Do we need to switch on our cameras? Can we skip the warm-up? Do we really need to talk about how we feel during this meeting? Oh no, not the team game again!
Why is it crucial for the team to know each other?
We live in times when hybrid and remote work are standard, yet many leaders who run meetings still hear the complaints mentioned above. Nevertheless, when team connection and communication is limited, there is higher attrition, increased mistakes, lower productivity and overall dissatisfaction. While there is often grumbling, it’s good to remember one thing: leaders are responsible for ensuring employees feel connected to build a sense of belonging. They observe the dynamics of individual team members, notice those who may feel like outsiders, and ensure that employees stay connected to what is important and to each other. Their observations help to provide insight about issues or conflicts happening within their team before they get bigger, more intense, and problematic. Below are some reminders of what effective leaders do differently.
- Check-in with remote team members regularly with compassion (not just about work) to build trust.
- Schedule and protect time for new team members to learn about others, especially when working remotely.
- Humanize remote work by acknowledging accomplishments, birthdays, new family members, etc.
- Expect team members to take ownership to get to know each other to increase team support, knowledge exchange and team productivity.
- Share research that teams who know each other participate more frequently, are more engaged, are more likely to challenge perspectives and offer more innovative ideas.
- Send a text occasionally to encourage and/or let them know you are thinking about remote team members.
- Ask team members to keep cameras on during remote video meetings so that visual cues are more observable during disagreement and/or differences of perspective.
- Expect and hold all team members accountable to participate.
- When possible, launch major team initiatives with at least one face-to-face meeting to establish goals, roles and communication expectations.
- When feasible, pair project team members with those who are remote.
The Innolect team started to experiment with remote work in 2005 and has operated successfully as a remote workforce since 2007. To learn more about how to build strong relationships and a sense of community within remote and hybrid teams, contact Innolect today for a free 30-minute conversation.
Kittie W. Watson, Ph.D.President and Founderkittiew@innolectinc.com