Your remote team is losing engagement. What can you do to keep everyone on board?

1 Establish clear goals and expectations

One of the main reasons why remote teams lose engagement is the lack of clarity and alignment on their goals and expectations. As a team facilitator, you need to communicate the vision, purpose, and objectives of your team clearly and frequently. You also need to define the roles, responsibilities, and deliverables of each team member, and set realistic and measurable milestones and deadlines. By doing so, you will help your team understand what they are working towards, how they contribute to the team's success, and what they need to do to achieve their goals.

2 Create a sense of belonging and trust

Another key factor that affects team engagement is the level of belonging and trust among team members. Remote work can make people feel isolated, disconnected, and unsupported. As a team facilitator, you need to create a sense of belonging and trust by fostering a positive and supportive team culture. You can do this by encouraging regular and meaningful communication, sharing feedback and recognition, celebrating achievements and milestones, and creating opportunities for social interaction and fun. By doing so, you will help your team build rapport, empathy, and collaboration.

3 Provide autonomy and flexibility

One of the main advantages of remote work is the ability to work independently and flexibly. However, this also means that team members have different preferences, needs, and challenges when it comes to managing their work and time. As a team facilitator, you need to provide autonomy and flexibility to your team members, while also ensuring accountability and coordination. You can do this by respecting their individual work styles, preferences, and boundaries, giving them the freedom and resources to choose how, when, and where they work, and trusting them to deliver their results without micromanaging them.

4 Leverage technology and tools

Technology and tools are essential for remote team facilitation. They enable you to communicate, collaborate, and coordinate with your team members effectively and efficiently. As a team facilitator, you need to leverage technology and tools to enhance your team engagement. You can do this by choosing the right platforms, apps, and software that suit your team's needs and goals, using a variety of modes and formats to communicate and interact with your team, such as video calls, chats, emails, polls, surveys, etc., and using features and functions that facilitate engagement, such as screen sharing, whiteboards, breakout rooms, emojis, stickers, etc.

5 Encourage learning and development

Remote work can also affect the learning and development of your team members. They may face new challenges, skills gaps, or knowledge gaps that require them to learn and adapt. They may also miss out on the informal learning and mentoring opportunities that occur in a physical workplace. As a team facilitator, you need to encourage learning and development for your team members to keep them engaged. You can do this by providing them with access to relevant and timely information, resources, and training, creating a learning culture that values curiosity, feedback, and experimentation, and supporting their career growth and aspirations.

6 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?