By Talitha Utton – Account Manager at Innocomm
Working in an all-woman, remote, worldwide team, misinterpretation and misunderstandings can wreak havoc between team members. This could spill into the work done for clients and into the relationships between co-workers.
The age-old recommendation of open communication and the putting to bed the fear of rejection, something we all fear experiencing, can go a long way within a team dynamic. For men within a working team the below may not be relevant, but for me in a remote, worldwide all-women team, I’ve learned the following:
- Expect to catch up for the first five minutes of your call – even if it’s about the weather
- Wait to have your say and don’t be afraid to say it – but consider how you package that feedback
- Hear each colleague’s opinion – note that I didn’t say ‘listen’… I can listen to something without actually hearing what is being said
- Motivate one another – we all have our days where you question your skills, capabilities, amount of coffee consumed… especially when stuck in lockdown
- Be real and honest – your colleagues deserve it
- Learn from one another – some people are just naturally more in tune with certain skills, capitalise on this experience
- Gravitate to a colleague – someone that gets you and that you can bounce ideas off of
As a team, Innocomm has been undergoing teambuilding sessions through Exponentially Me, an organisation geared towards building team cohesion. With a focus on unlocking each members potential, while also creating an environment to thrive in despite our varying characters, we’ve been navigating this journey together.
In a series of carefully designed activities our team of six has learnt about what triggers us, what opinions matter to us, and how our cognitive skills differ… It brings a very real sense of how you work within your environment and how we all interpret messages differently. In this neutral, online environment, we reflect and learn about one another, we objectively see how we vary in nature, in opinion and interpretation – and that it is alright as we all bring uniqueness to the team.
Having this insight into a team that you work with daily and rely on to achieve your own goals and KPI’s provides unimaginable insight and understanding. Finding the right tools to bring out the best in one another, to raise one another up in times of need, and to hear one another, counts towards making a cohesive team, no matter what time-zone or room of your house you sit in.
