How do you keep remote team communication engaging and fun?

Experimentation is key when trying to determine how to effectively use each communication tool. I typically hold sessions with my team to establish agreements on how we utilize our communication tools. It's crucial to have tools that can seamlessly integrate with our toolkits, enabling not only communication but also the sharing of ideas, collaboration, visualization, and more. Tools like online mind mapping, whiteboards, and others are essential for expressing ideas during brainstorming or collaborative sessions. Remember that your own voice, articulation, and body language are also tools of communication.

We use Slack for internal comm, Notion for company-wide project management and Rippling as an HR platform. We also use Teamflow that is a virtual office environment for interacting with each other.

Variety is key to keeping things fresh, so use a mix of tools like Slack, Zoom, and collaborative platforms. Each tool serves a different purpose, from quick chats to meetings. Having multiple options ensures that communication remains dynamic and effective.

Asynchronous communication works effectively with distributed teams, enabling individuals to convey messages at their convenience. I always recommend learning a bit about each other's cultures to understand how to appropriately use certain messages, signs, or other visual elements, as different cultures may interpret them differently. It's essential to gather feedback from your team to receive their suggestions and to refine or enhance current communication methods.

Don’t stick to the same routine, vary the way you communicate by incorporating video calls, voice messages, and even GIFs or memes. This variety keeps the team engaged and breaks up the monotony of text-heavy communication. Changing up formats can also make it easier to convey different types of information.

1. Virtual Coffee Breaks: The app Donut pairs people for virtual coffee breaks, I met many people like this ?? 2. Celebrate Milestones: Integrate with HRIS to automate work anniversary messages, but encourage personalized notes from teammates. ?? 3. Share Personal Updates: Encourage team members to share personal anecdotes during meetings if comfortable. 4. Virtual Team Building: Strapi invited a live band one day, it was fabulous. ?? 5. Encourage Video Calls: Use video calls for meetings to enhance interaction through facial expressions. ?? 6. Social Slack Channels: My favorite one is the memes channel??

This is essential, especially since team members often communicate asynchronously. It's important to create moments of relaxation, such as virtual coffee breaks, engaging in online games, sharing hobbies, and exchanging personal stories, to foster team bonding. The options for such activities are nearly endless, but the key is finding the right balance between workload and team bonding. Sessions like "A bit about myself" can help break the ice and build trust within the team. Also, they tell more about their culture and country costumes. Providing language classes for the various languages spoken in the company can also be beneficial.

Create opportunities for casual interactions, like virtual coffee breaks or team happy hours. These informal moments build camaraderie and help the team feel connected, even from a distance. Encouraging social communication fosters a more relaxed and open environment.

One minor but impactful feature we have recently added through Rippling is a team page where we get a summary of people’s anniversaries, OOO notices, and a water cooler meant to replicate an informal setting where you can post any thoughts or discussion points with others.

Remote work should always involve video presence from all team members for scheduled calls. Seeing while hearing builds a stronger relationship and allows for better understanding of one another. It’s comparable to using a telephone verses a text message: nothing can be misconstrued or interpreted in error.

During team building, as you progress through the phases of Forming, Storming, Norming, and Performing, it's crucial to establish and agree upon ways of working, and engagement practices, and define what effective collaboration and quality output look like. This helps team members and external parties understand how things are done, reducing misunderstandings and boosting morale. This clarity promotes efficiency and cohesion as you move through different stages of team development. Delegation process sessions are a valuable practice that can foster autonomy, increase respect, and enhance responsibility within a team. Helping gain a sense of ownership over their tasks and responsibilities.

Many people leaders have forgotten the importance of recognizing their employees' hard work and contributions. As a result, employees feel undervalued and underappreciated, which can ultimately drive them to seek employment elsewhere. As leaders, we have a responsibility to create a positive work environment where employees feel supported and recognized for their efforts. Something as small as saying "thank you" or "great work" can go a long way in building a culture of appreciation and respect. Share and celebrate team milestones. We have an #appreciation channel on Slack where we share our appreciation for each other based on going above and beyond or hitting a certain milestone.

In distributed and in-person teams, it's important to first understand how each person on your team likes to receive recognition and feedback. From there, use your defined tools to offer appropriate feedback in the right way at the right time. For example, if someone nails a presentation, shoot them a slack or a DM congratulating them individually, or celebrate it in a team channel if they like more visibility. Alternatively, more sensitive or nuanced feedback should be a more planned conversation and might need to happen over a (video) call. Most importantly - feedback needs to happen often, continuously and clearly. Bonus points if it's written down in a shared document. This helps connect actions, feedback and progress towards goals.

In the remote teams one of the most important aspects is the communication. Since socialising after working hours is not an option. The next best thing is to setup a clear communication and appreciating the effort of each team member. This will not only motivate the team members also will create a collective team spirit.

Encouraging experimentation and gamification on certain aspects of the team's day-to-day activities can be an effective way to boost team morale and engagement. Setting up clear challenges and providing opportunities for team members to collaborate on creative projects can make work more enjoyable and rewarding. Maintain emotional control, maintain a positive attitude, and keep an open and approachable demeanor when leading a team. Practicing empathy and understanding that everyone makes mistakes is essential for creating a supportive and productive team environment. Mistakes are part of the learning process, and they often lead to valuable insights and growth for those who are willing to take risks and try new things.