What do you do if your remote team lacks a sense of connection and community?

Here are five questions that will get them from head connections into heart connections. (We have hundreds more.) Have them pair up with someone they do not know well. 1. What is one of your dreams? 2. What have you overcome? 3. What is a risk you'd like to take but haven't yet? (And what is stopping you? 4. What is your favorite hobby? Is there a hobby you'd like to take up? 5. What, in your opinion, is one element or component that is most important to building a strong and positive workplace culture? I wrote and posted an article on these on 4.8.2024. It's titled, "The Real Reason Your People Call in Sick"

Ainda que sendo um time remoto, eu come?aria a estimular a conex?o através do real antes do virtual, construindo um team building bem dinamico e interativo de 2 dias num lugar totalmente diferente de escritórios, com muita natureza, pra trazer o clima de leveza. Após isso, haveria uma agenda incluindo encontros happy hours mensais com trocas de mensagens an?nimas positivas sobre os trabalhos dos colegas. Acredito que um roadmap das entregas que conectassem diferentes times poderia trazer mais senso de uni?o e coletividade também.

One of my favourite culture quotes comes from Bryan Walker, Partner and Managing Director at IDEO: "Culture is like the wind. It is invisible, yet it's effect can be seen and felt." People don’t need to be physically present to feel connected. While there are many jobs that require employees to be at work, this component is not the sole determinant of whether a culture will be successful. To create a greater sense of community and connection starts with leadership making an intentional effort to genuinely connect and inspire their remote workforce to do the same. Regular, meaningful communications together with creative, engaging virtual meetings where people look forward to contributing can make a significant difference.

Build rapport. It starts with the ability to bring people together over a common goal, sticking with the schedule is most difficult because can lose momentum, but start by building rapport and investing in the team. Maybe it's virtual lunch, bring in a guest speaker that adds value and helps solve problems or builds skills. Those are basic pillars that can elevate moods and create connection.

This could be challenging if the connection did not exist in the office before working remotely. Now that the team is remote, opening up virtual meetings via Zoom or Teams is a great way to learn from each other and break the ice. No one ever said working remotely would bring a team together, however, I have experienced that it can be done.

I am a consultant and my work is almost 100% done remotely. In fact, all the teams in my company are spread throughout Indonesia. One of my ways to increase competition between teams and also keep bonding high is by creating rites and rituals. Schedule regular, informal virtual gatherings where team members can just chat and catch up on non-work topics. An example is by creating joint activities even though they are virtual. Virtual coffee breaks or social hours. Last Ramadhan we made a virtual iftar. video creativity competitions and many more.

A "ritual" I invented before the global COVID-19 lock-downs to deal with emerging virtual project teams was the ubiquitous team lunch. But it really works well these post-lock down days. But how right? I just said "virtual", which means separate work locations. Have each team member or local groups of team members order in lunch all at the same time, turn on your Web Cams, place them against a wall or at the edge of a table pointing at the members enjoying lunch, and boom! We're all "sitting" around a virtual table having a team lunch building camaraderie.

Build a culture that incorporates everyone. Let them drive a project and you be the sponsor for approvals. Build a survey and have them put anonymous ideas in and pick one or two to do during the year (actually do it). To ensure they are feeling like a team and community, build the culture that fosters strong relationships. If the culture is not there, it will seem fake to the people which can backfire in the wrong direction. Create the structure, let them drive initiatives they see can increase morale, improve performance, and over all team health, then ensure all parts of the organization is doing the same thing. What matters to you may not matter to them. Align both.

Creating a sense of connection and community in a remote team is crucial for success. Start with regular virtual meet-ups to foster personal bonds. Implement collaborative tools for seamless communication. Encourage sharing of personal stories and professional wins to build camaraderie. Recognize achievements publicly to make everyone feel valued and included. Lastly, create a virtual 'water cooler' space for informal chats and breaks. These steps can bridge the gap and cultivate a thriving remote work culture.???

Check out these simple steps: Establish team rituals such as weekly check-ins, where team members can share updates, successes, and challenges in a supportive environment. Create a tradition of recognizing individual achievements or milestones during team meetings to celebrate progress and boost morale. Implement a rotating role for hosting team meetings to give each member an opportunity to lead discussions and promote inclusivity. Encourage team members to share personal anecdotes, hobbies, or fun facts during team rituals to deepen connections and create a sense of belonging.

