You're managing a remote team. What are the best virtual team building tools to keep them engaged?

It depends on the seniority, time zone and culture. Only some people like games or icebreakers, especially if they are frequent. I notice more interest in brainstorming and creative thinking activities. Another way to engage with a remote team is to respect their culture, celebrate, and take time for prayers and family duties. In a globalised world, we should not forget that sometimes, when we wake up, someone in our team, in another country, must go and bring their kids home from school. Another excellent tool for motivating people is celebrating success, being honest, humble and transparent, collaborating and always finding the time for a laugh or a smile.

Icebreakers and games are a great way to begin or end a meeting. In my experience, some of the more interesting activities are: guess the baby, story continuation, roses and thorns, two truths and one lie, and anything that brings back nostalgic memories. Since these activities involve people, they will be interesting and engaging.

Es importante crear espacios virtuales de colaboración y trabajo en equipo para que todos sigan viviendo con ese sentimiento de pertenencia, equipo y orgullo de empresa. Es muy positivo crear espacios de confianza y en los que todo el mundo puede hablar y sentirse escuchado. Algunas jornadas virtuales con herramientas innovadoras y disruptivas como los eSports, AI, scape room online.... invitan a trabajar en equipo, con un mismo propósito y superar desafíos en equipo, sin la necesidad de estar físicamente juntos. A través del juego se trabajan competencias y comportamientos que, entre otras cosas, fortalecen la cohesión de los equipos.

Some ways to keep engagement high when you are dealing with remote teams is to find ways to bring them together. Think, " what experience can I create that will make the remote experience feel intimate and connected anyway" This typically can be done through trust building and icebreakers. Have them share a fun fact and have the other members of the team guest who's fun fact it is. Can also do the my community exercise: Have the groups go into breakout rooms based on the type of community they grew up in: City, Rural/ country and suburbs. Another favorite is the let people know that while being on camera isnt required, that it is preferred because it allows you more opportunity to connect to each other given the remote environment.

Mantener comprometido un equipo remoto es un gran reto pero que puede ser al final satisfactorio y de crecimiento para todos. Las herramientas que mencionas son para diferentes momentos del grupo: el Rompehielos es adecuado para la primer sesión o al menos la primera donde se pone una dinámica así, las otras podrían funcionar en sesiones subsecuentes una vez que tienes claro los objetivos que quieras lograr. La lluvia de ideas es genial cuando planteas un nuevo proyecto o problema a solucionar. Estas dinámicas, que yo llamo experiencias vivenciales son geniales pues de una manera lúdica o de reflexión puedes lograr buenos resultados. Lo importante es recordar: que si eres el capitán de ese barco remoto, lo mantengas enfocado y conectado.

Effective virtual team building tools to keep remote teams engaged include video conferencing platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Meet which enables face-to-face interactions, fostering a sense of connection.Other platforms like Trello, Asana, or Monday.com facilitate task tracking, collaboration, and transparency. While communication apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Discord enhance real-time communication and team bonding. Worthy for mention are collaboration and brainstorming tools such as Miro or MURAL to enable virtual brainstorming and collaborative ideation that allows team members to contribute in real-time and visualise the process together, even when working remotely.

Una de mis preferidas es Canva porque no sólo permite inspirar a las personas en actividades de lluvia de ideas, sino que además permite hacerlo en línea y compartir los diferentes dise?os y proyectos sobre los cuales están trabajando las personas, permitiendo que sean incluso colaborativas en línea y cada uno pueda aportar a la de los demás

Depending on company and tram needs you can use all kinds of online tools to foster collaboration and exchange of ideas. Be mindful of what are your team needs and use tools that are designed to fulfil those needs. It is rather easy if when you spend some time with your team.

The challenge of having a remote team is the geographic distance among team members often leads to an out of sight out of mind mentality. Having regular and meaningful one on ones allows for that sense of support. It allows for a leader of people to connect on a personal level and in turn it allows for team members to know and feel they have someone they can turn to.

