What do you do if your remote colleagues in social impact careers are difficult to connect with?

In my experience, it can be a little difficult to establish a connection with remote colleagues but I s is not impossible. Following strategies can help: 1. Make use of technology, communication, and collaboration tools such as video conferencing platforms, instant messaging apps, and project management software to stay connected with remote colleagues. 2. : Plan virtual social activities or team-building exercises, including coffee chats, online games, and happy hours, to help foster a sense of camaraderie and community among remote colleagues. 3. Recognize and be flexible and. adaptable to that everyone has different work styles, schedules, and communication preferences, especially when working remotely.

If remote colleagues are difficult to connect with, there are several strategies you can employ to foster better communication and collaboration. 1. Schedule Regular Check-ins. Try to establish a routine for regular virtual meetings to touch base with your remote colleagues. This can be a weekly team meeting, bi-weekly catch-ups, or daily stand-ups, depending on the nature of your work and the preferences of your team. 2. Use Multiple Communication Channels to reach out to your remote colleagues, including email, instant messaging platforms (e.g., Slack, Microsoft Teams), video conferencing tools, and phone calls. Different colleagues may prefer different modes of communication, so offering multiple options can improve accessibility.

Set expectations: Clear guidelines (response times, meetings) keep things smooth. Be flexible - social impact work is unpredictable! Virtual watercooler: Schedule casual chats to build rapport. Talk about anything but work! Shared purpose: Discuss inspiring stories or challenges you face. Social impact unites! Tech is your friend: Use shared docs, project tools, and chat platforms to stay connected and work together.

If you are finding it difficult to connect with a remote colleague in a social impact organization to build trust here are some steps to take: Initiate communication: Take the first step and reach out to your remote colleague. Be proactive in initiating conversations and finding common ground. Schedule virtual meetings: Set up regular virtual meetings or check-ins with your remote colleague. This provides an opportunity to have more in-depth conversations, share updates, and build rapport. Practice active listening: When communicating with your remote colleague, practice active listening. Give them your full attention, ask open-ended questions, and show genuine interest in their thoughts and ideas.

Be transparent: Share your own struggles and wins. Vulnerability builds trust. Teamwork makes the dream work: Support each other through the tough times in social impact work.

Be supportive and understanding of your remote colleagues' challenges and circumstances, especially if they are facing barriers to communication or collaboration. Offer flexibility in work schedules and deadlines to accommodate different time zones, caregiving responsibilities, or personal commitments.

For one of my teams, we use a Slack plugin called Donut. It automates “water cooler” topics to give people random questions to slack answers to and get to know each other a little better. It also auto-schedules one-on-one meetings with colleagues just to chat—nothing about work, just to get to know each other personally.

Asynchronous communication is key! Using Teams/Slack and project management tool allows us to feel connected when we are on different schedules. The fun emojis are a great touch. We have started sending video messages using Loom or Teams instead of having meetings. Great to feel a personal connection still while cutting back on meetings. For us the magic is having video on when we do meet. It’s mandatory with few exceptions. It really changes the feeling of connection.

Regularly solicit feedback from your remote colleagues on how communication and collaboration can be improved. Adapt your approach based on their input and suggestions, striving for continuous improvement in your team dynamics.

I love our Teams channel just focused on successes and progress. It lifts everyone and reminds us how we are seeing incredible success despite the heavy work. It also enables folks to celebrate and acknowledge each other which I think had made a big difference.

If establishing connections with remote team members in social impact careers proves challenging, I recommend considering the implementation of virtual coffee chat sessions. This informal platform offers an opportunity to foster camaraderie outside of conventional work-related discussions. Schedule a designated time, inviting participants to join a video conferencing platform. Initiate the session with icebreaker activities or prompts that encourage personal sharing related to social impact interests. Following the event, express gratitude for participation and contemplate potential future gatherings. Such initiatives serve to enrich team cohesion and bolster remote collaboration efforts.