What are the most effective ways to maintain motivation and engagement during a remote change initiative?

Here are some things that I have learned and applied: 1. Understand the change yourself. Be certain that you are convinced. If not, fill the gaps. 2. Understand the situation on the ground. Speak to the remote teams (key members). Obtain different perspectives of the current state. 3. Bring points 1 and 2 together. Identify what's similar, what's good, and what's missing. Reflect on an approach that would immediately get people to listen. 4. What's in it for them? What's the aim and how would they be impacted? What are the next steps? Keep it simple towards the initial stages. 5. Keep your heart, ears and doors open to answer questions and listen. The above has worked for me but be prepared to repeat!

Keep talking about the change so that it doesn't fall off the radar. Sounds simple but this is a big challenge when every week at the team meeting there are new initiatives to announce. I find it useful to mix up the messages each week: 1. Make sure the messages are a mixture of tell and ask - tell messages give people information, ask messages enable them to share information. 2. Use a mix of celebrations of progress and achievements with requests for additional work so that you are not nagging people to do more all the time. 3. Mix up the perspectives between the impact of the change on your team and the impact on other stakeholders internal and external to your organisation.

What's worked in my teams is heightened communication - no assumptions. It encourages team members to articulate their understanding, experiences, and suggestions. Engage them in the mission, making them feel like integral parts of the change, even leaders of the process itself. A shift from being passive observers to active participants. Collaborate on addressing resistance and fears. Among engagement methods, the most effective one is dedicating time to listening, comprehending, and empathizing. Each team member is going through their unique journey, and simultaneously, the team is experiencing its own. It's crucial to exercise patience, resilience, and a willingness to embrace and drive change through empathy.

Change is a process and takes time. Build awareness - what is all about, why the change is needed, what is the time-target, what will be the benefit for the organization & for your remote team. Set clear roles and responsibility and clear target and allocate adequate resources. Make sure you are sponsored by your leadership. Reinforce the same change message in each follow up call and always pause for Questions and Suggestion. Be an active listener: make sure as a leader you address resistance and challenges - Develop a change Managment plan and take action to implement it. Smart KPI reviews and trucked is a must - Celebrate success and achievement with the team. Reward the team.

La comunicación de los objetivos y la visión no es suficiente, el equipo tiene que estar convencido de esa visión para compartirla y hacerla propia. Involucrar al equipo en objetivos tácticos que estén conectados a los objetivos estratégicos, y hacerlos parte de su desempe?o esperado puede ser una herramienta para lograr vencer las barreras de distancia y resistencia.

During my journey, the most powerful thing that kept the teams motivated was to engage them continuously and encourage volunteers and participation. Showcase the little steps that have been taken and take feedback. Speak and coach. When required, use your conflict management skills to resolve issues/concerns. Support!

The most powerful question for teams who are planning change is "What do we not know?" It gives people permission to not have all the answers, to collaborate on what may require action or communication for the unknown, and to be okay with addressing further change.

To be successful in a remote change initiative empowerment and involvement of the whole team is just the beginning but far not sufficient to achive positive results. You have to build on the individual needs and strengths of the team members and not to forget that first you have to reach goal congruance on team level. You also have to be able to communicate about weaknesses and missing skills on team level to go deeper afterwards on individual level. Defining roles and responsiblities is also a key moment when starting a remote project. All this has to be inline with the personal motivation of each indivdual on the team. Even better if those motivational factors can be openly discussed so the team understands the drivers of the others.

Acknowledging and celebrating small milestones and successes during the process reinforces steps to engage employees. Recognizing individual and team efforts builds morale and encourages continued commitment.

If a team is naturally remote, a change is just part of their normal "remote". It may take extra effort but the key is making sure team members feel engaged and that they are actually making the change themselves. As others have said, it is a sense of community and connection. that make the difference not where they work. What has worked? - hold open office hours to share questions, concerns, frustrations, ideas - tap into peer communities who can share previous experience - when possible do demos or make changes visual - have the business present the changes, benefits etc - not the change team

It's important to create an environment of psychological safety, enabling teams to design their own social contracts to help bust silos, and creating a positive cognitive and emotional culture. It's also important to consider the trust quotient. That is, change leaders and leaders in general, showing credibility, reliability, are relationship focused, and not simply self-orientated (people will notice). Empathy also goes a long way. It creates an oxytocin loop - one that inspires trust and engagement. Change leaders and leaders, need to be aware of their own threat states and practice strategies to self-regulate, to ensure that negative emotion contagion is not being spread. This is a sure-fire way to erode trust and rapport.

