Here's how you can establish trust with senior stakeholders in a remote work setting.

You can establish trust with senior stakeholders in a remote work setting by knowing your stakeholders, Communicating regularly and effectively, Building rapport and trust, Adding value and showing appreciation, Seeking feedback and advice and Maintaining and nurturing the relationship. Most importantly, - Communicate in a way that senior managers listen, remember, and are willing to support. - Sell your ideas, report your results and raise issues that need to be addressed. - Connect what you want to say to the strategic goals of the organization that senior management care about. Pandemic period is the best example for showcasing above virtues in real life situation.

Working remotely and establishing trust with senior stakeholders and all stakeholders for that matter requires clear understanding, clear communication, clear objectives and goals and most importantly a clear agreed outcome. Work remotely + achieve agreed outcomes = Trust at all levels. MS Teams enables "face to face" communication and provide a certain level of "human" touch. During the pandemic, from the get go, we changed the workflow model to be outcome driven based on agreed understanding with all stakeholders top side and bottom. The results were outstanding. We achieved a higher quality and quantity of work whilst still being present for families.

I have found that actually working remotely, as long as everyone is, has contributed to leveled the playing field. There aren't so many drinks after work or breakfast meetings, that often women don't attend because the burden of childcare falls on them. You should have regular diarised catch-ups with your key senior stakeholders. In each sessions, you should communicate what you are trying to achieve, progress on prior projects, and new projects. Remember your senior stakeholders can also help unblock any problems you may be facing, so it is important to be honest as to why you may not be meeting timelines you had agreed to. If there is no update, these meetings can be cancelled, showing your respect ofr the senior stakeholder's time.

Effective stakeholder management hinges on clear communication, understanding needs, building strong relationships, thorough analysis, proactive risk management, inclusive decision-making, and setting clear objectives. These practices foster a collaborative and supportive environment conducive to project success.

Having a document or spreadsheet open where you jointly take notes or make a summary shows professionalism and allows for easy tracking of progress towards the goal. It demonstrates discipline, structure, and professionalism.

Whether it is remote work environment or not, communication is key. Communication must be clear, concise and consistent. Regular updates may include simple things like catch-ups on big/small wins, challenges and progress on the agreed work so far. Regular updates to senior stakeholders establish trust. When senior stakeholders are well informed, they tend to make decisions without doubt and hesitation. Doubts demolish any trust established.

MS Teams was a clear example of a technology platform in sync with humans. During the pandemic, to maintain the relationship with all stakeholders on "face to face" relationship, MS Teams and other video teleconference tools were used extensively. Whilst engaging on the virtual platform, I have found everyone to be very professional both in dressing and even in communication. This type of virtual presence maintain the same ambience of having a meeting in the office.

To create more trust with senior stakeholders in a virtual environment, always show your face during meetings, dress appropriately, and maintain a professional body posture similar to what you would in a physical setting. Your virtual presence should convey professionalism and competence, reinforcing stakeholders' confidence in your ability to perform effectively even when you're not in the same room.

Most senior stakeholders built their career in a non-remote environment. Be empathetic to their challenges, and remember one day you may be in their position. They may actually need your support in working effectively in a remote environment, as they are used to developing relationships in person. Being vulnerable is a good way to short cut relationships. Ask for help where you think they can help you, take on their feedback, and report back how it went.

Remote working is about outcomes. However outcomes need not be void of apathy. If anything it should be the opposite, that is, remote working will need more empathy and support to bring collaboration and trust to the forefront. When we commenced working remotely, the need to adapt quickly causes great anxiety and stress. In the end, by lending a hand and "listening" to the anxiety helps alleviate the stress level. This event brought us closer. A true leader brings out the best of everyone in the team. Listen more and be transparent/authentic and practice the art of nimbleness and agility. Word of caution : Do Not Do Lip Service - You will lose the respect once they realise who you are.

Moving forward, the onset of AI should allow us to leverage technology to a different level. The remote working model was extremely successful in highlighting and showcasing the success of different work models. Collaboration with senior stakeholders using technology only strengthen relationship and trust. With AI and 5 G (6 G slated to come on board in 2030), I cannot imagine what "new" different work environment we would have in future. While staying connected and responsive is vital to establishing and maintaining trust, we also need to have check and balances such that technology is used appropriately that it does not impinge on issues like privacy etc.

I talked about this in another contribution. It is much easier to build a relationship or have difficult, but constructive conversations, if there is a personal connection. I was forced to when my child was screaming outside my office during a board meeting, and just needed me. Once I brought him in, the board saw a different side of me, and I saw a different side to various board members (some of whom broke out of the serious environment to make funny faces at a 2yr old). These moments help you remember that the people you are working with have other roles than just the one that you see. And it helps you understand that sometimes a negative reaction is not personal at all.

Depending on the character of the stakeholder, it’s important to moderate your approach. Some stakeholders don't appreciate small talk, while others enjoy hearing about your personal life first. Try to learn from their reactions and adapt your approach accordingly. Lead with what the stakeholder might prefer and then moderate the amount of personal touch you give at the start or end of your conversation. Most importantly, stay authentic regardless of the stakeholder's preference, as long as you adapt your approach to suit them.