6 systems that increase creativity in remote teams
Hey folks!
For my newsletter Remotely Inclined, I interview remote business leaders / executives. I've also interviewed over 250 entrepreneurs as a freelance journalist, and remote work has been a huge topic lately for obvious reasons.
One big issue I notice repeatedly coming up in my conversations is creativity when remote. It seems most remote entrepreneurs agree remote work is better for nearly everything... except collaboration and creativity.
In response, I just published this article: 6 Systems That Increase Creativity On Remote Teams.
I'll share the TLDR here, but there's a lot more context in the article if you want to try any of the systems in your organization (don't worry -- content is free).
TLDR:
System 1: Communication Triage
Key: Have single-use tools for different forms of communication - one for urgent work, one for non-urgent work, and one for social communication
System 2: Compass Calibration
Key: Every week, reiterate the company goals and how each department / team / project rolls up into and supports overall company mission, vision, and values, so the entire team feels connected to the mission and has the chance to clarify any misunderstandings.
System 3: The Golden Rule
Key: Don't have more than 6-7 decision makers in a meeting. If you need to get more feedback / perspectives, send a survey out before the meeting to capture opinions and send notes out after the meeting (or share the zoom recording).
System 4: Brainstorm, Homework, Brainstorm (BHB)
Key: Long video brainstorming meetings are exhausting. Instead, send agenda ahead of time, have a shorter brainstorming meeting, have everyone on the team think about the content + add ideas on their own time, and then reconvene to have the "second half" of your brainstorming meeting.
System 5: Key Issues Approach (KIA)
Key: Weekly, have everyone in the team share:
- Blockers
- Higlights
- Lowlights
- What's next
In the meeting, only talk about blockers and what's next, with a focus on unblocking issues and preparing a runway for what's next. Keep the highlights and lowlights written (in a Slack thread, for instance) -- it can be used for 1:1's later.
System 6: Humanity in Creativity
Key: People are not just employees, but people. Encourage emotional check ins, sharing non-work stories, and sharing the 'why' behind ideas (which often reveal something about how someone thinks or about their life experiences).
That's the TLDR, I hope it helps. The full step-by-step for each system is in the article: 6 Systems That Increase Creativity On Remote Teams
