What do you do if your remote team members are feeling disconnected and disengaged?

It's often actually easier to see this with a remote employee than with an in-person one, because you're managing to outcomes rather than to visibility. The answer is the same no matter where they're working -- it starts with being receptive to hearing about "negative" situations. Employees disconnect because they don't trust you enough to bring you a problem -- whether it's a personal problem or an employment one. Some key questions: Has the employee been getting confusing or contradictory instruction? Does this employee have the resources they need? Have they been belittled or abused in connection with this position? (Whether by a colleague, a customer, or a manager.) What do they believe is getting in the way of achieving the outcomes?

If remote team members feel disconnected and disengaged, prioritize communication and relationship-building. Schedule regular virtual meetings for updates and team bonding activities. Encourage open dialogue to address concerns and foster a sense of belonging. Utilize collaboration tools for real-time interaction and document sharing. Offer flexibility to accommodate different working styles and time zones. Recognize and celebrate achievements to boost morale. Organize virtual social events or team-building exercises to strengthen connections. By nurturing a supportive and inclusive remote work culture, team members can feel more connected and engaged.

Try 3 simple steps to help boost your remote team's engagement: 1. Keep meetings small, ideally with four or fewer participants. Overcrowding leads to disengagement, so prioritize quality over quantity when it comes to attendees. 2. Foster regular individual check-ins. Ensure you connect personally with each team member at least once daily, even if it's a brief message or voice memo. This consistent communication helps maintain rapport and keeps everyone feeling valued and connected. 3. Cultivate personal connections by discovering something new about each team member weekly. Whether it's a hobby, interest, or anecdote, these small, light-hearted interactions humanize the virtual space, combating feelings of isolation and detachment.

In today's globalized world, remote teams play an essential role in the organization's growth. With proper guidance and motivation, we could engage them in a professional work culture, regular interaction, recognization play a potent part in making them realize that they are a crucial part of the team. Engagement is mandatory between the employer and employees. Engaging with each other will offer positive outcomes.

Identify issues by opening lines of communication and encouraging team members to share their experiences and concerns. Understanding the specific reasons behind their feelings of disconnection and disengagement can inform targeted strategies to address these issues. This might involve re-evaluating workloads, introducing regular virtual team-building activities, enhancing your communication tools, or providing more feedback and recognition. By addressing the root causes, you can create a more inclusive and engaging remote work environment.

One thing I've found helpful alongside regular meetings is to create dedicated channels for specific purposes. For example, a channel for brainstorming and another for quick questions can keep communication focused and reduce information overload. An example I've seen that fostered connection is hosting casual virtual hangouts. It could be a coffee chat or a game night where team members can interact in a relaxed setting. This helps build rapport and a sense of camaraderie beyond work tasks. Actually, I wouldn't disagree with the importance of communication, but it's also crucial to go beyond just meetings. Here's where tools like polls and recognition platforms come in.

Remote working can leave us feeling isolated, especially when our team are scattered around the globe. When I managed a multi-national remote team, regular video catch ups where we spent at least five minutes talking about our week and our plans outside of work built a much stronger connection with my team. It helps that I am quite nosy and genuinely want to know what people are planning for dinner! It also made me as a manager more invested in my team as individuals and empowered me to advocate for them elsewhere in the company. You don't have to share more than you're comfortable with obviously but don't underestimate the power of those quick chats - they always brightened my working day.

Knowing your team well helps to identify issues early. How many are disengaged? Is it just one and an issue that an individual is having or is it a wider problem? Feelings of disengagement across a team can come with all sorts of issues - lack of communication, feeling ignored or unappreciated. In virtual teams it’s vital to ensure that you put the extra effort in to ensure they don’t feel any of these.

Acho que além de incentivar trocas sobre trabalho, um time mais unido é aquele que se importa um com o outro, ent?o, ter momentos de trocas pessoais é t?o importante quanto reuni?es de trabalho, ainda mais remotamente.

