How do we reconnect with our work teams post-COVID? One Canberra business shares its plan
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Do you manage a team that is gradually coming back into the office?
How’s the team dynamic after two years of restrictions and mandates? As a team leader, do you have a plan to keep your team happy, connected and supported?
In today’s column, my business, Capital Hydrotherapy and Exercise Physiology, will share six tips and tricks we’re doing to keep our team connected.
First up, some business background: I established Capital Hydrotherapy with $80.00 in my personal savings 11 years ago. The business started with six Hydrotherapy sessions a week, and one practitioner: me.
We now host over 215 Hydrotherapy sessions a week and a tribe of 14 loyal teammates. Oh, I’ve had three caesareans thrown in the mix, so I’ve become the master at connecting the team and giving them autonomy.
In Australia, it is estimated that one-in-three new small businesses fail in their first year of operation, two out of four by the end of the second year, and three out of four by the fifth year.
Note: these statistics were estimated before the COVID pandemic hit. We need to connect more than ever after the past two years of COVID-disconnect, fear and living in the unknown. Now that we’re walking (read: trudging) into another phase of the pandemic, do you have any strategies in place to help your team stay happy and connected?
Here are our top six tips and tricks to keep our happy culture alive and team connected:
- The daily huddle
- Revisit core values
- Regular time-blocked walking meetings
- Weekly scheduled coffee catch-ups
- Weekly team bake-off
- Scheduled picnics (COVID safe 2022 style)
THE DAILY HUDDLE
Short. Sharp. Positive.
Our 13-minute team huddle is our go-to team ritual. The scheduled daily team huddle is our best form of communication and support, especially during the pandemic when we all feel so disconnected.
The huddle connects the team and makes them feel a part of something bigger. It’s called community.
The key is DAILY—especially when’s there’s so much uncertainly around us. We always start the huddle with expressing gratitude (something we’re grateful for).
Essential huddle points:
- Always standing
- Has a daily rhythm
- Time-efficient
- Engaging
- STARTS ON TIME
Our team huddle is organised, and the team leader always has the main points written down.
Here’s a sneak peek of the structured huddle:
- For the first five minutes we go around the group and share our gratitude. Living in the present moment is the key. Especially in this “Insta” pandemic world we currently live in!
- Then we move on to the admin points. Always light-hearted, to the point and “short and sharp”.
- We never solve problems in a standing huddle (that’s for “off pool deck”).
- Lastly, we deal with the patient hand-overs, helping juniors with a patients’ treatment pathway, and prepare practitioners if there’s a new patient in their group.
Do you have a daily team huddle?
REVIST CORE VALUES
Addressing our core values with the team regularly is essential. We address them at the team induction, we have core value posters in every room for a gentle reminder and every day we live them through our daily huddle and work ethic.
Whenever there’s a concern at the clinic, I go back to the business’ core values—these values ground me and create instant clarity. Here are our core values:
- Create a happy and supportive environment
- Go above and beyond
- Respect people’s time and goals
- Be open and inspire personal and professional growth
- Don’t sweat the small stuff
Have you revisited your core values recently with the team?
REGULAR TIME-BLOCKED WALKING MEETING
Time-blocking is essential. Don’t “think” about that walking meeting—plug it into the diary in advance!
Self-care and avoiding burnout are my focus points this year—not just for me personally, but for the team too. Being outside together in the fresh air is a great reset.
Having scheduled time out of the office keeps our team fresh, happy and supported.
WEEKLY FRIDAY MORNING COFFEE CATCH UP
The past two years have been isolating. To ensure the team doesn’t feel under the pump, we have a weekly coffee catch up to talk about our patients’ progress, and ensure we are all being supported.
It’s not just about the caffeine—it’s about bonding, culture, and support.
Do you have a regular team catch up, in a relaxed environment?
WEEKLY TEAM BAKE-OFF
Building a positive fun team culture takes time. It takes coffee, cake and grazing platters. It takes effort. Every Tuesday for nearly six years we’ve had a scheduled bake-off. One team member bakes for everyone.
It’s a great way to bond the team, nourish our bellies after hours in the water, and we all stop for a moment and talk about life and have a relaxed laugh. It is a scheduled ritual.
TIME-BLOCKED PICNIC
There’s that buzz-word again: “time-blocking”. It really is the key to a progressive business.
Every month we have added a team picnic to our Friday lunch schedule. We order Turkish and nourish our bellies. There’s something about being in a relaxed environment that bonds a group of humans.
We use this time wisely and have a professional development session. Learning, lunch, and fresh air—what a great combination!
Would any of these tips and tricks help your team?
