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You may not know it yet, but a little caffeine can go a long way in making meaningful work connections.

Remote work offers many benefits to companies and employees alike. Aside from saving money on overhead costs and transportation expenses, working remotely provides more flexibility than doing your job onsite.

But remote work also comes with its own set of challenges, including a weaker sense of connection among employees. Fortunately, there are plenty of ways to strengthen that connection; all you need is just fifteen minutes.

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The Importance of Maintaining Strong Connections in a Remote Team

Aside from a stable internet connection, one of the main things that make a remote team work seamlessly is the strong connection among its members. Without engaged employees and effective communication, business leaders will see even the most talented teams crumble.

Inspire Creativity

Maintaining open communication channels at work can inspire workers to think outside the box and be more creative with their problem-solving. Effective communication allows employees to exchange ideas and opinions, letting them learn from each other.

Additionally, It’s easy to get stuck in your own head and end up doing the same thing over and over again. Social interactions, no matter how short and trivial they may be, can spark creativity and encourage people to think out of the box.

Better Team Collaboration and Productivity

Reports have shown that employees were just as, if not more, productive working remotely than in the office. It’s clear that flexibility and a more controlled work environment are beneficial for most of the remote working population. However, organizations still need to put in the time and effort to have better-performing remote teams, not just individuals. And one way to do that is by encouraging clear and open communication channels between colleagues.

Avoid Feelings of Isolation

Perhaps one of the biggest downsides employees can experience in a remote work setup is that feeling of isolation. Instead of being able to turn around and have a quick chat with your colleague, you can have a full day of remote work when you won’t be able to talk to another soul at all. And days like that can take a toll on someone’s social well-being. This is why having a strong sense of connection when working remotely can help avoid loneliness. Knowing you have workmates and managers who support and guide you can counter feelings of isolation at work.

Tips for Making Remote Coffee Breaks Work

Gone are the days when colleagues could bump into each other at the office pantry and strike up a conversation. Now, employees must be more intentional and willing to break the (virtual) ice. And if you can’t have coffee together in the break room, why not have it remotely?

Here are a few tips to making sure both the conversation and coffee won’t go cold:

Keep It Short

In-person coffee breaks usually last 15-30 minutes, and so should your remote coffee breaks. Your coffee break should act as a quick catch-up and boost of positive energy for you and your colleagues. If it’s too long, the virtual chat may feel more like a chore or a meeting than a chance to connect.

Limit the People per Group

You’ll be able to maximize the effects of a remote coffee break by keeping the groups small. This way, everyone has their turn to give their reactions or share their thoughts instead of being drowned out by the crowd. You can also consider having a bigger group at first just to introduce the day’s topic or the objective of the activity, then use virtual breakout rooms to let colleagues interact on their own.

Keep It Light

As much as possible, avoid going into the rabbit hole of work-related topics. Consider preparing a set of ice-breaker questions you can ask at the start of every remote coffee break just to jumpstart the conversation. Alternatively, try having a theme per week. One week it could be trivia about Halloween movies; the next, it could be about sharing passion projects. Keeping the conversation light and changing it up can help people feel more relaxed about conversing with colleagues.

Conclusion

Hopefully, these remote coffee break tips can help you create meaningful connections with your colleagues. But remember, since this could be a fairly new initiative in your company, you still need to fine-tune it to make it work for your company culture.

Try to ask for constructive feedback to improve this initiative and reap its benefits. Aside from asking about possible subjects and activities, ask other employees about their general view of the project itself, like how long it is, their preferred frequency, and how it affects their connections with colleagues. This way, you’ll know whether you’re going in the right direction or if you need to brew up another strategy.