What are the most effective ways to engage and motivate your remote and hybrid teams?

standout insight from this article is the importance of regular virtual team-building activities. Recognizing that fostering connections and team spirit can be challenging in remote settings, the idea of frequent online activities to boost morale and camaraderie resonates deeply. By organizing virtual coffee breaks, team quizzes, or collaborative projects, organizations can create a sense of togetherness and motivation, even when team members are geographically dispersed.

We find that the more we create a listening led culture the easier this becomes. High levels of organisational empathy and team connection make physical location less relevant. We have team members working all around the world but still feeling part of the team. We invest into shared cultural events, entertainment time and encourage conversations that allow us to listen to each other. The key is that this is an investment in intention and time from the leadership team. People always need a guide and if that guidance is consistent the rest will follow.

Define clear and measurable goals that align with the team's objectives and the organization's mission. Communicate these goals effectively to team members, using clear language and visual aids if necessary. Ensure that each team member understands their role and responsibilities in achieving these goals, and that they have the necessary resources and support to do so. Establish regular check-ins and feedback mechanisms to track progress towards the goals and address any issues or challenges that arise. Celebrate successes and acknowledge team members' contributions to achieving the goals, both individually and as a team.

Agreeing on specific long-term objectives is a critical component of clear expectations. When a team agrees on the end goal they can adjust their efforts to align with the rest of the team. This allows a manager to hold each member accountable according to their deliverables. This is especially important when working remotely. When working remotely, communication is not as frequent as in an office. Because of this, it's vital that expectations are continuously updated and communicated. On a team-wide level FAST goals can be effective. They are: Frequently Discussed Ambitious Specific Transparent FAST goals empower a team to adapt to the world in an agile way, and is well suited for remote work.

It also helps to recognize and celebrate achievements, both big and small. Regularly acknowledging the efforts and accomplishments of team members is an easy way to boost morale. Make sure you provide constructive, specific and timely feedback and coaching to help your team members to grow in their roles.

Choose the right medium for both the nature of the communication and the people involved. Teams should develop communication norms based on how the individuals on the team prefer to communicate. For example, they should agree on how and when to use chat, email, a Slack update, Google docs, video conferencing, the phone, in-person, etc.. When possible asynchronous communications via email, collaborative documents, polls, or recordings can substantially cut down on the need for meetings and coordination across time zones, and can even enhance the diversity of the thought pool. Synchronous and face-to-face communications are best for complex problem-solving, sensitive conversations, and quick decision-making.

Managers should check-in with employees both collectively and individually on a regular basis. In remote environments, encouraging an open-door policy is key to both employee retention and morale especially given the uncertainty in today's job market. Regardless of team size, it's crucial that vital information is processed to team members on an individual level. Communication is not the message sent, but the message received. This is especially true in remote-first environments.

Different team members have different needs for communication. Some crave isolation, others thrive in a louder social setting. These needs can change over time and tasks. Remote work encourages flexibility. As a manager, it is well worth taking the time to learn how your team members want to communicate. By doing this, you both show that you listen and value team members and you also encourage them to do their best work. Regardless of how your team communicates, regular touchpoints are important. These should not only focus on deliverables and tasks but also on personal well-being. It is also a good idea to provide an arena for small talk and non-transactional conversations. This helps build stronger social connections in your team.

Yes. Keep in contact. Be available. Listen and hear. Seek to understand. Ask question about well being. Respond to needs. Support.

Establish a regular communication schedule that includes team meetings, one-on-one check-ins, and updates on project progress and organizational news. Use a mix of communication channels, such as video conferencing, chat, email, and project management tools, to accommodate different communication styles and preferences. Ensure that communication is clear, concise, and relevant, and that team members have the opportunity to ask questions, provide feedback, and share ideas. Make an effort to build rapport and connections with team members, through informal chats, team-building activities, and recognition of individual and team achievements.

We often think of recognition as a "feel good" activity, and it should be. But the real value of team recognition is that it shows everyone what "good" looks like - it reinforces your expectations and how to achieve them. It is difficult to have a high-performing team that isn't able to have fun together. Find things that bring people together (I've done a lot of virtual games with my teams that had us laughing a lot) and create shared references.

It's important to fight isolation in distributed remote teams. If this isn't done, chances are people might disengage from their work and their team. In an office, two co-workers might share a desk. This becomes a natural place for conversation, even if their tasks aren't related. These conversations build trust, friendship, and a sense of belonging. When working remotely, there is a risk these conversations don't happen. One way we've found that works well to counter this is to work in a virtual environment. By working in a virtual room, team members can get this sense of togetherness even when working remotely. However, nothing beats human connection. Try to meet your coworkers once every year. This fast-tracks belonging.

With more and more teams going hybrid/remote, it's important to bring in touch points that are not always related to work. Virtual team building (not the bingo, quizzes and trivia - but the more advanced and new-age options) has the ability to be available when you need it, and at a frequency that can help build this sense of belonging and culture. If you're not yet ready to invest in this form of engagement, then at least find common areas of interest that you can discuss/celebrate. A team-first and organisation-next strategy is needed to overcome the challenges of hybrid and remote teams.

This is an opportunity area regardless of whether your team is remote/hybrid or not. It requires getting to know each individual on your team professionally and personally. As you do, you'll learn their motivators and areas of development. From there, you'll need to plan and be intentional about what their development looks like. This is one of the greatest engagement tools for any employee. However, it requires you to also plan for what that development is leading to. While that may be a formal promotion, you also need to consider what other kinds of outcomes may be important to the employee. If you miss this second part, it will feel like a check-the-box exercise and fail at engaging and motivating your teams.

Strong leaders know who needs structured guidance and who thrives on autonomy - and supports both in the ways they need to be supported. Caring about them as people, and not just employees, is critical for building a team that trusts and values each other and the work. While you don't need to like everyone, you do need to respect them, and coach them appropriately.

I will answer this question from the perspective of a new remote employee who feels unsupported by their boss. Key things to action on: (1) Publish your work. (2) Look around (or ask around) for other directs who are having more success. (3) Try to earn trust / add value before asking for more support. (4) Seek to add value / help out the people you need to meet. (5) Escalating to a skip level with a problem almost never works. Detailed advice here: https://levelupwithethanevans.substack.com/p/straight-truth-my-boss-isnt-supporting

Trust is a critical element in remote and hybrid work arrangements. You can empower team members to make decisions and take ownership of their work by avoiding micromanagement. I find that its in this set-up its best for clients to focus on outcomes rather than processes. As long as the job gets done!