The Best Ways to Energize
Your Remote Team According to Basecamp, Wrike and X-Team
Energy is a powerful yet often overlooked reason behind team's productivity. The truth is energy is all around us. Sometimes we need a gentle nudge to remind ourselves that we can plug into energy as needed. Finding the right sources of energy becomes even more important when it comes to remote teams. As humans, most of us re-charge during face-to-face interactions with our peers — something that employees miss the most when working from home. And this means a good team leader has to find new ways to replace these interactions and energize their team.
Chip Heath and Dan Heath, the authors of the book Switch, introduce us to the idea of positive change. "Habits are behavioral autopilot, and that's why they're such a critical tool for leaders. Leaders who can instill habits that reinforce their teams' goals are essentially making progress for free."
Would you like to help your remote team feel more energized? In this article, we'll look at lessons learned from three industry experts on remote work to understand how they've empowered their distributed teams to tap into energy from anywhere.
Chip Heath and Dan Heath, the authors of the book Switch, introduce us to the idea of positive change. "Habits are behavioral autopilot, and that's why they're such a critical tool for leaders. Leaders who can instill habits that reinforce their teams' goals are essentially making progress for free."
Would you like to help your remote team feel more energized? In this article, we'll look at lessons learned from three industry experts on remote work to understand how they've empowered their distributed teams to tap into energy from anywhere.
Do more of what you love outside of work
There are many benefits to working remotely, and one of them is the gift of autonomy. That can mean having the flexibility to choose when and often where we work. In these challenging times, our home can be our primary workspace.
To break through the monotony, remote team leaders can encourage team members to embrace activities that they love. A healthy level of disconnectedness can be a good thing for our well-being.
When you are doing an activity that you love, you can unknowingly lose track of time. Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist and economist, highlights what it's like to be in a state of flow: "People who experience flow describe it as 'a state of effortless concentration so deep that they lose their sense of time, of themselves, and their problems,' and their descriptions of the joy of that state are so compelling that Csikszentmihalyi has called it an 'optimal experience,'" he wrote in the bestselling book Thinking, Fast and Slow.
"Many activities can induce a sense of flow, from painting to racing motorcycles — and for some fortunate authors I know, even writing a book is often an optimal experience. Flow neatly separates the two forms of effort: concentration on the task and the deliberate control of attention."
Here are some more examples of activities that can trigger flow:
✔️ Walking or riding a bike amongst nature.
✔️ Playing a musical instrument.
✔️ Reading a favorite book.
✔️ Playing a game like chess.
✔️ Taking care of a garden or house plants.
The key here is nudging members of your team to explore activities that they love. Next, we'll talk about how to create a workspace that helps team members stay energized.
To break through the monotony, remote team leaders can encourage team members to embrace activities that they love. A healthy level of disconnectedness can be a good thing for our well-being.
When you are doing an activity that you love, you can unknowingly lose track of time. Daniel Kahneman, a psychologist and economist, highlights what it's like to be in a state of flow: "People who experience flow describe it as 'a state of effortless concentration so deep that they lose their sense of time, of themselves, and their problems,' and their descriptions of the joy of that state are so compelling that Csikszentmihalyi has called it an 'optimal experience,'" he wrote in the bestselling book Thinking, Fast and Slow.
"Many activities can induce a sense of flow, from painting to racing motorcycles — and for some fortunate authors I know, even writing a book is often an optimal experience. Flow neatly separates the two forms of effort: concentration on the task and the deliberate control of attention."
Here are some more examples of activities that can trigger flow:
✔️ Walking or riding a bike amongst nature.
✔️ Playing a musical instrument.
✔️ Reading a favorite book.
✔️ Playing a game like chess.
✔️ Taking care of a garden or house plants.
The key here is nudging members of your team to explore activities that they love. Next, we'll talk about how to create a workspace that helps team members stay energized.
Tailor your workspace to bring you comfort and joy
Set yourself up for success by designating a specific spot in your home to work from each day. When you work from one particular area of your home, it teaches your mind to create boundaries between productive work time and personal time for relaxing and recharging. This separation can help team members avoid spiraling into the trap of being unable to stop thinking about work at the end of the day.
James Clear, a productivity expert, and author shares a challenge that he overcame when he began working remotely:
"When I started my career as an entrepreneur, I would often work from my couch or at the kitchen table. In the evenings, I found it difficult to stop working," he wrote in his eye-opening book Atomic Habits. "There was no clear division between the end of work time and the beginning of personal time. Was the kitchen table my office or the space where I ate meals? Was the couch where I relaxed or where I sent emails? Everything happened in the same place."
Once you've chosen a spot to work, then focus on a few fundamentals:
✔️ A desk
✔️ A comfortable chair
✔️ A power outlet nearby
The basic setup above near a window for natural light will be a great starting point for your remote workspace. Next, you can begin customizing your spot to make it feel more comfortable. Here are some ideas to inspire you:
→ Do you use multiple screens like a laptop and an external monitor?
Invest in a Roost laptop stand to bring your computer to eye level with your monitor.
→ Add an anti-fatigue mat under your desk, so your feet don't hurt after work.
→ Decorate your desk with fun trinkets that make you smile.
→ Add photos of your family and pets to your desk.
→ Bring some nature to your workspace by adding easy to grow houseplants like succulents.
Next, we'll talk about how to make human connection work even on a distributed team.
James Clear, a productivity expert, and author shares a challenge that he overcame when he began working remotely:
"When I started my career as an entrepreneur, I would often work from my couch or at the kitchen table. In the evenings, I found it difficult to stop working," he wrote in his eye-opening book Atomic Habits. "There was no clear division between the end of work time and the beginning of personal time. Was the kitchen table my office or the space where I ate meals? Was the couch where I relaxed or where I sent emails? Everything happened in the same place."
Once you've chosen a spot to work, then focus on a few fundamentals:
✔️ A desk
✔️ A comfortable chair
✔️ A power outlet nearby
The basic setup above near a window for natural light will be a great starting point for your remote workspace. Next, you can begin customizing your spot to make it feel more comfortable. Here are some ideas to inspire you:
→ Do you use multiple screens like a laptop and an external monitor?
Invest in a Roost laptop stand to bring your computer to eye level with your monitor.
→ Add an anti-fatigue mat under your desk, so your feet don't hurt after work.
→ Decorate your desk with fun trinkets that make you smile.
→ Add photos of your family and pets to your desk.
→ Bring some nature to your workspace by adding easy to grow houseplants like succulents.
Next, we'll talk about how to make human connection work even on a distributed team.
Connect with your fellow team members through activities
Feeling connected through human interaction is a desire that we all have in common. There are varying levels of interaction that is needed by team members. For instance, a colleague that has a family may have plenty of socialization. However, another team member that lives alone may not have enough.
These can be tricky situations to navigate, and with some effort, it can be done. We'll look at three examples of how remote leaders remind team members that connection matters.
We begin by turning to Ryan Chartrand, CEO of X-Team, who shares words of wisdom for handling different human interaction levels on a team. "Your role in orchestrating social events is really about finding who needs them and ensuring that anything that you do is guaranteed to drive value and to drive energy for them," said Chartrand.
Ryan Chartrand is a remote work advocate, and since 2014, he has led a 100% remote team. X-Team provides high-performing, on-demand teams of developers to global brands.
Chartrand shares an example of an event called Versus. Versus is a steps competition where two teams within X-Team compete across 24 hours to see who can get the highest number of steps in. The event is optional and is hosted asynchronously, which means team members can choose to participate at any point in their day.
There has been an unexpected benefit of hosting Versus regularly. This friendly steps competition has spawned fitness routines, which has then led to making healthier choices about food. Both can mean more energy for team members who are now living an active lifestyle.
Next, we'll take a look at how Basecamp thinks about human interaction. Basecamp is a project management tool that lets teams collaborate and get projects completed.
David Heinemeier Hansson, CEO at Basecamp, has also embraced this idea of empowering team members to create a social connection. "There's a separate discussion to be had about social connection, which I think is actually where video chat meetings have the greatest benefit for most people. It's not about making work better, it's about at least occasionally connecting with others at work about something else," said Hannson.
Hannson talks about an ongoing activity that happens at Basecamp on Fridays:
"On Fridays right now at 10 am, there's a standing game session for an hour in the middle of the day. You can join if you want to, and they play a board game or something else like that on video chat. There's nothing work related to it. It's not a board game about work," he said. "It's just a way to connect with your coworkers for an hour. It's just that we don't need to squeeze this human connection out of all the other ways we collaborate."
