There is much talk and reading material on working in a positive team environment and the importance of a healthy team for the business. When the team is in sync and works well together, it affects the bottom line as well. Clients feel first-hand when the team members are treating them in a happy, friendly way. When team members are happy in their work environment, it projects in their attitude. Some people may say, “But this only works when you are working together in an office space or store and not remotely.” I beg to differ. Team building and a positive team environment work in a remote environment just as well.
Just recently, I got an email that some stray files have made their way into a folder where they did not belong. I looked at the content of these files and noticed that one of our team members had filed them there in error. I moved the two files into the files where they belonged. The team member who had filed them in the wrong folder thanked me for having her back. In another situation, I had a family emergency to attend and literally had to drop everything that I was doing to help my family member. From emergency room to hospital, my team members made sure that I could fully focus on my family member. During that time, my team answered urgent emails for me, took care of phone calls and client inquiries, and really had my back. In turn, I have my team members covered should they struggle, have an emergency, or go through a tough time. One team member shared in a team meeting that she was overwhelmed with all the workload she had to deal with at that time. I got caught up with my urgent work for the day and then called my team member asking what I can help her with. She handed some of the work over and appreciated my help very much.
The strong moral and spiritual support within our team is powerful. When one of us deals with a personal, difficult situation, the others provide support through listening, advice, prayers, and positive thoughts. It is a wonderful feeling to know that we can count on each other, no matter what happens.
As a strong team, we know we can overcome challenges much easier than a weak team could. Together, we seek new opportunities, and we learn together, always sharing our knowledge with each other. We go through thick and thin, through good and bad times. We live and breathe our motto that People First begins and ends with people. That includes our clients and business partners and our immediate team members. And we work in a fully remote work environment.
So, did you ask yourself lately: How do you feel about your team? Do you have each other’s back?
Marlies McKie
