Teamwork is one of our core values – and strengths – at RED. We pride ourselves in the way we communicate with and support each other and our clients.
Although we’ve had to adapt to new remote working routines over the last year, we’ve made efforts to maintain our approach and way of working.
Here are a few things we’ve done to keep morale and productivity high when working from home.
Regular face-to-face meetings
Getting in the habit of scheduling regular informal catch-ups has helped to maintain and even strengthen relationships, as well as proving to be productive. At RED we hold informal meetings on Microsoft Teams at least once a week, both internally and externally.
These are less structured than a briefing or project management meeting. They allow the team to discuss everything from the latest TV programme or country walk, to current projects and how they might need assistance.
It’s also a good chance to brainstorm ideas for tasks we’re working on and take inspiration from each other.
Project management tools
Tools like Basecamp, Wrike and Trello are really useful for sharing jobs you’re working on and keeping track of the current status.
RED uses some of these tools to share materials with clients for approvals, and can even track their internal feedback and any amends that need to be made.
It’s also handy for bringing a new team member into a project that has already been running for some time. They can dive into Basecamp for updates on the process so far, and also have somewhere to check back for reference.
Weekly (or daily!) phone calls
However, these digital tools can feel less personal and add to inbox overload.
Although we make every effort to create some conversation via email, there’s nothing quite like picking up the phone to check how a colleague or client is doing – both personally and professionally.
Communicating and building relationships are part of RED’s culture, so this is something we aim to fit in as regularly as possible.
Team building challenges
To celebrate RED’s ten-year anniversary, we’ve been completing challenges and feelgood activities every month.
In January everyone took part in a keep-active challenge (and raised £1,000). This helped team members to feel connected and share achievement together, despite the distance between us.
We also designed and sent out Valentine’s cards to keyworkers in February and began a new training course as a team. This month, we’ll be having a laugh together, and sharing some of our favourite jokes and making a video for Comic Relief.
These are just a few of the things we have done to promote strong teamwork while working from home. At RED, we feel it’s important to check in on our colleagues and clients during these times, not only to create a sense of togetherness, but also to let everyone know we’re here to support them.
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