Covid 19: 4 daily connection questions to ask a remote team

Loneliness is a greater well being threat than the virus for the vast majority of your team.

A good mate of mine, Bernie Orenstein, has been leading a remote group of developers in the Philippines.

He has built great engagement by having a 10 minute ‘stand up’ Zoom meeting at the start of each day. The questions have been modified slightly since the start of the pandemic.

These are the 4 daily questions Bernie is (and every manager should be) asking to build care, connection, and contribution during this crisis.

1. R U OK? Do you feel safe or unsafe? – this seeks to understand how they – and their families – are feeling about the health crisis before anything else is discussed. If someone is not feeling great – the whole team pitches in with support and ideas. They don’t move on until this is resolved
2. What did you get done yesterday? – this can be cause for a mini celebration – or support
3. What is your #1 goal today? – this helps everyone identify a bite sized chunk to focus on
4. Are there any impediments to your #1 goal?

Bernie also reinforces the meaning of their work each day and says the results have been remarkable.

Don’t underestimate how important the efforts to improve team care and connection are during these challenging times.