Here's how you can foster trust and rapport with remote team members as a change manager.

As a change manager, fostering trust with remote team members involves clear communication, regular feedback, and celebrating milestones. Use bi-monthly virtual coffee chats to connect personally, and share success stories in newsletters, aiming for a 25% increase in employee engagement. Remember, “Building trust over email is like watering plants with ice cubes --- slow but surprisingly effective!”

Leaders should prioritize clear and open communication through regular check-ins and transparent updates. Create psychological safety by encouraging openness and acknowledging contributions. Demonstrate empathy through understanding each employee has a personal context. Build trust. Engage team members in decision-making. Provide clear goals and direction. Invest in professional development. Cultivate belonging. Lead with humility. Seek feedback (not praise).

Human beings are social creatures and we crave contact with other people. People managers should create at least a formal monthly event where everyone in the team can join to discuss what is going on with the function and the job (results, wins, clients, etc.). Ask different members of the team to lead those meetings - it provides visibility and offers the opportunity to develop skills. It is also key to encourage people to talk to their colleagues on a daily basis, rather than sending an email or a message in the chat. People managers should set an example. Regular one-to-one meetings and' open-door' sessions should be conducted. To build a successful team, people need to build trust, and that does not happen by email!

Within a remote change project team it is important to have a team like the The Three Musketeers, you need to be able to trust them. One step in that direction is to foster open dialog, define with the team which coms‘ channel is the best to use in the team and when it is being used. You may use teams for chat, Dropbox for docs, text message for private conversations, etc. Also create a common understanding, what means clear communication, what means regular feedback, and what is a good feedback. I established with my remote team a gossip hour very week before we started the official project call. In the gossip hour we talked about personal situations, what is going on at the location everybody was based.

Schedule regular virtual team meetings for open discussions and updates. Conduct individual check-ins to address concerns and provide personalized support. Arrange the discussion outside office environment like a cafe or nature can be helpful ...

To enable a remote change project team it is important to provide constant support and serve the team. How? setup regular 1:1, ask for their aspiration and ask how you may support them to achieve that. Help them even if it is in situations when you may think you can‘t help. Once, my supervisor said, it seems it is time to be at home and support your family. Do what you need to do and if you can attend a call, fine. If you may work during the night fine. Due to that offer and flexibility, I was more committed and contributed more but it gave me stability when I needed it. As a leader is isn‘t just a behavior, it is an attitude and mindset.

As it is remote, learning to utilize technology for easy access to support resources is essential, such as chat or video call. Conduct regular check-ins to assess well-being and offer assistance as needed. Demonstrate empathy and understanding towards individual circumstances to build trust and rapport.

For change leaders, the utilisation of video and other remote communication tools can generate a tendency to adopt a directive style. Remember that an effective team has many different sources of support from within. Around a table in a traditional face to face meeting it seems natural to call on various specialist members to support the discussion or decision process. This needs to be created online as well. The tools we have allow you to invite people in at various times during meetings, design sessions and stakeholder engagement calls. Use it to your advantage, removing you from the old 'source of all knowledge'. I think this is still a challenge as we adapt to online, but the technology is there and we need to exploit it.

It entails offering unwavering assistance, encouragement, and guidance over time, regardless of circumstances or setbacks. Consistent support involves being present for others consistently, demonstrating reliability, empathy, and understanding. By providing a steady foundation of support, individuals can feel reassured and empowered to navigate obstacles, pursue their goals, and thrive in their endeavors. Consistency in support fosters trust, strengthens relationships, and contributes to long-term growth and resilience.

Send personalized thank-you notes or emails recognizing specific achievements. Highlight outstanding contributions during virtual team meetings or town halls. Award virtual badges or certificates for reaching project milestones or demonstrating key values. Sometimes it also does not need to be big thing, we can just order a special craft coffee and pastry and have it deliver to the team members ... that help up build up trust and support too.

Acknowledge and celebrate milestones, achievements, and successes along the way. Recognize the efforts of individual team members and the collective progress towards the shared vision. Cultivate a culture where team members feel safe to express their opinions, take risks, and innovate. Encourage constructive feedback and embrace diversity of thought.

Intrinsically motivated people access this equally well if part of a remote team. Delivering extrinsic reward remotely is a little more challenging. For those who respond to the certificate or gift ceremony, or seeing their picture on the employee reward board in the office, try to replicate that on your online platform. Most tools will support a virtual team wall chart or similar. Utilise this and post it alongside other shared docs, making sure to display it when handing out regular recognition for achievements. For regionally distributed remote teams, remember cultural differences and associated preferences for rewards. It is a mistake to assume that one reward is equally valued by all team members.

They involve acknowledging and appreciating the contributions, achievements, and efforts of individuals or teams. Recognition efforts can take various forms, such as verbal praise, awards, bonuses, or public acknowledgment. By recognizing and celebrating accomplishments, organizations not only boost morale but also reinforce desired behaviors and values.

Recognizing remote team members' efforts is essential for nurturing trust and camaraderie. By celebrating achievements, acknowledging individual contributions, and offering timely feedback, we demonstrate appreciation for their hard work in adapting to change. Through genuine recognition and encouragement of peer acknowledgment, we cultivate a positive culture that transcends physical distance, fostering motivation and collaboration within the team.

