How to build a strong culture in a remote team?
In early March 2020 my team and I were forced to work remotely. As a leader, I had very little idea of how to lead them when I was not 'in front' of them. The NZ public service was not that far advanced so this was a massive mindset and organsational shift. Now almost 3 years on it's the norm! So, I thought I would jot down my thoughts on the challenges a remote culture can present.
Working remotely is becoming more and more popular among businesses that want to attract the best talent from across the world. Remote culture is now a common question for people to ask about and to understand during their interview process. But how do you ensure you build a strong culture if all your employees are miles apart? How do you get the Leadership Team to be consistent remotely? Can you deliver a remote work culture? Here are some tips for building a strong remote team culture:
Team culture and core values
The shift to a more remote environment has made team culture a hot topic in the modern workplace. The idea of a remote work culture and how to navigate it can be tricky, but creating an environment that fosters connection, collaboration, and trust is key to keeping your team engaged, motivated, and productive. An essential ingredient in this is having strong company values that resonate with everyone. Can you connect with your company values? Or, are they just 'ity' words?
Set team goals and objectives
Just because we have remote employees doesn't mean we forget the basics. Creating goals and, enabling every member of your remote team to stay focused on what’s important and drive towards success together. Setting team goals and objectives will also give everyone direction which will enable them to work collaboratively while avoiding confusion or conflict.
Encourage open communication
Encouraging open communication between everyone on the team not only builds relationships but helps increase productivity as well. Make sure all team members know how to quickly discuss issues when they arise so that they can effectively address any challenges that come up along the way. This is an area where the virtual meeting rules and norms will have to be figured out by the team to help grow a strong team culture.
Create opportunities for interaction
In order to foster a sense of connection with each other in a virtual setting, create opportunities for meaningful interactions between the members of your remote team. This could include having casual coffee “meetings” over video chat or playing online games together during breaks throughout the day – anything that gets everyone talking! I remember hosting virtual ‘water cooler’ chats that had no real agenda, but just a chance to connect outside of deliverables.
Share accomplishments regularly
Fostering a culture where employees feel valued is essential and one way you can show appreciation is by sharing accomplishments regularly with one another. With remote companies, this can be hard to do. However, this is where Team Leaders and a company culture of recognition comes into play. Regular and consistent team meetings help remote teams to remain connected despite being spread out across different locations which helps keep morale high. Leaders will need to manage the use of communication tools to ensure the right ones are being used and the news isn't being lost.
Emphasise personal development
It’s important for managers of remote teams to pay close attention to their employees’ personal development – both professionally and personally – in order build trust within their workforce. Assign projects that challenge individuals outside of their comfort zone so that they can continue growing their skillsets then celebrate successes along their journey! Make sure they know and understand their building blocks to grow from.
This article was contributed by Luke Johnson, Strategic Advisor.