The Craftsman Agency specializes in creating magical moments for our clients that center around the human experience, both in physical and digital spaces. And as important as this is, it’s equally important for us to enable our team to have magical, human experiences together as well—particularly since we’re a fully remote creative shop, where it can be much too easy to put our heads down and focus all our attention on client projects.
In early September, we were able to bring several members of The Craftsman Agency team together for a nice meal and delicious drinks. This isn’t something that we get to do often (especially with me coming from Berlin!), so it was definitely a special evening. Even though we keep in touch over collaboration and project management tools, those still don’t feel the same as being face to face.
Has it been a while since you spent quality time with your team? Here’s a reminder of some of the ways you can benefit:
1. You truly see your teammates as people, which can translate into better teamwork.
Whether or not you work remotely, with so much now being handled via digital tools, it can become habitual to see just names or roles instead of the well-rounded people behind those tags. When you’re together in person, sharing jokes and stories (or even learning you like the same style of margarita as your colleague, as we found out) can positively impact your level of connectivity and collaboration.
2. You can gain inspiration from getting out of the office.
Most people work from similar spaces on a day-to-day basis. For our shop, we often work from home or specific coworking spaces. Getting out and enjoying a new environment with your colleagues can be inspiring and can lead to more creativity once you return to your usual workspace.
3. Your team feels appreciated. Taking the team to a special lunch or dinner is a great way to say thank-you. While we have weekly company meetings where we virtually high-five and give shout-outs for outstanding efforts, it’s definitely better to do it face to face while providing a great experience and some delicious treats.
4. You can have more inspiring work conversations.
Of course the conversation shouldn’t be all about work—but being outside of work allows these types of conversations to take a more inspirational turn. It isn’t about the nitty-gritty details of a project, but more about the big picture, the vision, the energy. Our CEO, Gina, spent time during our dinner together talking about how jazzed she is over the work we’re doing and the creative shop we’re building, and that type of conversation is key to keeping a team focused and passionate about the work. In addition, it provides a more open environment, which can help the team gain new perspectives.
Our team dinner was really fun, and it made us feel, well, even more like a team. We’re already looking forward to our next get-together. Want more inspiration related to improving your teamwork? Check out this post on how to get the best results from your collaborations.