WLP 45 Feeling Disconnected

Join the Blab debate on Social Collaboration, with Vanessa Shaw from the Human Side of Tech and Pilar on 23 Sept. Here's the link to the event. https://blab.im/ilbzla

Pilar introduces the show and the question: can team members working in the office also feel isolated?

Lisette shares how she's been receiving feedback on her book - another truly collaborative process! - and how she's been invited to speak at Agile Vietnam! (We mention the Virtual Coffee with Lisette promo, which you can check out at the beginning of one of the Collaboration Superpowers podcast.)

Lisette loves working on her own so she finds this issue puzzling...

 

Working from home, not alone...

Is socialising part of teamwork? Does social chat help make asking for help and feedback easier? http://www.lisettesutherland.com/2014/02/working-from-home-not-alone/

 

Social chat helps us understand each other and makes communication easier.

One-one relationships need to be strong to combat isolation: find a collaboration partner. We mention this article by Sebastian Bailey: How to Beat the Five Killers of Virtual Working. http://www.forbes.com/sites/sebastianbailey/2013/03/05/how-to-overcome-the-five-major-disadvantages-of-virtual-working/

We don't always need video.

The importance of having a process that brings you together.

 

You need a process OR an enthusiastic champion.

 

Can interdependent tasks prevent isolation? (Pilar mentions her Visibility in Virtual Teams Kindle book.)

 

There's no innovation if there's no communication.

 

The team can also become isolated from the business or organisation. Can this be prevented?

Working Out Loud.

How can we replicate not just the team talk around the water cooler, but also in the lifts, the canteen etc...

Team agreement.

Who's afraid of the big, new tools?

Making sure everyone knows how to use (and is comfortable with) communication technology.

Understanding your role in the team's achievements.

Tips to combat isolation for those working from home. (Pilar refers quite a bit to this podcast on working from home.)

What do we do when people just can't work from home?

 

Joke of the week: What's another word for Thesaurus?