How do you acknowledge and validate emotions in a remote team?

2 How to acknowledge emotions

Acknowledging emotions means recognizing and naming them, both in yourself and in others. This can help you to understand the situation better, and to respond appropriately. To acknowledge emotions in a remote team, you can use active listening skills, such as paraphrasing, reflecting, and asking open-ended questions, to show that you are paying attention and interested in what the other person is saying and feeling. Additionally, use emotional words, such as happy, sad, angry, or frustrated, to label the emotions that you or the other person are experiencing, and avoid vague or generic terms. Non-verbal cues, such as facial expressions, gestures, and tone of voice, can also be used to convey your emotions and to read the emotions of others. If you are using video calls, make sure to have good lighting, eye contact, and body language. If you are using text or audio, use emojis, punctuation, and voice modulation to add emotion to your messages.

3 How to validate emotions

Validation of emotions is essential for building rapport, empathy, and trust with another person, and making them feel heard and understood. To validate emotions in a remote team, supportive statements such as "I hear you" or "I understand" should be used to show that you are listening and empathizing with the other person's emotions. Additionally, positive feedback, such as praise, appreciation, or recognition, should be used to acknowledge the other person's strengths, achievements, or contributions. Lastly, constructive suggestions, such as advice, guidance, or resources, should be used to help the other person cope with their emotions, and to offer solutions, alternatives, or support, without imposing your own opinions, expectations, or solutions.