Appreciation and Connection: Keeping Remote Staff Engaged
By Kaley Johnson
Working from home can be isolating and it can be difficult to feel like a team without a shared office space. That’s why Kendra Allen, MHA, BSN, RN, CCM, Director of Utilization Management (UM), and the UM leadership team works hard to help Health Plan staff feel connected and appreciated even while they work remotely.
Kendra was a manager at Cook Children’s for three years prior to becoming the department Director in September 2023. She brought lessons from her previous role to her new department, made up of 60 employees.
Both clinical and non-clinical staff work remotely, and the group mostly communicates over Teams. In addition to daily team chats, Kendra created a system of regular meetings with interactive activities, and quarterly in-person team building options that helps keep everyone engaged with one another in a positive way.
Every week, each of the six teams has a “coffee talk” over Zoom. Coffee talk serves as an informal, video call for UM staff to talk about any issues, updates, or team goals in the workplace with their direct UM supervisor. The next day, Kendra meets with UM supervisors and managers to go over topics as needed.
The department has the traditional quarterly team meeting, but Kendra found that many times, discussion about important regulatory updates cannot wait until a new quarter. Instead, the UM leadership team will address any updates that involve workflow changes in its own meeting. This simplifies communication about the policy update and gives staff the opportunity to ask questions.
The UM Leadership plan team building exercises such as dinner, bowling, or a personality course. Even if only a few people attend an event, the invitation alone makes people feel appreciated. The supervisors and managers also attend a monthly, in-person activity, such as a trip to Top Golf or a lunch.
In a monthly newsletter to staff, Kendra includes something interactive for staff. For example, she might ask for “Two Truths and a Lie” or for people to send in pictures of good things that happened that week. This encourages people to connect on a personal level.
This hits on an important aspect of Kendra’s goal; she wants to create a culture where people are engaged, comfortable and connected. The Health Plan have worked together to create this kind of work community.
“They are friends outside of work and while working remotely. It’s great to see," Kendra said. “It’s possible to do it and be successful, but you have to get a little creative. Quarterly meetings alone won’t do it. I have learned that you have to keep actively trying to engage people.”
Kendra continues to look for new and exciting ways to help her remote team feel connected and heard.