I bet you didn't know RE PIXS has a fully remote team? That's right. Of course, our photographers are wandering souls going from house to house each day. But what you may not know is our entire management staff and editing team also works remotely! In fact, we have employees in 3 different states and 2 time zones! How crazy is that?
Even before COVID-19, RE PIXS has been operating without an office. However, we still found ways to connect by coming together for quarterly staff meetings and holidays.
With that said, there are a few things we have implemented now that we can't have our typical in-person meetings right now. Although we are all used to being remote, it does take a toll when you can't see your teammates for long periods of time. Below are some helpful tools we use to stay connected and will continue to use even after the pandemic!
Trello:
This task management system has been key in helping us stay organized and on top of things! We have several different boards set up that correlate to different departments such as editing, marketing, and management. This is a great way to see what others have been doing, or what tasks they may be working on. It functions as if you were to drop by your coworker's office for a chat and ask what they have been up to! Even better, Ashley, our automation wizard, has set up several tasks for us all that will auto-populate when triggered, ensuring a seamless transition and task reminders between meetings!
Google Meet:
Since we typically all use the Google Suite, we prefer to use the Google Meet option for video calls and meetings. It is easy to use, and you can add it quickly to any event on the calendar. This has been an AMAZING option for us during management meetings, staff performance reviews, and staff meetings. It is so nice to see the faces of everyone, and you can present your screen or slides while doing so!
Slack:
My personal favorite method of team communication is Slack! With options to create different channels and use threads, it has definitely helped streamline our communication process. Our staff has also enjoyed being able to turn off notifications after hours instead of communicating through text. In slack, we have added some fun aspects as well! We did a virtual team scavenger hunt and it was hilarious! Also, Slackbot, the app's "personal assistant" can be customized to respond when triggered by keywords. Here is a look at our management staff having a riveting conversation with it.
While these tools are helpful with communication and task management, the support and flexibility of our team are really what drives connections. We work hard to ensure each member of the team has a voice, feels heard, and is able to communicate ideas for improvement. This is important in any business, but even more so with a remote team. As with anything technology related, we do have occasional tech failures, but our team is always willing and able to assist in any way, and we are truly grateful for that!
Last but certainly not least, HUMOR plays such a large role in our team and how we communicate. Using these tools allows us to add GIFs, Emojis, Bitmojis, and everything in between to help lighten the mood! We can change our names or profile pictures and that allows us to showcase our unique personalities, virtually! We stay connected through jokes and laughter, and I think we can all agree that laughing as a team is one of the best ways to create cohesion!
We want to know! How are YOU staying connected to your team during COVID-19?!
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