Use platforms like Slack to facilitate conversation between all employees, both in house and remote. And in addition to company specific channels, have one devoted to chatting about topics not related to work.

Trust your team. Give them the possibility to collaborate not only between other team members, but also with the rest of the company’s departments and areas. Let them know that by collaborating with each other, they can achieve great results for themselves, for the team and for the company. With collaboration there comes learning process. When we work and support each other, not only we optimize things as time, delivery approach or efficiency, we also foster an environment of growth, in which each team member is constantly gaining new information and gathering experience for what comes next in every project.

While collaborative tools are great, they need to be complemented by a space where remote team members feel comfortable sharing ideas, concerns, and even casual chit-chat. Here's why: Collaboration can sometimes feel transactional – focused solely on completing tasks. Encouraging open communication builds trust and psychological safety. This can be achieved through: 1/ Regular team check-ins. These can be short virtual meetings where everyone shares updates and roadblocks. 2- Dedicated communication channels. Consider a separate channel for casual conversations and team building besides project-specific channels. 3) Open-door policy. Make yourself readily available for one-on-one chats, whether it's a quick video call or a message.

Making space to collaborate is essential and often leads to better results, both culturally and in terms of deliverables. Whether you hop on a Zoom call to do keyword research together or simply ask for feedback from a colleague, it can help build a sense of community over time. Remember that not everyone thrives in meetings or speaking off the cuff. Before deciding how to collaborate with a colleague or encourage collaboration among others, consider alternatives that will be effective and more accessible. Some examples may be Google Docs comments and replies, designating a specific timeframe to work on a project simultaneously, or chatting throughout the workday.

Don't be stingy with the praise. If someone on your team has gone above and beyond, acknowledge that. That can be privately via a DM or more publicly like during your regular team meetings. More than once I've given someone on my team a shoutout and they've taken me to one side later to tell them how much the appreciated it. This in turn makes you feel like you're doing a good job as a manager. Win win.

Go beyond just lip service and lead from the front as the builder of your team's culture. As a leader, it is important to get to know your people. This rings true in an office environment and goes a long way in the virtual space. Making a note of birthdays, names of children, their interests, etc helps to build a supportive culture that is truly "team-like."

Bringing remote employees together a couple of times a year for collaboration and social engagement builds teams and strengthens relationships.

Pay attention to details as a leader. Take into account the things your team value the most, both individually and collectively, and use that as a tool to offer a personalized treatment that supports the way your team communicates, works, and build relationships.

First things first: stop managing remote teams the same way you manage on-site teams. Remote teams require a different work dynamic, and to achieve the most successful approach, one must take into account flexibility. Flexibility in time, in tasks, in communication. It’s simple, yet so tough. Flexibility promotes both individual and collective growth. How? by creating a transparent and truthful work environment.

When working from remote, adopting a flexible management and working style will help take the pressure off of your team. Recognize that not everyone has different productive hours. As long as deadlines are met and the quality of the outcomes is outstanding, allow your team flexible working schedules. Make sure to set daily meetings for follow-ups and updates and to track progress and encourage your team to collaborate. Even set up optional group tasks or projects where they can work together, so they don't feel detached. Share your goals and plans with your team regularly, and share any news or updates of what's going on in your organization so they feel part of the larger working environment.

If you're noticing remote team members are feeling disconnected and disengaged, try these strategies to ensure they have the support they need to succeed. - Create a safe space and initiate open discussions to understand their concerns and challenges. - Provide access to resources or training that could enhance their professional development and contributions. - Schedule regular check-ins and encourage open communication to strengthen bonds. - Acknowledge their feelings directly and address any issues promptly. These measures can significantly improve your team's experience by ensuring remote individuals feel appropriately supported and engaged.

Connecting in person occasionally, I think, helps. You can build relationships online that work, but there is something magical about having people get together in person. Use that time to "team build"—meet over important ideas, go out to lunch, etc.