Another way to build trust is to have open conversations about people different communication styles. Using tools like Social styles or DISC questionnaires can help to see the differences, discuss objectively how we can better include everyone and leverage differences.

In my opinion, there is a need to make the effort to speak and listen to them. You may need to repeat some meetings. Take in suggestions and see how to fit this in (now or later). Have a plan for them. Share a common place where all decisions and information are made available centrally. Help resolve issues/concerns. Relate this to the main objective. If required, bring a third party (this can be senior heads, coaches, or other teams) to share experience and thoughts. Build and work on creating ambassadors or advocates. Get help on the ground if required.

No processo, aprendi e apliquei várias li??es essenciais: -Fortalecer relacionamentos: Valorizei a necessidade de fortalecer os relacionamentos dentro da equipe. Isso inclui investir tempo em conhecer meus colegas de trabalho, entender suas necessidades e construir la?os de respeito e coopera??o. -Comunicar eficazmente: Aprimorei minhas habilidades de comunica??o, garantindo que minhas mensagens sejam claras, diretas e respeitosas. -Ser autêntico: Aprendi que a autenticidade é um elemento-chave na constru??o de relacionamentos sólidos. Ser verdadeiro e genuíno nas minhas intera??es tem ajudado a estabelecer conex?es significativas com a minha equipe. Seja um Líder parceiro!

Building trust and rapport with a remote team requires open and transparent communication to foster a sense of transparency and reliability. Consistent and empathetic interactions help team members feel valued and understood. While this needs to be done as a team, the best way to do it initially can be really meaningful one on one's that have a professional and personal component.

Educate and Inform. Often, resistance stems from a lack of understanding. Comprehensive training sessions, workshops, and informational documents can help clarify the reasons for the change and the benefits it will bring. More importantly, set people up for success by providing them with the tools they'll need to get the job done.

Addressing resistance and challenges is pivotal during remote change initiatives. As Peter Senge wisely said, 'People don't resist change. They resist being changed!' Acknowledging resistance as a natural response allows proactive identification of sources, fostering trust and transparency. Challenges are part of the journey; addressing them with clear guidance and resources maintains momentum. Celebrating milestones reinforces commitment. However, a cautionary note: excessive reactivity can amplify negativity. It's crucial to differentiate valid concerns from mere resistance. Striking a balance between issue resolution and a positive outlook is key to success. Emphasize solutions to keep the team engaged and motivated

I wrote an article based on my experience about this. Check out my post which shows the different stages of emotions we pass through to understand and accept. ??. ???????? ????????????????: Start conversations to address doubts and concerns openly. ??. ??????????????: Understand the impact of change on individuals and provide support. ??. ?????????????????????? ????????????: Inspire by sharing the big picture and how everyone plays a vital role. ??. ?????????????????? ????????????????: Every step forward is a victory. Celebrate it! ??. ????????????, ???????????? ?????? ????????????: The more you share, the more you address questions, the more you support, emotions and reactions will settle giving space for creative thinking and planning.

People who resist and challenge are like canaries in the coal mines, they bring important information to the surface that might have been ignored before. Paying attention to these voices is crucial for the success of the change initiative.

Change is often met with resistance because it disrupts the familiar & introduces uncertainty. It challenges established routines, job roles, and comfort zones, which can trigger fear and apprehension among employees. It’s essential to acknowledge and understand this resistance. Instead of viewing it as a roadblock, see it as an opportunity for growth and a chance to create a more engaged and adaptable workforce. Navigating through resistance requires a comprehensive approach that encompasses effective communication, empowerment, addressing concerns, leading by example, patience, and recognition. With these strategies, you can foster a culture that embraces change, minimizes resistance, and sets the stage for successful transformations.

In addition to KPIs, there are many AI tools that can read unconstructed feedback. That's often where we can gather more rich insights that can help define better actions.

In my experience, communication plays a huge role in tracking the progress. Collect data and visually communicate the progress and impact. How did the team deal with this? I would consider this as their achievement. Spotlight each team while they share their experience and progress.

Again, monthly culture change updates are key to monitoring and measuring impact. Along side of that, a quarterly or bi-annual post-audit survey is also useful.

