When planning a strategy to begin transitioning to ‘the new normal’, perhaps the most important question we face today is: How can we quantify the impact that this pandemic has had on our teams, as well as identify those areas where we can start to resolve the issues? 

TeamEQ’s analytic model gives us a unique insight into the impact of Covid-19 and some of the possible ways we can create more effective ways of working in the new environment.

By analyzing TeamBeats, our TeamEQ questionnaire,  during the 3 months of the lockdown we were able to gather useful data about the evolution of the most important team KPIs, as well discovering the concerns, thoughts and feelings of individuals via anonymous postings on our TeamWall. 

We also managed to gain an insight into how companies using the TeamEQ platform were able to analyze and act upon the results in order to minimize the negative impact of the situation.

Impact on key team variables

Key variables like commitment, effectiveness and team alignment remained steady during the months of the crisis, with little or no variation between March and May. In fact, the harmony variable even saw a slight increase, which may be due to a greater “sense of togetherness” caused by the situation.

However, one key variable, perhaps unsurprisingly, suffered a significant decrease: well-being.

• Well-being declined steadily from February to April with a total decrease of 12% over the period studied.  
• In the following two months, coinciding with the gradual return to normality between April and May, well-being recovered  7%.

Well-being, defined as the state of feeling happy and healthy, has an enormous impact on the individual and Team’s performance.  Our data clearly reveals that correlation: 

We can see the consequences in the fall of well-being upon other key variables.  In one case, a fall of 9% during the crisis led to a decline in two other key variables:

• Personal Motivation (-8%) 
• Personal Satisfaction (-8%).

Anecdotally, it seems obvious that a fall in well-being would have a negative impact on other aspects of a team’s performance. However, thanks to TeamBeat we can see where that’s happening, measure its impact and take the appropriate actions to minimize negative outcomes.   

What were the most important topics for Team members?

The TeamEQ TeamWall allows individual members of a team to express their feelings either signed or anonymously. It is a space for open and honest dialogue and a useful tool to monitor the temperature of teams and take suitable actions to address their concerns.  

A comparison of topics discussed before Covid 19 reveals that five topics were mentioned more frequently during the months that were studied:

• Relationship with Teammates 
• Communication
• Economic security 
• Compatibility remote working – family
• Confidence in the future

During Covid-19 ideas of a “sense of belonging to a team” and “professional growth” decreased slightly as key drivers. However, the personal dimension began to emerge more strongly with individuals talking about their daily lives at home, recommending movies or just discussing their personal situation. People used the platform to encourage the rest of the team to have  “strength” and to “hold on, despite the situation”. 

This gives us an interesting picture of a Team’s shifting priorities, but also of the importance of engagement and self-expression during difficult times. 

Intelligent teams are more important than ever

Overall, the results of our data breakdown give a complex picture of how this situation has impacted our teams. Despite the problems of working remotely, some variables, like alignment, confidence and trust even managed to grow. Interestingly, alignment was maintained as a constant throughout all the teams in the study, which suggests a greater ability to connect and communicate, as well as a sense of solidarity. Here, we can see how TeamEQ has helped to create new spaces of engagement and collaboration for teams facing the professional challenge of remote working and the personal problems caused by confinement. 

The capacity to collect and analyze real-time data becomes even more important in situations that create uncertainty. TeamEQ provides insights for the TeamLeader to take actions, minimize the negative impacts and therefore protect against economic loss.

The sample, taken from users of TeamEQ’s platform, clearly shows the importance of using data to build intelligent teams. Only that way can we help to address the problems of well-being that can arise in our remote teams in order to maintain alignment and boost performance. Especially when facing such a severe and unexpected situation as the one we are navigating today.

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