A worldwide pandemic may seem like the time when teams crumble under the pressure of the unknown. However, a pandemic is a great time to help bring a team together for a common goal. After a team works together and makes it through a pandemic, they’ll have created bonds and may be working together better than ever before.
Flexibility
The pandemic has brought about a host of challenges for teams all over the globe. One large challenge is working together over technology. There was a learning curve for a lot of people when it came to learning technology for their job. This alone was a challenge and then employees had to take it to the next level to work as a team from different locations.
In addition to the flexibility needed to work in an online environment, something else that teams learned how to do during the pandemic was the ability to think on their feet. The need for fast decisions is especially prevalent during a pandemic. Teams have to be confident in their decision-making skills in order to quickly respond to emergencies as they arise.
Empathy
Something else that the pandemic brought was a look into team member’s personal lives. While team members are participating in virtual meetings, they are getting a glimpse into other team member’s lives. This consists of seeing kids, pets, and spouses living their daily lives. Whether team members like it or not, they are getting closer to each other and learning new things about each other every day. This ultimately adds to the strong bond that the teams are making by working through a pandemic together.
Accountability
With remote work comes the issue of accountability. When working on a team, team members must hold up their end of the work. This can be especially hard when working from home with other responsibilities like kids who may be trying to do virtual school in the other room. Teams that are successful during the pandemic hold themselves and each other accountable for the work that they are doing even if it is not in the traditional sense. This also adds to the bonds that teams create when they work together during stressful times.