Define clear project objectives, roles, and timelines to ensure alignment and accountability among collaborators. Foster a culture of collaboration by encouraging open communication, sharing resources, and leveraging diverse skills and perspectives. Establish regular checkpoints and feedback loops to monitor progress, address challenges, and adapt strategies as needed. Utilize collaborative project management tools to streamline workflows, track tasks, and facilitate seamless coordination among team members.

3. **Collaborative Projects**: - Assign cross-functional projects that require collaboration. Working together on shared goals strengthens bonds. - Use project management tools to facilitate communication and track progress.

Working together towards a good cause for charity or an organization also builds compassion and goodwill - this gives a greater sense of purpose and creates a more positive mindset around the work environment.

Workign across departments or skillsets is a good way to get the team building going as well as create success for the company! Collaboration is probably the bottleneck of most remote teams, by creating projects where people are working together will help alleviate some of these issues with communication and trust.

Although Covid has shown us the benefits of working in a remote setup... that helps one eliminate long commutes to reach the office, more time with family, opportunities to take care of personal stuff while ensuring that the work does not hamper. But what about the diverse ideas, meaningful complimenting solutions and above all the social- cultural fulfilments that we miss out by working remotely. Collaborative projects could provide some degree of fostering shared purpose and togetherness required for organisations to experience the team effect.

It is important that the manager is always recognizing the efforts of the people workign for the company. The workforce has changed so much in a short time, people will not stay at a job they are not appreciated very long. We use a tool that makes it easy, not just for managers to acknowledgethe efforts of people, but also for coworkers to acknowledge each other.

Implement a recognition program to acknowledge and celebrate individual and team achievements in collaborative projects. Recognize contributions that align with project goals, demonstrate creativity, problem-solving skills, and promote a positive team culture. Offer personalized recognition such as shoutouts during team meetings, virtual awards, or certificates to show appreciation for outstanding performance. Encourage peer-to-peer recognition to foster a supportive and inclusive environment where team members value each other's contributions.

4. **Recognition Programs**: - Acknowledge team members' achievements publicly. Regularly celebrate milestones, birthdays, and work anniversaries. - Recognition boosts morale and reinforces a positive team culture.

One of the greatest things that I saw occur was a leader sent out a survey asking his team how they like to be recognized. Was it via an email letting them know they were doing a good job? A hand written note? Did they like a snack in their mailbox? Do they like to be publicly recognized in a staff meeting? The team answered his questions and was able to get the level of recognition that made them feel the best. In 8 to Great we speak about the value of appreciation as that is what keeps employees showing up.

Personal development and career progression opportunities are an investment in your people that can significantly increase retention and engagement. Asking staff about their aspirations, what they feel they need, how they can be more productive in their job are all ways to demonstrate to employees that they matter. When they know you have their back, they are much more likely to have yours too.

Provide opportunities for skill development and growth through training sessions, workshops, or mentorship programs related to collaborative project management. Encourage team members to set personal development goals that align with project objectives and offer support in achieving them. Foster a learning culture by promoting knowledge sharing, feedback exchange, and continuous improvement within the collaborative project team. Recognize and reward personal development milestones to motivate team members and reinforce a commitment to growth and excellence.

In a virtual landscape, cultivating a sense of connection and community is paramount for remote teams. Start by scheduling regular video check-ins to maintain face-to-face interaction. Encourage open communication channels, facilitating both work-related discussions and casual conversations. Foster team bonding through virtual team-building activities and social events. Promote transparency and inclusivity to ensure everyone feels valued and heard. Lastly, celebrate achievements and milestones, reinforcing a sense of camaraderie and shared purpose. By implementing these strategies, remote teams can bridge the physical divide and cultivate a strong sense of connection and community, enhancing overall productivity and morale.

5. **Personal Development**: - Invest in individual growth. Offer training, workshops, or mentorship programs. - When team members feel supported in their professional development, they become more engaged.

To be more successful and engaged and to develop greater sense of their own responsibility, the way leads over two things: Clarity and Competence. People have clarity what the mission is and also have the competence to lead their mission to success. That also needs Trust within the team and has to been given from the leader. Trust is the biggest lever for personal development within people. But be aware to be sure that people are able to succeed because they have the needed competence or they can achieve it while being on the mission. Also make sure to make it safe for everyone to openly say that they didn't understand the mission or don't have the competence to be successful. That creates a culture of learning and great success.

