How to have fun with your colleagues while working remotely

Maybe it doesn’t affect your day-to-day tasks, but this new paradigm has forever changed our workflow and the tools we use. It has also changed how we interact with colleagues, including our non-work-related interactions, which are super important when it comes to maintaining a healthy team spirit.

So, how do you juggle accountability and fun with your colleagues? Erika Akasaka & Erik Ours from Drivemode have found some great ways to do this, and they’ve been kind enough to share their insights with us.

Remote working is here to stay

Drivemode develops meaningful software solutions for drivers around the world. We were founded in 2014 by entrepreneurs from Zipcar and Tesla Motors and acquired by Honda in 2019.

What challenges SpatialChat cover for your organization?

Creating a relaxing collaborative virtual environment to improve socialization and morale. Our team is split between two offices, one in Tokyo and the other in Silicon Valley, California.

What made our solution stand out over others that you researched?

Cost and the ease at which team members can interact with each other within the meeting space. The overall mechanics of the site give a look and feel that simulates how you would interact within a large meeting space at an office. A really good point is how the voice volume dynamically changes as the distance changes between participants in the same space.

How did you hear about us?
One of our team members had some personal connections in other Tokyo-based companies who recommended SpatialChat as an effective real-time collaborative space for remote work.

How long have you been using SpatialChat? Since May 2020
How often do you use SpatialChat? Weekly

CASE STUDY:

Who is your audience?
Drivemode team members, and occasionally collaborative team members from Drivemode’s parent company, Honda.

What is the largest event you have organized in SpatialChat, in terms of attendees?
The largest event involved 30 members

How do you use SpatiaChat?

1. New employee introductions
2. Sharing videos, photos, and links of interest during conversations
3. Team building games
4. Split out sections of the team space for topic discussions

How do you customize your space?

We use the stock images included in SpatialChat. I occasionally update the background image to refresh the feeling of the space, which often sparks new conversational topics.

Any tips & tricks for our readers on how to organize an event?
Keep in mind the background image really sets the tone of the meeting environment. Pre-add any images that may help as digital signboards within the event.

What shall we improve in SpatialChat?
I have been communicating improvement suggestions directly with Tina Geizen.

What new features should we develop in SpatialChat?
The ability to add custom emojis to an event space for participant use.

Thank You
Erika & Erik, thank you very much for taking the time to share with us your remote office experience. You’ve really nailed the process of balancing engagement and accountability within the Drivemode team. What is interesting is that you even managed to invite the Honda team members and have fun together. Fabulous job. Good luck and see you around.

About the company:
Drivemode, Inc.
Located: Headquarters located in Silicon Valley, USA. Engineering department is located in Tokyo, Japan.
https://www.drivemode.com/

Helpful materials

Here are some helpful links and great resources to dive deeper into the world of SpatialChat.

Let's explore it😊