Team Huddles: Inspiring a Collaborative and Engaging Hybrid Work Culture

Collaboration over a Microsoft Teams call.

Traversing the inevitable merging of in-person and remote work cultures was indeed a transition that initially sent an interruptive wave amongst agencies and companies throughout. However, as many companies have acclimated to these changes, it has demonstrated to have positive possibilities. There has been a refreshed and fixated emphasis on the importance of collaboration and group effort that has united many teams together more than ever before. In our own design agency, we utilize communication tools such as Zoom, to collaborate internally and externally with clients. Staying in the loop with your team on the pipeline of a project is paramount for clarity and co-authorship. 

Team collaborating on a huddle

Ideal for Ideating 

Sometimes our best ideas can be further developed when a team of creative innovators ideate together. Collaboration elicits refreshing ideas and expansion of suggestions through feedback. In our huddles, we often share our current projects, so all members of the team who may not be a part of a particular assignment can gain insights into different work sectors. 

It opens the floor for sharing suggestions for a more optimal, or alternative approach to a design, and even a safe space for encouragement on individual and collective achievements. Ideating together also, in turn, allows stuck points to be soothed and inspiration to thrive.

Working from home

Building a Healthy Work Culture 

A collaborative work culture undeniably equates to the feelings that are redolent to comfort and trust in your team. Huddles are great for aligning all projects on a timeline, but they also allow your team members to get to know one another on a friendly, conversational level. Daily huddles encourage a sense of mutual effort and unity as an agency, which consequently results in the comfort of offering feedback and asking for help throughout the workday. When you can communicate with your team daily, it propels team productivity. 

Huddles aren’t only great to check off all the items on to-do lists and move a project scope toward completion, but it creates a strong internal relationship —which is especially paramount in hybrid work structures.

Team member working from home

Huddle Facilitators Improve Team Communication

Daily regroups are much more impactful with a facilitator leading a discussion and encouraging focus. Rotating a huddle leader opens the opportunity to engage all team members in sharing their current ideas to achieve their goals, while also keeping a discussion on track. Huddle facilitators dust off any ongoing projects that are in limbo to also keep your team on track in ensuring no project is forgotten even when paused. This also helps build strong communication to stay in sync collectively. 

Communicating effectively and daily instills confidence, and empowerment in knowing that a team ready to support you is only a click away.