Working remotely can offer many benefits, such as flexibility, autonomy, and cost savings. However, it can also pose some challenges for team building, such as communication, collaboration, and engagement. How can you overcome these challenges and foster a strong and productive remote team? Here are some tips to help you.
Communication is the key to any successful team, but especially for remote teams. You need to establish clear and frequent communication channels, such as email, chat, video calls, or project management tools. You also need to set clear expectations, goals, and feedback for your team members, and encourage them to share their progress, challenges, and ideas. Communication should not be limited to work-related topics, but also include some social and personal interactions, such as icebreakers, virtual coffee breaks, or fun quizzes.
Remote work is something most sales professionals have been engaged in since the beginning of the profession. Few B2B organizations want their sales professionals in the office all day. Most start their day from home, visit prospects and clients, and maybe pop into the office on occasion. There is nothing new here from that perspective. Your top performers are committed to success. Support them and they will continue to deliver exceptional results.
Collaboration is another essential skill for remote teams, as it helps them to solve problems, generate ideas, and learn from each other. You need to create a collaborative culture, where team members are willing to share their expertise, opinions, and resources. You also need to use effective and creative collaboration tools, such as online brainstorming, document sharing, or co-working platforms. Collaboration should not be forced or imposed, but rather encouraged and facilitated by the team leader.
Engagement and motivation are crucial for remote teams, as they can affect their performance, satisfaction, and retention. You need to engage and motivate your team members by recognizing their achievements, providing them with opportunities for growth and development, and creating a sense of belonging and purpose. You also need to foster a positive and supportive team culture, where team members are respectful, empathetic, and appreciative of each other. Engagement and motivation should not be taken for granted, but rather monitored and maintained by the team leader.
Trust and accountability are the foundations of any team, but especially for remote teams. You need to build trust and accountability by being transparent, honest, and reliable. You also need to empower your team members to make decisions, take ownership, and deliver results. You also need to respect your team members' autonomy, privacy, and work-life balance. Trust and accountability should not be assumed or demanded, but rather earned and demonstrated by the team leader and the team members.
Teams are built on people and team performance is dependent on the relationships of the team members. Strong relationships can’t exist without trust. Given that, trust is the foundation of every high-performing team, regardless of whether it’s remote or not. Thats why there’s such a tight connection between this point and the previous one on clear communication. Trust isn’t something that happens in an instant, and inevitably, things will happen over the course of time that break trust. Building it well and repairing it when there are cracks requires being relentlessly intentional about knowing each member of the team, it’s core purpose, and awareness of the activity inside and outside of work contributing to the overall performance.
Celebration and fun are the spice of any team, but especially for remote teams. You need to celebrate and have fun by acknowledging your team's successes, milestones, and achievements. You also need to inject some fun and humor into your team interactions, such as games, contests, or rewards. You also need to create opportunities for your team to socialize and bond, such as virtual happy hours, team outings, or retreats. Celebration and fun should not be neglected or overlooked, but rather planned and enjoyed by the team leader and the team members.
In my experience, creating a connection through fun has been one of the best levers for creating community. If you think about it over the last 3+ years, we’ve hired an exponentially large number of people who have not met the majority of the team they’re part of. This creates an incredibly thin, connective tissue with the people you’re going to battle with, and it’s part of the reason according to studies by McKinsey & Company, and for why there is such a high attrition rate in the first year a new employee joins an organization. We focus on virtual coffee and donuts, we do virtual storytelling, we do virtual cocktails. We take suggestions and mix up the activities every month so that people can show off their passions.
Adaptation and learning are the keys to any team's improvement, but especially for remote teams. You need to adapt and learn by being flexible, responsive, and open to change. You also need to seek and provide feedback, learn from your mistakes, and embrace new challenges. You also need to invest in your team's skills, knowledge, and capabilities, such as training, coaching, or mentoring. Adaptation and learning should not be optional or sporadic, but rather continuous and intentional by the team leader and the team members.