(Adapted from a thread posted on Twitter which can be seen here)
The energy and rapport you build with a team matters now more than ever. I have found this particularly true working in activism, advocacy and other work that requires so much emotional labour. It will also matter now to other industries as we move towards working more extensively as remote teams.
Last week I had a call with a group I worked with on a 6-week incredibly intense global project curating stories of girls activism and resistance. We hadn't had a team call in nearly 4 months and at least half the call was everyone just expressing how wonderful it was to be on a call again, even when we have screen fatigue from so many calls/virtual meetings.
It is not a waste to spend time building camaraderie, learning who people are beyond the 'tasks' they have been assigned, and creating some bonds. It matters how we feel when it comes to the people we work with, the alliances we create and this will reflect in the work we create. It a time when productivity never stops being a buzzword & we are measured by the amount of tangible things we 'achieve' - it is a radical move to take a step back and 'waste' a little time just laughing, sharing, chatting in a way that has no 'real' benefit for the work.
Step away from the framing of wasting time and instead start focusing on our teams as human beings who have lives, pain, love, joy & so much more to share. Who are people with value and should connect on that level. The work comes second. This is the 'management strategy' we need
Image Credit: The Educative Blog
The energy and rapport you build with a team matters now more than ever. I have found this particularly true working in activism, advocacy and other work that requires so much emotional labour. It will also matter now to other industries as we move towards working more extensively as remote teams.
Last week I had a call with a group I worked with on a 6-week incredibly intense global project curating stories of girls activism and resistance. We hadn't had a team call in nearly 4 months and at least half the call was everyone just expressing how wonderful it was to be on a call again, even when we have screen fatigue from so many calls/virtual meetings.
It is not a waste to spend time building camaraderie, learning who people are beyond the 'tasks' they have been assigned, and creating some bonds. It matters how we feel when it comes to the people we work with, the alliances we create and this will reflect in the work we create. It a time when productivity never stops being a buzzword & we are measured by the amount of tangible things we 'achieve' - it is a radical move to take a step back and 'waste' a little time just laughing, sharing, chatting in a way that has no 'real' benefit for the work.
Step away from the framing of wasting time and instead start focusing on our teams as human beings who have lives, pain, love, joy & so much more to share. Who are people with value and should connect on that level. The work comes second. This is the 'management strategy' we need
Image Credit: The Educative Blog
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