We don’t need to tell you about the challenges of a dispersed work force. You’re living it, you know that it can have negative effects on team cohesion and the mental health of employees. You’ve probably already looked into ways to address this with Zoom happy hours, online trivia, and Slack coffee dates. We’re guessing you’ve even researched other virtual team building activities, like online escape rooms.
Everyone enjoys hearing those words on the first day with a new team. It doesn’t matter if it is a work team, a volunteer team, or a social team. It’s nice to be welcomed. But—then what? What comes after the welcoming reception with coffee and donuts? What does the newcomer do after receiving the welcome email from the company CEO, Sponsor, Team Leader, Committee Chair, or Hiring Manager?
Why are you avoiding a difficult conversation? Because you don’t want to deal with the truth? Because you don’t want to deal with an awkward conversation? Take heed from this raccoon story—avoidance only allows the problem to get worse.
