing your coworker will offer you support. For example, offering to pick up a work task for you because you’re sick, or sending you a joke to help you feel better because you’re struggling with something in your personal life.

    These personal connections can also happen with your supervisor or mentor. People in management or supervisory positions should take the time to get to know their team members by booking one-on-one meetings. 

    During that time, they can find out more about why someone is working for the company (they might not have been involved in the hiring process), what that person’s career goals are, and how that person likes to work (such as they like to be included in teamwork or they prefer to work independently). 

    This is also the perfect time to find out if the team member is struggling with something at work or at home but is reluctant to share. Discussing a solution can help to deal with mental health issues or possible future challenges.

    These types of connections are entirely possible with remote teams.

    5 Setting a tone of sensitivity

    People who work with remote teams can find it challenging to connect with their coworkers. For example, you don’t have the chance to run into them before or after work for a quick conversation—this lack of opportunity to connect results in faceless coworkers that you email with work requests.

    However, if company culture includes the occasional in-person event, promotes having a snippet of social time at the start of a meeting, or encourages people to get to know each other on a more personal level, people will feel more included.

    Some may resent social opportunities and consider this inclusive culture a waste of time. Introverts want to be left alone to work. A direct, to-the-point person will avoid wasting time with unrelated chatter. 

    The downside of this type of disconnect is people working in silos, and when they need help (and this will happen), their coworkers aren’t as quick to give a helping hand. This isolation can also open the door to misunderstandings and resentment.

    An inclusive culture of respect and support for others will create a more connected workplace. There are a few ways to develop this sensitivity. 

    For instance, if you discover your coworker has social anxiety, the team can be more encouraging. They can ask for that person’s opinion, knowing that person isn’t likely to share. They can also respond non-judgementally and show appreciation when their coworker shares an opinion or idea.

    Key Takeaways

    Taking the time and initiative to get to know your coworkers creates a positive environment for your remote team. Making these connections is important when you don’t see everyone day-to-day. It’s too easy to see coworkers as just names when you work from home. But when you discover just a little about a coworker’s personal life, such as a hobby, number of kids, or favorite food, you start to see them as people.

    When your coworkers are humans you care about, you’ll want to support and help each other. Creating an inclusive culture begins with building relationships with your coworkers.

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  • Work-Life Balance and Setting Aside Time to Unwind

    Work-Life Balance and Setting Aside Time to Unwind

    Can you achieve work-life balance? How do you define it? Whether you have work-life balance and whether you view clear boundaries between the two depends on how much you love your job and how much time you devote to it. Some days, your job eats up so much of your day that you just want to unwind and forget about life’s demands. How do you clear your mind and unwind?

    Daily writing prompt
    How do you unwind after a demanding day?
    View all responses

    Remote work has made it easier to blend home and work life into one room. Emails and various apps have made it easier to blur the lines between work and personal time. You can even answer work messages on weekends and when you’re on vacation.

    The constant plug-in to workplace communication and work tasks can be exhausting. People need a break from work to recharge and return to their tasks with fresh eyes. But is it bad to blend work and home life together?

    Step Away from the Office Where You Live

    Some people love their career enough that working is as enjoyable as watching Netflix or playing video games. I’ve met some of these people (so they do exist).  

    If you enjoy your work as much as a hobby, then working the extra hours is not that much different from downtime. I’ve met a graphic designer who designs additional graphics for his client because it’s something he enjoys doing. I’ve also met professional writers who switch from writing non-fiction during the day to writing fiction as a hobby at night. Owners of small businesses go to networking breakfasts and dinners before or after business hours to build a support network.

    Step Into a World Without Demands

    After a long, demanding day, it’s nice to just forget about everything. You can spend time with friends and family and do nothing else but enjoy your time together. You can finally watch the next episode of your favorite TV show, cook yourself a nice meal, or read a book.

    You can also use your downtime to learn something new for personal interest or for something related to work. Everyone should always be learning new things, whether it is a new hobby, skill, or tips on personal growth. People challenge themselves with fitness goals, reading goals, or social goals. 

    Key Takeaways

    If you enjoy what you do, perhaps spending a lot of time on a job or business is no different than investing time and energy in a hobby. With this perspective, would work-life balance be “balanced”?

    I certainly like to unwind after a demanding day by doing a range of activities. Sometimes, I read, watch a show, or socialize. On other days, I unwind by studying topics related to building my work skills. 

    What are your thoughts on work-life balance if you have a job or career that you love?

  • How has technology changed your job?

    How has technology changed your job?

    Remote work has made it possible to work anywhere, anytime. This work setup is perfect for those who enjoy a flexible work schedule, instead of a rigid 9 to 5 with a set lunch break. You experience fewer distractions and you can work when you’re most alert. Technology is one of the main reasons my job has evolved to where it is today. Here are some of the ways technology has changed my job.

    Daily writing prompt
    How has technology changed your job?
    View all responses

    Remote work has made it possible to work anywhere, anytime. This work setup is perfect for those who enjoy a flexible work schedule, instead of a rigid 9 to 5 with a set lunch break. You experience fewer distractions and you can work when you’re most alert. Technology is one of the main reasons my job has evolved to where it is today. Here are some of the ways technology has changed my job.

    1 Increased productivity

    One of the best benefits of remote work is the elimination of the daily commute. I can start my day in a relaxed manner, checking work messages over morning tea. This uninterrupted focus allows me to dive into tasks without distractions, boosting my productivity. Additionally, the flexibility of remote work enables me to do other things during breaks, whether it’s attending to household chores or brainstorming project ideas while preparing lunch.

    2 Maximized work time

    Technology has revolutionized how we conduct meetings. With the click of a button, I can attend scheduled or impromptu meetings. I don’t need to gather up my papers to walk to another room or another floor in the office building. If I need feedback on a document that I am working on, I can send the document via email or messaging app to a colleague or colleagues.

    3 Coordinating work schedules

    Technology makes coordinating work schedules across different time zones easier. We can use 

    apps and electronic calendars to share our availability, including vacation times, office hours, and times when we are out of the office for a couple of hours a day.  

    4 Efficient file management

    Cloud-based platforms like Google Docs have made it easy to collaborate on documents and to share files. Version control of documents makes it easier to keep a history of changes made to a document. It is also easy to track comments made by team members and organize files in a cloud-based system.

    5 Enhanced communication

    We have a wide range of technology to communicate with each other, from emails to phone calls. Other examples include apps such as Slack, ClickUp, Notion, and to send typed messages, voice messages, and files to each other. We can also communicate about specific stages of projects.

    6 Advanced writing tools

    Grammar checkers and AI-powered writing assistants have transformed the writing process, offering feedback and suggestions. While these tools enhance accuracy and efficiency, they don’t yet replace human expertise. They are a wonderful helper and a second set of eyes on writing projects.

    Key Takeaways

    Technology has been key in making my current work set-up possible. Without it, there would be no remote work jobs. Technology has helped with productivity, collaboration, and efficiency, for individuals and teams in a digital world.  

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