Auch einfache soziale Techniken k?nnen hier Wunder wirken: Bereits das bewusste Senden von Kurznachrichten, wie eine Meldung über die kurzzeitige Abwesenheit vom PC oder Begrü?ungen zu Beginn und Verabschiedungen am Ende des Arbeitstages, st?rken das Gefühl des Gesehenwerdens und der Zugeh?rigkeit erheblich. Es signalisiert Aufmerksamkeit und Wertsch?tzung, auch ohne den physischen Bürokontext. Darüber hinaus f?rdert der Austausch über allt?gliche Dinge, wie aktuelle Nachrichten, das pers?nliche Befinden oder gemeinsame Interessen, eine lebendige und interaktive Kommunikationskultur. Remotees aktiv um Einsch?tzungen und Meinungen bitten, vermittelt die Anerkennung ihrer fachlichen Beitr?ge und ihrer pers?nlichen Perspektiven zus?tzlich.

Open communication is one of the most important things to have a real successful team. That also includes that people feel free to communicate failure and success in the same way and even talk openly about having other or even better ideas then the teamlead has. To be able to show themselves vulnerable drives peoples own success and leads to a culture that is inclusive and innovative. Only by trying out new stuff teams can be really innovative. But by doing things you never did before, failure is one crucial part of it. So let's fail forward and talk honestly about it, so that everyone learns from it. Together everyone achieves more. ;)

Cultivate an environment of open communication where team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, feedback, and concerns. Establish regular communication channels such as team meetings, virtual office hours, or messaging platforms to facilitate dialogue and information exchange. Encourage active listening, transparency, and respect for diverse viewpoints to promote constructive conversations and collaboration. Emphasize the importance of clear and timely communication in fostering trust, alignment, and successful outcomes in collaborative projects.

Open communication is key. Encourage regular team meetings via video conferencing to facilitate face-to-face interaction. Utilize chat platforms for informal conversations and virtual water cooler moments. Implement team-building activities like virtual happy hours or online games. Encourage sharing personal anecdotes or interests to build rapport. Establish clear goals and provide regular feedback to maintain alignment and motivation. Cultivating a sense of belonging and camaraderie takes effort, but with consistent communication and shared experiences, remote teams can thrive.

6. **Open Communication**: - Foster transparent communication channels. Clearly define expectations for response times and availability. - Encourage active listening and empathy during virtual meetings.

Building stronger personable relationships always helps to bond better. Get to know your staff, their families, their hobbies and interests and in addition to that, start rewarding your staff in their love language and if you add to that meeting at least two of their 6 human needs - you will hit a jack pot!

One thing I've found helpful, is being intentional, and genuinely interested in their family activities and events. Taking interest in the seemingly mundane, or little things would foster team bonding and cohesion. I mean, really listen to the unspoken words; which requires a great degree of emotional intelligence, empathy and great servant leadership skills.

A presen?a de um colaborador no seu espa?o de trabalho, é gerar a oportunidade de termos ideias e insights que certamente gerar?o reflex?o! Aproveite para ver o quanto está pessoa trará de ideias para o crescimento da equipe.

Start by fostering open communication channels through regular video calls, virtual team-building activities, and dedicated spaces for non-work-related conversations. Encourage sharing personal anecdotes and interests to humanize interactions. Implement collaborative tools for project management and brainstorming sessions to enhance teamwork. Establish clear goals and expectations, ensuring everyone feels valued and included. Cultivate a positive remote culture by recognizing achievements and promoting mutual support. Ultimately, investing in building connections among team members fosters a stronger sense of belonging and enhances overall team performance.

7. **Here's what else to consider**: - **Inclusivity**: Ensure everyone feels heard and valued. Address any biases or exclusionary behavior promptly. - **Virtual Icebreakers**: Start meetings with fun questions or activities to break the ice. - **Socialize Virtually**: Create opportunities for casual interactions beyond work-related discussions. - **Stay Active Together**: Encourage fitness challenges or step competitions. - **Build Virtual Clubs**: Form interest-based groups (e.g., book club, cooking club). - **Foster Healthy Competition With Games**: Organize online quiz games or team challenges.