At “The Edge”, we are constantly trying to help our remote team members feel more connected. We have two different types of remote users: People who work from home, and those that work at satellite offices.
Working from home is a benefit many of our employees enjoy. They save on gas, spend more time with their families, and increase focus by avoiding the daily office distractions. For example, our bookkeeper Linda Goodson only comes into the office about once a week. To keep connected with users like Linda, we use a number of handy tools:
- Internal Instant Messenger: Dynedgers log in while they’re working. That way, even if someone is on the phone they can respond quickly.
- IP phones: Allows the team to answer and transfer calls just like they are in the office. All they need is an Ethernet port to plug into and, Voila! They’re connected to our phone server.
- Internal Newsletter: We limit ours to 3 pages. It’s emailed to the entire staff and posted all around the office, but the most read copy is defiantly the one above the urinal.
- Full Staff Meetings: Everyone meets at the office for a free lunch and some Dynamic Edge quality time. We like to have fun, but the focus always comes back to connecting with each other and making sure we’re all headed in the same direction as a company. At every meeting we talk about our core values and provide yearly goal updates.
An even more challenging task is staying connected with our satellite offices; How do we make sure these people feel like an equal part of the team and ensure our customers all get a consistent experience?
On top of that, we recently added a manager in our Nashville office. Now, how do we make our management team meetings (which are often heated) remote?
These are still works in progress, but here are some of the things we are doing:
- A Window to the Edge: We installed 42″ televisions and connected cameras to them in both of our offices. Now if you are in either office, you can walk up to the monitor and see right into the other office. It feels like looking through the glass wall at the zoo and peering into the monkey cave. People are making faces, throwing stuff, and looking back at you with equal amazement in their eyes. Other times, I walk over to it just so I can see the person I am talking to, or to see whose available to take a hand off.
- Pass the iPad: We use iPads along with Gotomeeting Video to get an up close look at who has the floor. The iPad helps everyone (even those very very far away) do more than just see inside their team mates nostrils; it makes it possible for everyone on the team to be seen and heard as they make their points, share their stories, and give advice.
- Video Conferencing: Now that our management team is scattered around the country, we have introduced video conferencing to our weekly management meetings. The total cost of this project was less than $200 because all of us already had an iPad. We are now able to see each other’s faces. React to tone and emotion. Share our screens. Most importantly, we can understand each other better.
Next step? Putting a second projector in the conference room so we can see remote participants on the big screen. Also, adding a better sound system.
~Bruce