Comme outil, je trouve également Notion très utile pour la collaboration. Il est assez intuitif et avec une prise en main facile

Managing a remote team effectively involves utilising virtual team building tools to foster engagement and collaboration. Some top tools like Slack for real-time communication, Zoom for virtual meetings and webinars, Trello for project management, and platforms like Donut or Icebreaker for team bonding activities are essential. For team building and learning, I always consider using platforms like Kahoot! for interactive quizzes or Skillshare for skill development courses tailored to each team member's needs. From my experience, I have worked with virtual team using Slack for daily stand-ups, Trello or JIRA to track projects, and Kahoot! for a fun Friday quiz session - these enhances both our productivity and team cohesion.

Team building has to start “where people are” and this demands that team leads get to know their team and are willing to adapt as necessary. Build a team with all the necessary pauses on the journey. Consider the analogy of driving a bus; intentionally pick up everyone as an individual. Communicate in advance and ask where they are willing to join the journey. The driver’s objective is to get everyone to a shared destination. It’s necessary to pick everyone up at **their** bus stop. You can’t drive past passengers, at speed, and expect them to throw themselves at the bus in order to join the ride! Equally you can’t stop at a random place, and rev the engine impatiently, with an expectation that passengers to know where to find you.

I wouldn't merely reduce team building and learning phases to a simple list of tools to use. Those are merely useful instruments; without appropriate guidance and effective facilitation, they are worthless. Even in managing remote teams, the fundamental rules of facilitating in-person groups apply. A tool... is just a tool. A facilitator is not just a tool!

Schedule regular team building sessions, and educating your team on various topics is important quality of a good leader. Understanding that the company goals can be fulfilled and often overdelivered when the employees are acting through inspiration rather than accountability is imperative to create very succesfull and powerful team and business.

Pour avoir animé une équipe support à 10000 kms de distance, un moment dédié aux questions et à la formation afin de faire progresser un groupe est très important. Sans formation, votre équipe aura le sentiment de faire du surplace et vous ne garderez que ceux qui se contente du présent et du déjà acquis. être respecté par son équipe c'est vouloir emmener "l'autre" vers le mieux. J'utilisais Zoom pour cela et le partage d'écran était très efficient.

Team building has to start “where people are” and this demands that team leads get to know their team and are willing to adapt as necessary. Build a team with all the necessary pauses on the journey. Consider the analogy of driving a bus; intentionally pick up everyone as an individual. Communicate in advance and ask where they are willing to join the journey. The driver’s objective is to get everyone to a shared destination. It’s necessary to pick everyone up at **their** bus stop. You can’t drive past passengers, at speed, and expect them to throw themselves at the bus in order to join the ride! Equally you can’t stop at a random place, and rev the engine impatiently, with an expectation that passengers to know where to find you.

Wesentlich ist, dass Menschen gar nicht mit extrinsischen Motivationstricks der Führung oder Facilitation dazu gebracht werden müssen, sich miteinander als Team und in cokreativer Zusammenarbeit zu verbinden. Es ist eher relevant, ihre intrinsische Motivation zu wecken. Dieses gelingt z.B. , indem die Teammitglieder die M?glichkeit haben, miteinander in echte Beziehung zu treten und zu erleben, dass ihre inneren und ?u?eren Entwicklungsziele durch die Qualit?t echter Begegnung erreicht werden k?nnen. Das gelingt durch Dialogformate, die Safe Spaces sind und den Fokus auf innere Entwicklung legen. Im CoCreative Campus üben wir es ein, solche R?ume für Teams und Organisation zu gestalten. Wir nennen das dialogische Teamkulturentwicklung

Teams and businesses are people who choose every day to be part of them. Getting to know individuals and developing emotional intelligence and empathy is important to consider.

Team building in a remote environment takes intention. One way to encourage team building in a remote environment is to create an environment of inclusion and belonging. We have to trust that our team members have value and can assist in leading components of meetings and team building exercises. Additionally, collaboration is key! One person doesn't have to manage the entire process. Leaders can gather input on what team members find valuable and incorporate the findings into meetings. Leaders can also build a space where team members feel safe to share by establishing shared agreements, and letting team members co-create agendas and activities.

Keep in mind that the team, remote or not, has a purpose and sharing it is key to build strategies in order to achieve results expected. Invest time in developing this shared vision and have everyone relate to it.