While flexibility is important, it's also essential to set clear expectations regarding work deliverables, deadlines, and communication channels. Ensure that team members understand their responsibilities and have the necessary resources to meet them especially during times of change. Foster a culture of work-life integration where team members feel empowered to blend their personal and professional lives in a way that works best for them. Encourage activities that promote well-being, such as regular breaks, exercise, and time spent with loved ones. Understanding their expectations and needs in identifying the areas of improvement effectively and efficiently which can build trust, foster engagement, and navigate change more effectively.

Remote work brings a variety of personal situations, from family responsibilities to health concerns. Show empathy and actively listen to individual needs. Recognize that flexibility is not a one-size-fits-all approach. Not everyone operates optimally during the traditional 9-to-5 schedule. Some team members may be more productive early in the morning, while others prefer late evenings. Trust them to manage their time effectively. When team members feel respected and supported, they become more invested in change initiatives. Flexibility demonstrates that management values their well-being. Flexibility in my opinion isn’t a concession; it’s an investment in the team’s success.

While embracing the flexibility with remote team members we could increase productivity as a team and also it is important to communicate the purpose of change effectively and educate or train them the new process as a leader or change manager. Providing that needed time to adopt that change is also an important factor in flexibility during transformation. Flexibility also build the trust and rapport between the team and change manager. Hope it makes sense.

It entails recognizing that traditional rigid structures may not suit everyone's needs and embracing alternative approaches to work. Organizations that prioritize flexibility empower their employees to choose when, where, and how they work best, whether it's through remote work options, flexible hours, or job-sharing arrangements.

As I always say: "Candidates join because of shared values, and Employees stay because of a shared vision". It is harder for employees to feel connected to the vision virtually. When working remotely, you should emphasize and amplify this connection. Some techniques can help: - Communicate the intention behind changes in the vision (e.g., growth, restructuring, new domains). - Invite employees to contribute to the design of the vision. - Follow-up on projects advancement. - Organize meetings to provide positive feedback on achievements, offer encouragement, and resolve challenges, - Conduct surveys and games, and following-up after implementation... If you want to build trust, remember to share that you hold the same vision!

As we all already know if you don‘t know where to go, then any direction is a good direction. However, most people want to have a reason, a purpose, they want to give their life a meaning. In this case, it is important to share the vision. And one of the next steps is to ask the remote team: - what does the vision mean to you? - what is appealing about it? - what things do we need to be aware of? To shape the vision you may ask: - what is missing from your perspective Ensure that you reflect the vision with the team and ask them: - how can we as team and individual contribute to the vision? What exactly is it?

Change leaders will have a vision for their change team and are usually great at sharing that - "it is what we do". During a change program however we must also remember that we are the conduit through which our Sponsors' vision is delivered. This vision is critical to understand and propogate to our team members, ensuring that their initiatives are aligned. In a remote setting, utilise the virtual comms tools to help reinforce the vision. Use simple, memorable and ideally graphic images posted on cards or 'walls' on your online platform. These assets can be re-used by your team when running initiatives with stakeholders. Your Sponsor will love it.

It represents a collective understanding and commitment to overarching goals, values, and aspirations. When a shared vision is established and embraced across all levels of an organization, it aligns efforts, energizes teams, and fosters a sense of belonging and ownership. By promoting transparency and inclusivity, a shared vision ensures that everyone feels valued and empowered to contribute towards the realization of common objectives.

Fostering trust and rapport with remote team members as a change manager with personal connections involves prioritizing regular and meaningful communication. Engaging in virtual coffee chats, one-on-one check-ins, and team-building activities can help establish personal connections despite physical distance. By demonstrating empathy, actively listening to concerns, and providing ongoing support, change managers can strengthen relationships and build trust within the remote team, ultimately enhancing collaboration and facilitating successful change initiatives

These connections are built on genuine interactions, empathy, and mutual understanding between individuals. In the workplace, personal connections foster trust, collaboration, and a sense of belonging among team members. When people feel connected on a personal level, they are more likely to communicate openly, share ideas, and support each other through challenges. These connections not only enhance teamwork and productivity but also contribute to employee satisfaction and retention.

Making sure feedback and communication are openly and consistently received and given gives team members a feeling that they own and are included in any changes planned or unplanned.

La confiance amplifie la réussite collective : -Communication transparente (raisons du changement, étapes du process, impacts attendus) tant sur les aspects positifs que sur les défis. -Inclure les équipes, pour l'adhésion. -Former aux Aptitudes vs Défis pour le Flow qui renforce la Confiance, booste la Motivation. -Incarner un Leadership Show-Don't Tell : les attitudes & comportements attendus, montrer l'exemple. -Valoriser les contributions = Motivation & Fidélisation. -Cohérence & fiabilité dans les pratiques&messages : les incohérences sèment le doute, minent la confiance. Evaluation des stratégies & ajustements pour optimiser le processus face aux besoins. -Célébrer les Quick-Wins pour le sentiment d'accomplissement, la confiance.