Working in the digital world and a hybrid team that fosters diversity, equity, and inclusion (also known as DEI) has become one of the biggest demands in the last year. For that reason, many HR communities are trying to bridge the gap between where they are now and where they would like their work environment to be. That means that many businesses need to focus on the solutions instead of on the empty statements that many plaster in their brochures.
Here, we have outlined and summed up 5 activities and ways that you can boost your company’s morale and DEI.
1. Show Your Commitment
Honest and transparent communication is the key to any successful business. That also includes communication between team members.
A great way to show your commitment and transparency to the team is by turning your camera on during online meetings. By doing this you also invite others to do the same and which gives them space to show their authenticity and lifestyle. This can greatly improve the communication and openness that you want to build in your company since people will be able to fully see body gestures and expressions.
2. Bragging Isn’t All That Bad
Celebrating each individual team member and their accomplishments can only increase the team’s morale and create an inclusive work culture in the digital world.
Start by asking your team members to consider their contributions in the previous week. This does not have to be big, but something that each team member is personally proud of; from speaking to a client to creating a nicely organized document. This will be a great exercise for everyone to show more compassion for themselves as well as bond with each other.
3. Share and Combine Visions
Creating an envisioned culture in the digital world can be tricky if everyone is not on the same page.
Transparency is an important part of any work environment and sharing your views with the team will help them to open up and contribute to creating a more inclusive and happier work environment.
4. Start With Personal Approach
Start your next meeting with a personal approach. Give everyone a chance to present who they are outside of work. This can be simply done with a question such as ‘’What is your favorite memory from a holiday?”, or ‘’What is your passion, and what do you spend time outside of work?”.
By asking these questions you create a safe and nurturing environment for everyone to show their uniqueness. You can also help people feel more at ease by sharing your passions or memories. In this way, you foster a sense of belonging and care.
5. Try a ‘’10 in the Tank’’ activity
Pair people in virtual breakout rooms where each person should learn more about their colleague by asking a simple question. Emphasize the necessity to listen and share.
After 3-5 minutes have everyone back in the chat room where you encourage them to share a positive trait that they have just learned about their colleague (for example – kind, adventurous, voracious reader, etc.).
Encourage people to approach each other as a ‘’10’’, from which they can learn something of significance or new about each other. This activity helps the team build more humane relationships that are built on trust and friendship.
Bottom Line
Creating a diverse, equitable, and inclusive team takes time. It cannot be achieved overnight nor is there a cheat sheet for it. But all of this hard work pays off in the end because teams are happier, more driven, and do their work with more enthusiasm which leads to better results.
