Staying connected while working from home

The first few months of the working from home set up required a lot of adjustment.

Ever since we started working from home back in March, things have been different. Gone are the chances to bond like we used to; we can’t take photos to capture good memories together or engage in small talk during our break times, all in the same room.

So, how do we keep the team connection if we don’t see each other in person anymore? It’s really like we have been thrown into a long-distance relationship. However, with the use of technology, we have still been able to bond and catch up virtually.

Every day, we have a 15-minute huddle every day to share our wins, focus, and concerns. We also do Friday virtual games/activity via Zoom/Teams. It’s a fun way to stay connected and everyone is very engaged in sharing their ideas on how to execute our virtual activities. We Google virtual games/activities ideas and every game there is a winner, so of course there should be a prize! Each of us will contribute to buy food and milk tea for the winner and have it delivered to the winner’s address.

Even though it’s been a hard year, it doesn’t mean that our happy days are gone.

We continue to celebrate our wins (may it be big or small), such as welcoming new team members, receiving positive feedback from a client, work anniversaries, and other occasions such as the birthday of a team member. We still celebrate virtually by buying our food and then we video call and do a team photo on the screen.

Lastly, we have remained positive and look forward to the day that we can finally get together again in person. We are planning to have a big get-together – we’ve even set up a savings account and agreed to contribute to it every payday, to spend when the big day comes.

How have you found the transition to working from home full-time? What strategies do you have in place to stay connected with your friends, family and colleagues?

If there’s one thing we’ve noticed, it’s that working from home often frees up more time to catch up on some of the “life admin” things we usually don’t prioritise … like speaking to our team about your financial future.

As Australia starts to re-open, now is a good time to put a strategy in place. Whether it’s reviewing your home loan while interest rates are low, or investing some of that extra cash you might have been able to save not commuting to work or buying coffee, The Hopkins Group is here to help you build a roadmap to success. Speak to us today.