Leading diverse and remote teams can be a challenge for any nonprofit leader, especially in times of uncertainty and change. How can you foster collaboration, communication, and trust among your team members, while respecting their different backgrounds, perspectives, and needs? Here are some tips to help you lead effectively and inclusively in a virtual environment.
One of the first steps to lead a diverse and remote team is to clarify your vision and goals for your nonprofit and your team. What is your mission, your values, and your desired impact? How do you measure your progress and success? How do you align your team's work with your strategic priorities? Communicating your vision and goals clearly and frequently can help your team understand the purpose and direction of their work, and how they contribute to the bigger picture.
As with every project, always start with defining the goals. When working with volunteers, my experience is that it is especially helpful to cover the "why" of everyone joining. Volunteers choose to give freely of their time and expertise. Why is that, and how can you ensure that they get the most out of this? By tying the common vision and goals to each individual "why" anchors both the goal within the group and it makes it so each person is connected to the aspect of the goal they feel strongly about. There is also the added benefit of understanding what motivates people through their personal "why". This in turn highlights how each person might want to spend their focus, and if there are any areas where you might need more people.
Another key step to lead a diverse and remote team is to establish norms and expectations for how your team will work together. How often and through which channels will you communicate? How will you share information, feedback, and recognition? How will you resolve conflicts and make decisions? How will you balance flexibility and accountability? Setting norms and expectations upfront can help your team create a shared understanding of their roles, responsibilities, and expectations, and avoid misunderstandings and frustrations.
In my experience what most companies miss and ultimately why they fail to get Fully remote to work is that they continue with the exactly same tools and try to tweak their processes as little as possible. In order to make fully remote, work for everyone, you have to give them the tools needed, train managers and implement new processes that builds on individual accountability on output + manager follow ups. Example of tools needed could be new collaborative tools or tools that enable spontaneous social interactions that would occur naturally in an in-office environment. Then judge the success based on both results and employee engagement scores.
Trust is the foundation of any effective team, especially a diverse and remote one. Trust can be built by creating opportunities for your team to get to know each other personally and professionally, such as through icebreakers, check-ins, and social events. Trust can also be built by demonstrating empathy, transparency, and reliability as a leader, such as by listening actively, sharing relevant information, and following through on your commitments. Trust can also be built by empowering your team to take ownership of their work, such as by delegating tasks, providing support, and celebrating achievements.
In my experience, the biggest way to build trust is to have a positive relationships, and just like you would do with a team in the office you need to do the same for remote teams. As a leader, you need to provide a safe environment for people to speak up by having open communication, regular interactions and high integrity. Being competent and following through on your promises also helps.
Diversity and inclusion are not only ethical values, but also strategic assets for any nonprofit. Diversity can bring different perspectives, skills, and experiences to your team, while inclusion can create a sense of belonging, engagement, and innovation. To embrace diversity and inclusion in your diverse and remote team, you need to acknowledge and appreciate the differences among your team members, such as their cultures, identities, and preferences. You also need to create a safe and respectful space for your team to express their opinions, ideas, and concerns, and to address any biases, stereotypes, or discrimination that may arise.
One way I have applied this is to give clear forums for everyones input and opinion where possible. And talk about how open culture you want to have. And what is acceptable and not. Leading a diverse team in terms of team members from several different cultures also requires a leader that can zoom out from their own perspectives and built in biases and try to see the individual team members point of view.
Leading diverse and remote teams effectively involves setting both team and individual goals. In a diverse context, it's essential to treat each team member as a unique individual and be intentional about acknowledging and respecting their differences. Create opportunities for team bonding through online events and recognize and celebrate their unique contributions and qualities. Effective leadership in remote and diverse settings requires a combination of inclusive practices, personalization, and the fostering of a sense of belonging among team members.
Finally, to lead a diverse and remote team effectively, you need to be willing to adapt and learn from your experiences. Leading in a virtual environment can pose new challenges and opportunities for you and your team, such as technical issues, time zones, and collaboration tools. You need to be open to feedback, experimentation, and improvement, and to adjust your strategies and tactics as needed. You also need to encourage your team to learn from each other, from other teams, and from external sources, and to share their insights and best practices.
Equipes remotas e diversas requerem que a organiza??o se adapte para receber suas diversidades, mais ainda, que seja capaz de gerar ambientes seguros e ambientes diversamente integrados, mesmo à distancia.
There can be challenges to working with people with diverse backgrounds. They might interpret things you say in ways you didn't intend, and there might be nuance in communication lost on you. There's also significant upside. These different perspectives add creativity and make it so you catch opportunities and risks that might otherwise be missed. In my experience, the key to doing this successfully is to be humble. Be aware that things might come across differently than intended. Ask questions. "When you say X, this is what I understand. Is that what you intended, and is there anything I'm missing?" Acknowledging and speaking about the differences in communication makes a big impact. Don't make assumptions, and listen with kindness.
We’ve implemented online tools to conduct comprehensive 360° feedback assessments with our entire staff. Despite working remotely across different cities, countries, and time zones, each employee undergoes regular evaluations through these online platforms. These tools are invaluable in quantifying and monitoring employee satisfaction, as well as pinpointing areas that need improvement. To complement these assessments, we also hold regular catch-up sessions to discuss the results of the 360° evaluations. This ensures smooth operations and maintains open communication, regardless of the geographical distances that separate our team members.