A importancia de monitorar e medir as mudan?as, ajuda muito identificar o que precisa de ajustes e melhorias. - Definir indicadores de desempenho: Estabelecer KPIs específicos e mensuráveis que est?o alinhados com os objetivos da mudan?a. -Coletar feedback regularmente: Reconhecer a importancia de coletar feedback regularmente da equipe e de outros stakeholders. Isso nos fornece informa??es valiosas sobre como a mudan?a. - Adaptar estratégias com base nos dados: Usar os dados coletados para adaptar nossas estratégias e abordagens. -Celebrar conquistas e marcos: Compreender a importancia de celebrar as conquistas e marcos. Isso n?o apenas reconhece o esfor?o da equipe, mas também mantém a motiva??o e o engajamento elevados.

Monitoring and measuring change initiatives are crucial for assessing progress, identifying areas that need adjustment, and ensuring the initiative is achieving its intended outcomes. Here are different monitors and measures that can be used: KPIs and specific metrics that align with the goals of the change initiative. These could include factors like increased productivity, reduced costs, improved customer satisfaction, or higher employee engagement. Change readiness survey conducts regular surveys or feedback sessions to gather input from employees, customers, or other stakeholders affected by the change. Use structured questions to assess perceptions, concerns, and satisfaction levels.

I believe active listening to employee feedback can be as important task as delegating tasks and Leading teams. Leaders should encourage regular interactions with team to discuss wins and learns, and how we can do better. We should move towards a culture wherein rebels are rewarded, not reviled.

Create organic feedback loops throughout the change culture process. Ensure that they are at every layer in the organisation so that you can continue to capture data from a cross section of employees. These learnings will help you improve and shape your culture accordingly.

I would say that one good tool is to use KATA model: Learn from mistakes and successes. Just remember to do the invite to the session multiple people, not just the closest one.

Embrace a growth-oriented mindset. Encourage learning from mistakes by reframing them as opportunities for growth. Hold reflective sessions where the team discusses what worked well and what could be improved. Encourage experimentation and flexibility, allowing for adjustments based on the team's evolving needs and circumstances.

Change Leader also needs to self-reflect, partucularly when remote. Skills to adapt and adjust starts from accepting different points of view and that there is not a single truth out there.

Commit to being a reward and recognition culture. Start by appreciating your employees when you notice change in mindset and behaviour. And encourage other leaders and employees to appreciate positive changes in each other. This creates a bias towards collaboration, alignment, and solutions.

The key to maintaining motivation and engagement during remote change initiatives lies in three pivotal strategies. First, it’s crucial to personalize change management—leaders must be visible, accessible, and align individual motivations with the change’s broader purpose. Second, adopting an open-source engagement model is vital, where leaders articulate a clear vision, strategy, and execution plan, and employees are encouraged to co-create solutions. Third, flexibility should be woven into the organizational fabric, empowering teams to tailor their work arrangements. This triad of personalization, participative engagement, and flexibility forms the bedrock of sustained motivation and commitment in a remote work setting.

Continuous & timely communication is key to maintain motivation & engagement during remote change initiatives. It's easier for employees & even stakeholders to feel left out during a remote change initiative compared to a physical, on-site environment. Thus, plan your communication strategy in a way that everyone starts receiving information early & continuously.

A few additional points from my experience which can help in remote change initiatives and maintaining motivation in remote teams: Leveraging Technology: In today's digital age, use technology to simplify remote collaboration. Employ virtual tools for meetings, project management, and feedback to keep remote teams engaged. Mental Health and Well-being: Prioritize well-being by encouraging breaks, offering stress resources, and creating a stigma-free space for mental health discussions among remote team members. Remote Team Building: Boost team morale with virtual team-building exercises, online games, and video meetings, fostering a sense of unity and connection among members, regardless of their physical locations.

In a remote change initiative, nurturing a sense of community is vital. Consider implementing initiatives that foster a sense of togetherness among your team members. For instance, we organize virtual "Community Gathering" sessions where team members casually chat about non-work-related topics. This helps break the ice and build personal connections. Furthermore, recognize that different team members cope with the transition in various ways. Some might adapt swiftly, while others might need more time or support. Encouraging open conversations about these feelings ensures that your team knows it’s okay to express concerns. This inclusivity and acknowledgement of diverse reactions can alleviate stress and create a more supportive environment.