Tools to increase facetime outside of work, virtually

In 2020, we perfected the groove of working from home. Working from home cut us off from our bosses, colleagues, desks, canteen Anna, and Chai vale Ramu Kaka. Now that we work from home and we are friends, it’s time to amp that up and make it fun till the time we will have to work from home. There are two ways of working from home, one is not having fun and only working, and the other is, having fun, befriending your remote colleagues. And in any case, all of us would choose the latter. So let’s dive right into why and how to increase facetime outside of work, virtually.

The tools to increase facetime outside of work, virtually

First of all, why increase facetime outside of work though virtually?

1. Improves interpersonal skills- Well all of us have made peace with the fact that soft skills are equally important. When working from the office was still a thing, interpersonal skills were indigenously improved due to constant interaction. The scenario has changed, but the significance of these skills haven’t. Increasing facetime outside of work helps undo the damage of constantly working from home and not having any human interaction.
2. Helps to deal with the situation better- A lot among us saw the adverse effects very closely. The times are still uncertain, but having a friend in your colleagues helps you to deal with the situation a lot better. Having a virtual hand to hold is also comforting in these testing times.
3. Helps to make new friends virtually- Work friends make your weekdays better, don’t they? While in the pandemic you won’t be able to meet your Kat and Sutton to your Jane, but hey, at least meeting them virtually can help you get through this roller coaster with a little bit of ease.
4. Helps to have a life outside of work- Have you also come across those memes where they said it looks like you are living at the office, yeah, don’t let that happen to you. Striking the right work-life balance is important. And to achieve that, speaking about topics apart from work is the catalyst.

Now that you know why you should consider increasing facetime outside of work, here are a few fun tools you should give a thought to:

1. Townhall-
   A company town hall is a formal gathering of all the employees and the people in management. In this gathering, reports, changes, ideas, and other information is shared. This is an excellent way to engage with the employees and get to know them and evaluate their performance.
   Although townhalls cannot be conducted in person at this hour, virtual townhalls save the day!
   Townhalls are a great way to align the company to the same goals. It also narrows the gap between managers and employees.
2. Games-
   Light and fun games are a great way to help employees engage with each other. It brings about a healthy spirit and laughter in the virtual room. Games like Pictionary, skribbl, 2 truths and 1 lie, virtual treasure hunt, trivia quizzes, etc, are some of the games that you can conduct.
   Such fun activities help employees bond over more than just work, which is also beneficial for them and the management. It results in lesser work conflicts and harmony is maintained.
3. Storytelling Sessions-
   We all love a good story, don’t we? Storytelling is an art and in your team, you might find storytellers. Storytelling is one of the best non-competitive ways you can engage with your employees. Give them a few prompts or ask them to narrate a story on their own. Some are just natural storytellers. “Photo of your life” is one of the prompts that you can use for storytelling. In this, each team member shares a picture that is very close to their heart and narrates a background story of why it is the photo of their life.
4. Discussions-
   Conversations are something that each one of us is missing since the 1st lockdown was imposed. A good, healthy, and mature conversation can do more than just one good. It widens the spectrum of your opinions, adds information, you get to learn about different and new things, opinions and so much more.
   Light discussions benefit all, people take a lot from the discussion than what they had initially come with. Discussions about movies, web series, sports, TV, and music are great for starters. Avoid discussions on politics when interacting with a large audience.
5. Musical Jams-
   A musical evening is the best evening. All of us miss concerts, and musical jams are a great way to relive concerts. Music relieves a lot of stress and people who like the same genre, band, or singer can become instant best friends. Set up a zoom meeting and start jamming!

We are behind closed doors for far too long now, and every employee is fighting a silent battle even if they are on top of their tasks. With no human interaction, things can get only worse. Do not let this happen to your team. Let them interact and increase facetime outside of work, even if it is virtual.