Building Inclusive Virtual Teams

Hello Readers,

In the world of remote and hybrid working, ensuring effective collaboration online is more crucial than ever. To foster this collaboration, inclusivity has to be a priority.

In this edition we’ll discuss the importance of building inclusive virtual teams, and I'll share tips on how you can make your virtual teams more inclusive.

Inclusive teams are more innovative and tend to make better decisions. Exclusion in a virtual team can disproportionately affect marginalised employees, who may be less ‘visible’. Although virtual teams have their challenges for leaders and team members alike, with the right inclusion strategies, your team can thrive.?

Common Issues In Virtual Teams

• Communication: time zones, differences in communication styles, and not being able to read body language can affect collaboration.
• Engagement: some members of the team may feel isolated, which leads to lower engagement.
• Transparency: virtual teams are more likely to have ‘silos’ where teams don’t have equal access to information or resources.

Tips to Build a More Inclusive Team

?? Foster psychological safety within your team by encouraging transparency and open communication across channels.

?? Regularly ask for feedback about team members’ working experiences and implement suggestions where appropriate to boost team engagement.

?? Invest in cultural awareness and allyship training to ensure a more inclusive and equitable work environment for colleagues from marginalised groups.

?? Encourage all members of your team to participate in meetings. Consider also setting ‘ground rules’ to ensure all voices can contribute to discussions.

Top tip: if you notice a team member has not been able to contribute, invite them to share their thoughts!

In the News

?? Will AI make work burnout worse? (BBC)

?? As AI grows smarter, experts believe it has become more discriminatory (The Guardian)

?? AI is encouraging a revolution for visually impaired people (BBC)

Media of the Week

Youtube - Coaching Across Cultures, Marshall Goldsmith Stakeholder Centered Coaching

Your Next Steps to Build an Inclusive Team

At Royse Inclusive Training, we specialise in helping organisations attract and retain diverse talent. Let us support your efforts by booking a complimentary strategy session tailored to your goals.

?? Contact us at [email protected] to start discuss how we can support your inclusion strategies today!