The document discusses how to maintain strong virtual working relationships and stay socially connected as a remote team. It recommends scheduling formal connection times like daily check-ins and informal "watercooler" discussions. Teams should prioritize face-to-face calls over messages and make an effort to check in on each other emotionally. Individuals are encouraged to apply strategies like meditation, exercise, and changing routines to support their well-being while working remotely. Maintaining trust, sharing personal experiences, and focusing on relationships as well as tasks are keys to success.

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@theagileeleven
Remote Ready
Staying Connected
Making Work Better for Everyone

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THURSDAY
TOOLS &
TECHNIQUES
FRIDAY
KEEP THE
WORK MOVING
MONDAY
CULTURE &
VALUES
TUESDAY
STAYING
CONNECTED
WEDNESDAY
LEADING
VIRTUALLY
LISA
WOOD
CAIO
CESTARI
BIA
AFFONSO
JOE
LAWRENCE
EDUARDO
NOFUENTES
RICHARD
HARMER
BONUS WEBINAR MONDAY
NOURISH YOUR WELLBEING
CASSANDRA GOODMAN

3. @theagileeleven
How to maintain and strengthen virtual working
relationships
How to stay connected socially as a remote team
Tools and processes for emotional connection
What we will explore today:

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Virtual Working Relationships
● A team is a group of people who trust each
other.
● Commit to being available and
communicating with members of your
team.
● It’s up to us to maintain our relationships
virtually.
The Ultimate Virtual
Working Policy

5. @theagileeleven
Maintaining trust as a team
When working remotely, we must start
from a place of trust and assume people
are trying to do the right thing.
3 key practices of psychological safety:
1. Ensure everyone has equal air time.
2. Be curious and interested in your team.
3. Practice emotional risk taking.
Trust is maintained
through regular
connection, open
communication
and showing
genuine care.

6. @theagileeleven
The power of positive relationships
Take a moment to think about your strongest
relationships in which you have deep trust.
Questions:
● What are three things that you do do to
maintain those relationships?
● How can you translate those factors into
your working relationships?
Tip:
Stay open to your
next virtual
interaction - it
may be the best
conversation you
have all day!

7. @theagileeleven
Balance relationships with task
High
performing
remote
team
Friendship
group
Dysfunctional
remote team
Disconnected
remote team
Focus on task, action & results
Focusonpeople&relationships

8. @theagileeleven
Balance relationships with task
High
performing
remote
team
Friendship
group
Dysfunctional
remote team
Disconnected
remote team
Focus on task, action & results
Focusonpeople&relationships
The four factors of building a high
performing virtual team:
1. Fostering a shared identity
2. Ways of staying connected across
all team members and at scale
3. Virtual “bumping places”
4. Meaningful shared work done
together

9. @theagileeleven
Social connection as a remote team
● When physically co-located:
○ Social interactions tend to occur outside of
meetings and they occur naturally.
● But when working remotely:
○ We have to intentionally and proactively create
multiple entry points for social conversation or it
will not happen.

10. @theagileeleven
Formal & Informal Social Connection
In staying socially connected we have two
considerations:
1. Formal connections such as daily check-ins and
huddles; and
2. Informal connections such as a ‘water cooler’ and
communication channels for free flowing random
conversations.

11. @theagileeleven
Maintaining formal connections
Formal Connections
● Scheduled check-
ins - both 1:1 and as
a team
● Daily team huddles
● Structured team
time
● Digital stand-up
and wrap-up
● Weekly
retrospective

12. @theagileeleven
Establishing informal connections
Informal Connections
● ‘Watercooler’ channel
● Coffee catch-ups or
virtual happy hour
● Meme of the day or a 7
Day Song Challenge to
encourage divergent
communication
● #Thankyou channel
● Fun and personal
conversations
*This is where you can get creative with your team!

13. @theagileeleven
Emotional connection
● Social distancing does not mean social isolation
● We need ask our team members what their working
from home situation is for them. For example ask:
○ Do you live alone?
○ Do you have kids at home with you?
● Remember: For some people you may be their main
contact for the day

14. @theagileeleven
Connecting emotionally - it all starts
with you
Thinking
Strategies
Physiological
Strategies
Relational
Strategies
Environmental
Strategies
● Monitor your
own emotions
● Practice
mindfulness or
meditation
● Establish short
term-goals
● Activate
rational and
creative
thinking
● Exercising or
going for a walk
● Stretching
● Breathing
regulation
● Getting the
right amount of
sleep
● Eating the right
foods - less
sugar, more
● Talking to a
trusted friend
● Reaching out to
members of
your team
● Joining
additional
online social
groups
● Establishing a
regular routine
or workflow
● Changing your
workflow
● Changing your
work location
● Renegotiating
deadlines or
deliverables

15. @theagileeleven
Connecting emotionally - it all starts
with you
Thinking
Strategies
Physiological
Strategies
Relational
Strategies
Environmental
Strategies
● Monitor your
own emotions
● Practice
mindfulness or
meditation
● Establish short
term-goals
● Activate
rational and
creative
thinking
● Exercising or
going for a walk
● Stretching
● Breathing
regulation
● Getting the
right amount of
sleep
● Eating the right
foods - less
sugar, more
● Talking to a
trusted friend
● Reaching out
to members of
your team
● Joining
additional
online social
groups a work
● Establishing a
regular routine
or workflow
● Changing your
workflow
● Changing your
work location
● Renegotiating
deadlines or
deliverables

16. @theagileeleven
Connecting emotionally - it all starts
with you
Daily
meditation
practice
Exercising
or walking
every day
Reaching out
to members
of my team
Changing my
workflow
=
Contro
l
Challenge
Commitmen
t

17. @theagileeleven
Connecting emotionally - supporting
others (also starts with you)
● “RUOK” - be proactive in asking others
how they are feeling.
● “IamOK” - tell others how you are feeling;
the emoji check-in ! " # $ %
● Relationship before task - before we get
into the work itself we need to check in
with others on how they are going.
● Encourage others to stay positive - use
the four strategies mentioned on the
previous slide.
Tip:
Remember that
work is more than
just “doing work”.

18. @theagileeleven
Key things to remember:
● Social distancing does not mean social isolation
● Prioritise face-to-face connection and phone calls over text and
emails
● Find a way to have informal conversations with each other
(watercooler)
● Prioritise social connection by scheduling it
● Make the extra effort to check in with each other
● Apply the four strategies for emotional well-being

19. @theagileeleven
THURSDAY
TOOLS &
TECHNIQUES
FRIDAY
KEEP THE
WORK MOVING
MONDAY
CULTURE &
VALUES
TUESDAY
STAYING
CONNECTED
WEDNESDAY
LEADING
VIRTUALLY
LISA
WOOD
CAIO
CESTARI
BIA
AFFONSO
JOE
LAWRENCE
EDUARDO
NOFUENTES
RICHARD
HARMER
BONUS WEBINAR MONDAY
NOURISH YOUR WELLBEING
CASSANDRA GOODMAN

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