Hybrid team: 3 ideas for having fun

You have a team that works hybrid? Quick flashback – hybrid work means that members of your teamwork in different time and place. Some might come to office; some works from home and there might be even different time zones you team members are working in.

Whatever your team working environment is, one thing shouldn’t change – good time and connection with your teammates.

Here are 3 ideas you can implement today, for keeping that special connection your team has. These ideas have been tested and works well in Baltic states hybrid teams, so feel free to use and adapt!

Idea #1 to solve issue of excluding online team member from small talk that happens in meeting room in office (or just fun and including ice brake game before online meeting)

“Show me!”

Meeting host names the topic. It can be topic of meeting (e.g., results of previous month) or any random topic, like Halloween, Christmas, pets, emotion of the week, my work etc.

Participants, within 30 seconds, must find an item in their room that shows or explains this topic the best. Ask everyone to show that item in their screen and then explain a little.

Idea #2 to solve issue of distance and different work environment

“Talisman”

Choose talisman of your team. It can be a cup, stuffed animal, or cardboard extra colleague John.

Every week this talisman is in different hands. So, each colleague for a week is responsible for it. You should bring him to meetings, sends photos how talisman helps work or goes outside walking.

Keep having fun with it and feeling that there is one actual element that connects your different working places.

Idea #3 to increase personal connection in the team

“Secret friend”

It can be played month before some event (Christmas, Birthday of company, Easter, etc.) or just because you decided to add some nice extra in your daily work.

Randomly pick up a name of a colleague. Each team member should have different colleague name (and not his/her self).

All month you must write actual, handwritten letter to this person and send by post. You can add some small extra gift in it, but focus is on handwritten letter.

At the end of the month try to guess, who was sending letter to whom and have “secret friend” award ceremony. Each decides why his secret friend (from who he/she received letter) was the best secret friend!

p.s. you as a manager can use this game also differently.

You can write one per quarter or once per month handwritten letter to each of your team members, telling what great effort of him/her you noticed during this time.

In digital, hybrid, remote time handwritten letters bring back that personal connection that you usually get only meeting someone in person. Try it out!

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