For our third example, we'll learn from Andrew Filev who is the CEO of Wrike. Wrike is a platform for collaborative work management. Instead of using lots of different tools to work together, you can simplify and use Wrike to get things done as a distributed team.
Filev has acknowledged that the global pandemic has changed what is now considered normal. The team at Wrike has stayed connected by adapting through online events:
"So far, we've been super successful. We actually now have more events than we had before because they are very different events, mostly facilitated online. There is also some competition and some challenges in all sorts of areas, from fitness to cooking to meditation in the interest groups that I activated. We also periodically send people some stuff to remind them about their physical connections. We send them snack boxes, and sometimes we send people little succulent plants and so on and so forth."
The key takeaways from these three examples of creating human connections are:
✔️Be intentional. Create memorable experiences through online or virtual events.
✔️Make an event optional. Let team members participate if they wish.
✔️Choose async. Allow remote team members to jump in when they are at their best during their day.
Next, we'll talk about why instilling a sense of belonging matters for remote teams.
These can be tricky situations to navigate, and with some effort, it can be done. We'll look at three examples of how remote leaders remind team members that connection matters.
We begin by turning to Ryan Chartrand, CEO of X-Team, who shares words of wisdom for handling different human interaction levels on a team. "Your role in orchestrating social events is really about finding who needs them and ensuring that anything that you do is guaranteed to drive value and to drive energy for them," said Chartrand.
Ryan Chartrand is a remote work advocate, and since 2014, he has led a 100% remote team. X-Team provides high-performing, on-demand teams of developers to global brands.
Chartrand shares an example of an event called Versus. Versus is a steps competition where two teams within X-Team compete across 24 hours to see who can get the highest number of steps in. The event is optional and is hosted asynchronously, which means team members can choose to participate at any point in their day.
There has been an unexpected benefit of hosting Versus regularly. This friendly steps competition has spawned fitness routines, which has then led to making healthier choices about food. Both can mean more energy for team members who are now living an active lifestyle.
Next, we'll take a look at how Basecamp thinks about human interaction. Basecamp is a project management tool that lets teams collaborate and get projects completed.
David Heinemeier Hansson, CEO at Basecamp, has also embraced this idea of empowering team members to create a social connection. "There's a separate discussion to be had about social connection, which I think is actually where video chat meetings have the greatest benefit for most people. It's not about making work better, it's about at least occasionally connecting with others at work about something else," said Hannson.
Hannson talks about an ongoing activity that happens at Basecamp on Fridays:
"On Fridays right now at 10 am, there's a standing game session for an hour in the middle of the day. You can join if you want to, and they play a board game or something else like that on video chat. There's nothing work related to it. It's not a board game about work," he said. "It's just a way to connect with your coworkers for an hour. It's just that we don't need to squeeze this human connection out of all the other ways we collaborate."
For our third example, we'll learn from Andrew Filev who is the CEO of Wrike. Wrike is a platform for collaborative work management. Instead of using lots of different tools to work together, you can simplify and use Wrike to get things done as a distributed team.
Filev has acknowledged that the global pandemic has changed what is now considered normal. The team at Wrike has stayed connected by adapting through online events:
"So far, we've been super successful. We actually now have more events than we had before because they are very different events, mostly facilitated online. There is also some competition and some challenges in all sorts of areas, from fitness to cooking to meditation in the interest groups that I activated. We also periodically send people some stuff to remind them about their physical connections. We send them snack boxes, and sometimes we send people little succulent plants and so on and so forth."
The key takeaways from these three examples of creating human connections are:
✔️Be intentional. Create memorable experiences through online or virtual events.
✔️Make an event optional. Let team members participate if they wish.
✔️Choose async. Allow remote team members to jump in when they are at their best during their day.
Next, we'll talk about why instilling a sense of belonging matters for remote teams.
Remind team members that they are part of something bigger than themselves
Having the sense that you are part of something larger than yourself can be a strong internal driver. Former Navy SEAL officers Jocko Willink and Leif Babin talk about leadership in their book Extreme Ownership. Willink and Babin say, "Leaders must always operate with the understanding that they are part of something greater than themselves and their own personal interests."
