CG CEO Advocates Needed Emotional Support For Remote Teams

emote work can take an emotional toll. A lack of face-to-face interaction can impose a feeling of isolation, particularly during uncertain times such as the COVID-19 pandemic. At CommonGrounds, CEO Jacob Bates is taking a proactive stance by implementing new programs and recurring events to curb emotional distance, allay employee concerns, and improve morale.

Building Team and Morale

Research shows that reading body language and facial expressions are just as critical to communication as the words themselves. At CG, the leadership has worked to arm all employees working from home with access to the technology platforms and equipment they need for complete and efficient communication.

CG is uniting employees by taking things one step further with bi-monthly, company-wide “Fireside Chats”. Feedback from employees has been tremendous. One individual reported that “seeing over 50 faces on a Zoom call and interacting as if we are together at an in-person event is the highlight of my work week.” This medium allows the CG team to collaborate on projects, connect on personal levels and hear about future plans from the CEO first-hand. Bates leads these Fireside Chat calls live and on-camera, with honesty and empathy. He promotes video participation with competitions like a recent “best fireside hoodie” contest. The award went to an employee wearing a hooded CareBear onesie complete with matching virtual background.

“I really enjoy sharing my thoughts about the conversations taking place at the executive-level,” explains Bates. “I want to feel connected to every person in our organization and feel responsible for lifting their spirits. Transparency and trust are so important for employees during times like these.” Bates went on to share that he has boldly gone where few chief executives dare: “I’ve made a promise not to furlough or lay off any staff through June should the stay-at-home order be extended.”

CG has also expanded their use of the Slack platform; these days the team is “Slacking” as much for business communication as for personal, which has helped build morale and camaraderie. Each day, the company’s “random” channel is a stream of photos, news, funny memes, and supportive comments. There is talk of forming a personal art stream to celebrate the team’s in-house talents and other ideas that keep people connected and laughing with colleagues. One employee suggested a fitness channel for sharing free streaming opportunities for working out at home and healthy recipes to boost immunity. CG leadership feels that these communication tools formerly relegated to business purposes should be considered a safe place for discourse among employees.

Using this time for Professional Growth

Given the downtime, CommonGrounds has challenged their teams to use this time for both professional and personal growth within their teams with their “BE at Home with CG” initiative. Throughout the week, the organization disseminates various messaging and opportunities for growth. For instance:

• On Motivation Mondays, CG posts video interviews with employees at all levels of the organization to share insights and positive takeaways. A recent interview features a lead project designer discussing elements of nature within CG workplaces and how to incorporate the principles of biophilia in a home office to create positive, healthy, and productive work environments.

• On the development front, each employee has been given access to free educational opportunities and webinars to further personal growth. These range from free professional courses offered by Rutgers University to webinars covering personal interests like financial stability and health and wellness. Employees are incentivized to participate by a points program which allows them to earn prizes and gift certificates.

CommonGrounds continues to think creatively about new and innovative strategies for keeping employees engaged and feeling close – and it all starts from the top. Bates’ leadership style and commitment to staying in touch with and protecting employees goes a long way. CG continues to use these programs to engage their member base as well, maintaining positive productivity with their workplace staff as a result of these measures. “We know that the success of our business is contingent on the contributions of each and every member of our staff” says Bates. “I am committed to keeping our people connected, engaged and employed for as long as I can during these unprecedented times.”