Looking for some creative virtual team building activities to build virtual team morale, loyalty and trust? Many techniques you currently use in the typical work team environment can be adapted for your virtual team, remote working environment. Here are three ideas for you to try. Take these ideas and adapt them to your own virtual office culture and the individual needs of your virtual team.
Take an “online” coffee break with key virtual team members
Who said you can’t have an intimate coffee online with one of your virtual team members. It’s just about being a little creative and organized.
Boost your virtual relationships by getting to know each of your virtual team on a personal level. Invite them for an online virtual coffee. Send them a voucher or gift card from their local coffee shop chain. Starbucks have gift card plans available. Or better still arrange for a desk top coffee machine for your favorite virtual team members
Send an invitation with your gift or card to join you for coffee. On the invitation include the time and online video conferencing details you’ll be using to host your coffee date! Your virtual assistant will be able to help you arrange this if you don’t know where to start!
When it’s time for coffee, open your video conferencing facility (you can have your virtual coffee in your own office take-away style or right at your local coffee shop using Wi-Fi). Be prepared with some ice-breaker style questions in mind and some interesting projects to discuss (just like you would for a typical coffee break).
With all this in place, go and make the appointment. Enjoy this ultimate virtual team building activity at your next coffee break with one of your remote workers or a virtual team member!
Send your virtual team a Monday Motivational Message
Every Monday, send out a simple motivational message to your team. Use lots of colour and get creative. If you’ve got time, prepare a video or audio message personally from yourself – that’s the best way to make an impact. If not, just go with a simple PowerPoint message, email or message with motivational quotes that can be prepared by a virtual assistant or delegated to someone else on your team.
If you go with the motivational email message/quote option, you can easily set this up a whole year in advance so that the message is sent out automatically. Once you’ve entered the quote into the automated mailing system, your entire team will receive the message in their inbox each Monday. You don’t even have to remember to send the message out!
If you’d like some help in getting that put into place, go to www.myvaspace.com. They’ll be happy to help you find the resources you need.
Host a Virtual Team End of Year Online Office Party
Send out an invitation to your team to join you for a virtual party online. You can send the invitations out via social media or email, but a nice touch is to have an invitation sent to a physical address if possible. It makes it more exciting and more personal – who doesn’t love getting mail in a coloured envelope!
Arrange for your Virtual Assistant to organise an “end of year” party pack to be delivered to each of the people attending the party. Depending on your virtual team structure and your budget, the packs can be as elaborate as you wish. There are dozens of online providers that can help you with choosing what’s appropriate for your needs. Have fun and go with a theme.
Remember you need to have an online space where you gather for your party and these details will need to be sent out to attendees.
To make your party memorable and special, be sure to include some music, games, entertainment, fun online activities and video conferencing so your virtual team (or virtual clients) can all have a part and interact with each other.
That’s 3 ways to get your virtual team together, boost morale and build some loyalty. You’re virtual team members will surely appreciate your effort and virtual team turnover will be reduced!
If you have any other clever and creative ideas that you’ve used to boost your virtual team morale, we’d love to hear from you in the comment box below!
Enjoy!
P.S Get more fun team building games and activities from the links below: