Remote teams have made work too much about work. Someone forgot to send our bosses the memo that while we do have a job to do, we miss having fun. Here are a few ideas to make sure everyone still enjoys coming to work, even while we no longer leave our houses or interact in person.

The Virtual Water Cooler

The water cooler was less about hydration and more about a spot to escape for a few minutes and chat up your coworkers. Just because you’re not in the office, doesn’t mean that needs to go away. Start a virtual water cooler.

If your work uses Microsoft Teams or a similar tool (Slack, etc.), set up a channel called ‘Fun’ or ‘Water Cooler.’ Let the team know that this is a space for sharing funny stories, jokes, family photos, etc. Remind them it’s a public work channel though so nothing too risqué.  

Breakfast is the New Lunch

When everyone is working remotely, it seems like lunch gets sucked up by all the to-do’s at home. And in the current environment, there’s always a child that needs help or an urgent request that can’t be ignored. So why not hold a team breakfast instead, before all the craziness begins? 

One of my teams regularly held a Friday morning breakfast meeting. They ensured the agenda had multiple speakers, giving everyone a chance to eat. And they always left time for regular conversations about exciting things going on in their lives.  This team consistently had the highest employee satisfaction rate of every team that reported to me. While Friday breakfast surely wasn’t the only reason for this, I’m confident it contributed.  Weekly may be a bit much for some teams, but I encourage you to give it a shot monthly. You’ll soon find yourself looking forward to catching up over breakfast with the team.

Walking in the Parking Lot

When I used to go to a physical office, I always saw groups of people going for a walk through the parking lot. It was exercise, but also a fun time to interact with coworkers. Why not schedule some time to go on a walk through the virtual parking lot with one of your coworkers? Or run out for a drive-thru coffee and chat by phone (hands-free, of course). 

Fun Competitions

Remember bake-offs and costume contests? Why should they have to stop? Sure we can’t taste each other’s food, but this is the age of Instagramming our dinners. Create a best-looking dinner competition and share the winning entries so the rest of the team can try. Or for something more athletic, hold a steps competition.  

These are just a few ideas, but there really is a lot you can do to have fun on a remote team.  What are some things your remote team is doing to keep things fun?