𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗼𝗳 𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀

In July this year, I met the team of my dreams, in real life! 

I’ve been working remotely with Open Cities Lab since March last year, and we finally got to meet this July at Festy (our annual team gathering). With over a decade of working across continents, I can confidently say that Team OCL is the most diverse, women-powered, incredibly talented, and heart-centered team I’ve ever been part of.

At OCL, we work on some of Africa’s most complex urban challenges, and we do it with deep care and a refreshing ability to stay grounded, laugh at ourselves, and find joy in the process. 

As we work remotely, I’ve also learned so much about how to connect and build trust across time zones. We start team calls with family catch-ups, and it’s not odd for a toddler or two to pop into a call. Calendars tell me who’s doing school pickups, all the better to schedule meetings around home life and caregiving.

So, here are my top tips for star teams, inspired by our time together on Durban’s North Coast, where dolphins glided by as we tackled serious questions and shared fun moments in equal measure:

𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲. Build systems of support. Celebrate family life and hold space for the tough moments. (Team OCL came through when I lost my left eye last year. Absolute lifesavers 🫶🏿).

𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗮𝘂𝗰𝗲. We are stronger because of our different backgrounds, accents, and playlists (with different playlists being the most important 🎶😉).

𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗹𝗮𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘆. Even online. Joy fuels innovation, especially for remote teams. From slack huddles to pre-workshop charades, a little fun keeps team spirit alive. Also, if you can crack a joke after a six-month proposal is rejected, you are already halfway into the next game plan 🚀.

𝗧𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺.We’ve each brought our A-game. But the real magic is in how it all clicks together. It’s that sweet spot where skills align, and the whole becomes so much greater than the sum of its parts.

𝗠𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲. Even just once a year. The hugs, the lawn games, and the late-night dance-offs take everything to the next level ⚽💃🎊 .

To our fellow dreamers: this is what team magic looks like. Come build with us: www.opencitieslab.org.

🖤