How the best work-from-home tool can be attempting to be human!

March 26th, 2020

We’re all here; it is unavoidable. Current world events have most of us and our teams working from home. There are millions of articles on how to be productive remotely, how to set up your home office, and what are the best tools to use.

What I find missing are articles on how to keep your culture going, how to stay “human” and not become virtual avatars. How to keep the unique identifiers that make our teams special and make us bond at the workplace.

One of ShuttleCloud’s core values is“we are in the trenches, together,”we are a team that helps each other out. Don’t get me wrong; you can still do this remotely. I know remote companies that do this every day.

However, how do you adapt if this is your new reality? In a team full of camaraderie, high fives, and jokes, what can we do?

Spoiler: I don’t have a definite answer, but I have cyber planking:

Yes, every day at 12:33 pm, the ShuttleCloud team unites, we put our laptops down, see our faces in a non-meeting environment, make a joke or two, and then we plank:

What’s been even better are people who are not planking joining in. Why? I guess it’s because we are in the trenches together.

All you need is the following:

• Your favorite video conference software
• A designated timer (they do not get to plank ?)
• And once somebody falls, have them shout out their name.

And of course, make it into a challenge:

Recap on Slack included:

In the spirit of competition, our team average is 2:52, with a median of 2:46. I want to call out our friends at SheetGo & MarketGoo (fully-remote team, not sure about fit) and get their times.

I would also like to remind leaders not solely to focus on productivity tools in these coming months but also to keep in mind the well being of your teams. Let your culture and values guide you.

So stay safe, keep productive, and be “human” as best you can.

Our team just can’t beat Uma’s (Ryan’s dog) time: