How can you build a strong team culture while working remotely?

Manage expectations, standards, and best practices early. Focus on getting the job done on time, properly, and sustainably. Don't be the manager who is more concerned with the appearance of work vs what the actual output is.

Even if a role is remote, investing in one week together in person for a "team vision offsite" will pay major dividends. A chance for people to really get to know each other personally and agree on team norms!

I've ran 100% remote teams with incredible team cultures while (most recently) watching other partner teams being forced to come in to the office who suffered from incredibly toxic cultures. In my experience, remote or in person doesn't matter. In retrospect, what was the difference? Here's the secret behind building (positive) strong team cultures: It's trust. Simply put: My team trusted me and the other team didn't trust their leader. I watched it happen in real time. My learning? Without trust, as a leader, you're never going to be able to build a strong team culture. If you work on and build trust with your team everyday, then it doesn't matter where you work, the culture will follow.

COVID nos ense?o que la comunicación clara, oportuna y eficiente son fundamentales para mantener la cohesión de la organización, mi propuesta va mas por el lado humano, revisando información reciente de firmas consultoras en desarrollo organizacional y aceptando que los modelos de trabajo han cambiado, concluyo, hoy independientemente de donde estén los colaboradores debe existir una iniciativa de cultura organizacional que denomino "Salario Emocional". Como colaborador de una empresa, sentirse escuchado, entendido, valorado y util es fundamental para el sentido de pertenencia del colaborador con su organización. El salario emocional incrementa el buen clima organizacional, la productividad de los colaboradores y de la misma empresa

The culture you have, isn't always what you "say," it's what people see on the ground. So if you want something, you have to model it, talk about it, and not just define it or put it in a doc. Once people see that people at the company "walk their talk," they pay more attention to the vision and values...and what the expectations are in working together, are seen on the ground. Remember that Enron had "Integrity" as a value on the wall...so keep to things you can stand by, because people will follow your lead whether it matches those words or not.

Please...a good manager ASKS THEIR TEAMS how are best engaged. No routine is sacred...ask your teams for feedback if your meetings are still productive/worthwhile and adapt accordingly.

Meetings can be a time-suck, but the "daily huddle' can be a really important, useful, and supportive tool, as long as it is still seen as productive by everybody. Meetings also have to matter, so that people see the benefit of coming to them. A good structure is as follows: Check - in: this is an opportunity for everybody to give a glimpse into how they are feeling. Also an opportunity to voice any wins, to start on a positive note. Reality check: How do KPIs look like, are Objectives within reach? Problem solving: Any opportunities or obstacles worth exploring? How do they play into the objectives of the group and their values? What can be done? Commit: From the actions, who's doing what? Most people gladly go to a meeting like this.

Regular check-ins by whichever way you want (voice, video...) are the SOP and any manager would have them locked in to his weekly schedule. In addition, create informal virtual coffee breaks to mimic the 'water cooler' chats which naturally occur in an office setting. Once in a while plug in a virtual `beer session`, 'Wine Tasting', Pizza night ... something designed to bring the team together in a casual setup (in their PJs with the cat and new born baby) which can impact their closeness

1:1 - those are the tools to a successful team Frequently give feedback and don’t wait for that annual performance appraisal

Setting up regular full team check ins - typically on a weekly basis helps keep remote teams connected and engaged. I have set up a rotating schedule of having each team member share a 5 minute overview about themselves -- their background, experiences, hobbies, etc. The team always learns new things about each other this way and it creates common ground for collaboration. This also helps the team see the diversity of perspectives, background and experiences that contributes to our team.

Ensure that you virtual communication isn't limited to just work topics. Ensure that there is appropriate time for virtual coffee chats, asking about things outside work, and general chit-chat. And avoid back-to-back Zoom meetings - we are now seeing the damage of these.

Create company lores by collecting stories that reflect the success of the company's mission and people living the company's values. Then, share and promote these on an ongoing basis.

While I would agree that enabling team members feel more connected, supported, & valued is key, that does not simply come down to 'forcing' everyone into 'sharing' personal info or having to participate in 'informal and fun' events. Over the years, some of the most successful team players I've had the pleasure to work with, kept their professional & personal lives totally separate. They did not go to company social events, kept their personal lives private, and were excellent team members. So IMO; regardless if folks are in the same office or remote, you really need to understand what makes folks tick, and where their boundaries between their professional and personal lives are. Then you can look to build a strong team.

I've had the most success with working out in the open. Set a norm of sharing unfinished work, contributing to each others work, and collaborating without ego or boundaries. It can take a minute to get used to, but once the machine runs smoothly you'll notice people are feeling more growth and putting out better work than they ever have before.

I hire teams of people who are both teachers AND learners. Professional courses are helpful but I find teams learn the MOST from each other.

Back in my days with GF, while the pandemic was still around, Corporate organized a global virtual competition allowing groups around the world to compete for the largest number of miles clocked per team, by way of walking, running, swimming (updated daily over a period through online app and smart watches). This simple activity brought the groups together, fostered the importance of health and regular exercise and aligned the company around one of the values the new president advocated - well being.

Building a strong team culture is easily one of the most valuable things you could do as a team leader. However, there is no one-size-fits-all approach that one can copy and paste. Every individual and every team is unique. We all have different preferences for how or when we work, boundaries, priorities, desire for team bonding events, and drive for learning and development opportunities. Additionally, these items are not set in stone but often change over time as an individual enters different career periods or manages personal events. With the additional complexity of remote work, checking in with your team 1:1 regularly is imperative.

In a hybrid situation, work to keep the conversations transparent for all. Find ways to create virtual "hallway" conversations for those members who are remote in your 1:1 interaction and also for those interactions within your team. Second, consciously find ways to draw input from all team members, not just the extroverts and to do this in the group rounds so that they are heard and appreciated. Third, create the right safe space for people to dissent. It is often easier to say “I do not agree with the approach” or “maybe we need to reevaluate” face-to-face. As a leader, create the culture that people can disagree and bring their points of view. This will foster a good virtual and/hybrid working environment.

In a world where people look at `what's in it for them`, where Working From Home is still the norm and much of the (wasteful) daily commute is save, it is an opportunity to invest in professional development of the team members through virtual workshops, mentorships and even encouraging better work-life balance and respect boundaries, especially given the fact people tend to work around the clock when working from home

Being in remote working for more than 4 years , I would say best way to build that dream team is to surround yourself with likeminded people who are willing to work with you, having same energy, values and I would say very strong and good soft skills, those are the core of building a successful team while working remotely.