Beyond Goat Yoga
Building Real Connection in Distributed Teams Through Small Group Roundtables
Forget the virtual escape rooms and the novelty animal cams – those activities might be fun occasionally, but they're not super-nourishing for genuine connection within your distributed team. The key lies not in ever-more-elaborate gimmicks, but in a return to basics: small focused roundtable discussions.
These group sessions should offer a unique space for connection in the remote world. Unlike company-wide happy hours or all-hands meetings, small groups usually guarantee a listening audience and the opportunity for meaningful conversation.
Think back to prehistoric times, huddled around campfires – fostering connection through shared stories and discussions is ingrained in our very nature. It just takes a digital twist in the modern era.
Sparking Authentic Conversations:
If you’re ready to unlock the power of small group discussions for your remote team, here are six tips to help you out:
Define The Purpose: Start by setting clear topics for the discussions. Have your team members submit topics and upvote them as themes. A few ideas to kick off are productivity in the age of dopamine hits, setting up home office space for success, memorable feedback conversations.
Craft Your Crew: Intentionally curate your groups. Consider mixing teams, seniority levels, and team member tenure. Aim for sizes between 3-5 members – large enough for diverse perspectives, but small enough for everyone to be seen and heard.
Tech Tune-Up: Before kick-off, ensure everyone is comfortable with the chosen platform and its features. And, in these intimate groups, ditch the mute button unless absolutely necessary. Unrestricted conversation flows more naturally when the mute button isn't a constant barrier.
Guide the Dialogue: Effective discussions thrive with boundaries. Establish ground rules to ensure a safe space (recording is a no-go!). Create a "parking lot" for off-topic ideas, with the understanding that they could be discussed in other group sessions or in a team meeting if appropriate. Remind participants that pauses and silence are valuable – talking isn't the only route to contribution.
Structure the Session: Clearly communicate the duration of the small group discussions and how the time could be divided up - for example, 5 minutes of framing and context. 5 minutes of generating related questions. 15 minutes of discussion. 5 minutes of wrap up with any takeaways and action items. This empowers participants to self-facilitate and share airtime effectively.
Choose Your Conversation Flow: There are two common structures:
Sequential: Participants contribute in a specific order, aiming for everyone to have a voice.
Popcorn: Anyone can jump in at any time, fostering a more organic flow.
By focusing on small discussion groups, you can move beyond the arms-race of gimmicky team-building activities and cultivate genuine connection within your remote workforce.
If you’d like support in facilitating small group discussions or rolling them out in your organization, drop us a line.