Looking after your team’s well-being is always a worthwhile investment.
We here at Remote Staff believe in the Filipino remote worker’s talent and work ethic, but they are also human, after all. And sometimes, they can get burned out, which can manifest in more mistakes than usual or a general decline in productivity.
Granted, boosting or even maintaining high morale can be challenging. Aside from differences in values, the members of your team are likely to have unique interests, which can be hard to address in a single activity.
Fortunately, morale-boosting activities abound, even for teams that work remotely.
So, if you and your team find yourselves in a slump, why not try any of the activities below for the much-needed boost?
Organise Games and Contests
Never underestimate the joy that an unexpected game or contest can bring to your team.
These activities can provide a breather for people on the verge of burnout. Something light and fun can help to take their minds off stress at work, even just for a short period of time. It doesn’t even have to be anything fancy. A few rounds of online card games or quizzes every now and then can be quite refreshing.
Best of all, occasionally engaging in a fun activity with your team can help refresh everyone’s minds. This way, they’re better equipped to come up with good ideas or output.
Bonus tip: Prizes like gift cards or even paid time off make for great incentives.
Join a Cause Together
Engaging in some good old community service can change your life for the better. These can open your mind to different issues and concerns around you, and imbue all involved with a higher sense of purpose.
So, how can you implement this within a remote team? For one, you can sponsor an online group viewing of a film or documentary that’s meant to raise awareness for your chosen cause. You can also encourage your team to volunteer or extend support to non-profit organisations in their local communities.
Feel strongly about helping out underprivileged children from different countries around the world? Consider supporting UNICEF’s campaigns, for instance.
Better yet, ask your team members about what causes they hold dear and then see which orgs or NGO’s you can all help out with throughout the year.
Listen to Inspirational Speakers
Never underestimate the power that words have when it comes to changing lives.
But if you’re not the type of leader who feels comfortable doing motivational speeches in front of your team, you can always hire someone to do it.
Besides, with online conferences becoming mainstream, you can now invite speakers from just about anywhere. For added oomph, go for people in your field or industry so that their material will surely be especially relevant to the people on your team.
Conduct Financial Literacy Seminars
Money, or the lack thereof, is one of the main causes of stress and burnout. Unfortunately, not everyone is equipped to handle their finances well.
So, a financial literacy seminar could be a big help to the people struggling on your team.
How? For starters, do an informal survey about what topics your employees would like to learn more about. (Do tread carefully, as money matters are always a personal concern.)
Would they like to learn more about budgeting techniques? How to make the most out of their mortgages? How to save up for retirement?
Afterwards, scout the best possible speaker to conduct a seminar for your team on the chosen topic. (However, do bear in mind that financial literacy is no substitute for a livable paycheck. So, if your team is struggling with finances, it might be good to assess if everyone’s getting paid enough.)
Implement a Fitness Challenge
Physical fitness is just as important to overall well-being as mental health. Also, fitness challenges can be fun, all the more so when you do them as a team.
As with the games and contests, it doesn’t have to be complicated. Think a planking challenge (i.e., planking for a few mins. each day) or even a basic yoga session over Zoom with an instructor.
To make it more engaging, you can give out prizes in the form of cash, gift cheques, or even paid leaves – but only to those who are consistent in showing results.
Your team’s energy and productivity can make or break your company. As an entrepreneur, it’s important to keep it at a healthy level and thus ensure continued productivity and creativity.
Remote Staff has been assisting Aussie SMEs and entrepreneurs like you in building their businesses with the help of our remote workers from the Philippines. Whether you need a virtual assistant to keep track of your team building activities or even an HR professional who can help you manage your remote teams, we got you covered.
Call us today or schedule a call back and let’s get started.
Serena has been working remotely and writing content for the better part of the last decade. To date, she's written for Pepper.ph and Mabuhay Magazine, among others, and has churned out more than a thousand articles on everything from The Basics of Stock Market Investing to How to Make Milk Tea-Flavored Taho at home. Hermits, aspiring hermits, and non-hermits with interesting project propositions may email her at serena.estrella10@gmail.com.