In other words, as a leader, you have to believe wholeheartedly in this concept of belonging. Only then will you be able to communicate this to your team authentically.
Earlier, we explored how X-Team, Basecamp, and Wrike handle feeling connected on a distributed team. We'll now return to our first remote work expert Ryan Chartrand from X-Team, to look at how he thinks about creating a sense of belonging within his organization.
Chartrand believes that helping your teams feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves is the most significant energy driver there is. He talks about investing in experiences: "There's value in creating an experience...an experience that reminds your employees why they matter. You know how you all share the same values, why they belong."
"You also feel belonging from events where you get to hang out with people who share your values, and one of the most important ways you can feel it remotely is through all-hands meetings," said Chartrand.
In addition to town halls and all-hands meetings, X-Team creates experiences through other events like Versus, where teams compete across a day to see who can rack up the most amount of steps. Victorious teams are rewarded with virtual coins that can be redeemed towards tangible items like swag, gift cards, and even donations for nonprofits and charities. This is how X-Team helps their team feel that they belong even though they don't have an office.
Four ways to energize your remote teams are:
1. Do more of what you love outside of work.
2. Tailor your workspace to bring you comfort and joy.
3. Connect with your fellow team members through activities.
4. Remind team members that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
Investing in your team to create habits so they feel energized will pay dividends well into the future. An energized team member is more engaged and happy. And according to the author Gretchen Rubin, we can connect even more benefits to happiness. "Contemporary research shows that happy people are more altruistic, more productive, more helpful, more likeable, more creative, more resilient, more interested in others, friendlier and healthier. Happy people make better friends, colleagues, and citizens," wrote Rubin in her book The Happiness Project.
In other words, as a leader, you have to believe wholeheartedly in this concept of belonging. Only then will you be able to communicate this to your team authentically.
Earlier, we explored how X-Team, Basecamp, and Wrike handle feeling connected on a distributed team. We'll now return to our first remote work expert Ryan Chartrand from X-Team, to look at how he thinks about creating a sense of belonging within his organization.
Chartrand believes that helping your teams feel like they are part of something bigger than themselves is the most significant energy driver there is. He talks about investing in experiences: "There's value in creating an experience...an experience that reminds your employees why they matter. You know how you all share the same values, why they belong."
"You also feel belonging from events where you get to hang out with people who share your values, and one of the most important ways you can feel it remotely is through all-hands meetings," said Chartrand.
In addition to town halls and all-hands meetings, X-Team creates experiences through other events like Versus, where teams compete across a day to see who can rack up the most amount of steps. Victorious teams are rewarded with virtual coins that can be redeemed towards tangible items like swag, gift cards, and even donations for nonprofits and charities. This is how X-Team helps their team feel that they belong even though they don't have an office.
Four ways to energize your remote teams are:
1. Do more of what you love outside of work.
2. Tailor your workspace to bring you comfort and joy.
3. Connect with your fellow team members through activities.
4. Remind team members that they are part of something bigger than themselves.
Investing in your team to create habits so they feel energized will pay dividends well into the future. An energized team member is more engaged and happy. And according to the author Gretchen Rubin, we can connect even more benefits to happiness. "Contemporary research shows that happy people are more altruistic, more productive, more helpful, more likeable, more creative, more resilient, more interested in others, friendlier and healthier. Happy people make better friends, colleagues, and citizens," wrote Rubin in her book The Happiness Project.
Would you like some more actionable tips on how to improve collaboration on a distributed team?
Save the date for the next Running Remote Online on Friday, May 21.
Save the date for the next Running Remote Online on Friday, May 21.
Here is a preview of some of the guest speakers that will teach in expert-led sessions:
With promo code 6nomads you will get 20% off the full access event pass.
Sign up now for Running Remote Online!
- David Barrett, Founder & CEO at Expensify
- Katherine Huh, Advisory Real Estate Director at PWC
- Sam Pessin, Co-founder & CEO at Remote Year
- Sujan Patel, Co-founder at Mailshake
- Leah Sutton, SVP of Global HR at Elastic
With promo code 6nomads you will get 20% off the full access event pass.
Sign up now for Running Remote Online!
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5 March / 2021
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