How do you ensure inclusion in remote teams?

Inclusion is a key factor for the success and well-being of remote teams. Key factors to consider are; - Communicate frequently and transparently, using various channels and tools that suit the preferences and needs of different team members. - Establish clear and shared goals, expectations, and norms for the team, and provide regular feedback and recognition. - Encourage collaboration and participation in decision-making, problem-solving, and creative processes, and value the diverse perspectives and contributions of each team member. - Foster a sense of belonging and community through platforms such as Viva Engage by celebrating achievements and milestones.

Remote work can be challenging when it comes to practicing inclusion. Make sure you utilize various channels to communicate and do it often. Check in with folks regularly and ask if they are getting the information they need and if they are are able to share their ideas proactively. In meetings, make sure to leave space for all voices and check in with folks you haven't heard from.

For a close-knit remote team, chat often, celebrate everyone's uniqueness, mix in flexibility, and keep the learning vibe going strong.

When in doubt, get on the phone/video call. It's easy to tell yourself a story about how someone is feeling based on their pings and emails... but your story may not be true.

Ask how people are feeling when you call or message them before diving into task. Listen, and if not the time to go into any challenges that may be present there and then, schedule time for a deeper chat to explore. It’s on you as the manager to create a culture of permission that enables your team to show up authentically.

It is essential to create a virtual community that encourages collaboration and belonging. Inclusivity should be practiced, and behavior should be influenced through various touchpoints with the business. Technology and collaboration tools can keep the team organized, motivated, and productive. Celebrating anniversaries, milestones, and successes is a great way to unite teams and share a sense of pride in their accomplishments. Providing equal access to internal programs can motivate teams and generate engagement. Tailored awards and recognition can lead to a deeper connection to company values.

It’s more than this. It’s role modelling and leading by example even when you think nobody is watching. It’s the small unspoken habits that people witness that speak volumes about the context you’re creating for people to feel able to be themselves. Take your lunch break, say no when required and actively listen more than you speak. Only then when people speak up. Belonging comes from trust.

On a remote level, belonging is really created by the manager in the team meetings, because that is when everyone comes together And the art here, is that the manager who is leading the meeting is excellent at involving people in the meeting. It's very simple, but you want your meetings to be models of inclusion and involvement.

A great way to create a sense of belonging is to: - have inclusive group meetings where everyone has the opportunity to speak and contribute. - be mindful of different cultures, holidays, and communication styles. - have virtual coffee breaks ☕ - avoid favoritism; provide equal opportunities to everyone

Consider what makes you feel like a part of the other communities you are a member of and try to facilitate that at work. Having sub communities for various interests like travel, fitness and video games can encourage people to build relationships outside of their immediate teams. Make sure your company events are valuable enough that they can be optional and still have good attendance. You can't build belonging by force, pressuring people to participate will always backfire.

As the CEO of a startup, I ensure our hiring process is completely free of bias and discrimination. We don't care about your degrees, gender, sexuality, marital status, or career gaps - as long as you have the skills and work ethic we need, you're on the team. Empathy and consistent support from senior leadership are vital for fostering a sense of true belonging among employees.

Remote work may augment challenges that are inherent to human interaction. Partly because it makes it harder for individuals to fully grasp the context, also because it makes it more difficult to perceive non verbal communication. Creating psychological safety is key for teams to be fully productive. Only when you are able to obtain the best version of each team member you can get the best from the team. Outstanding teams need trust, because diversity without inclusion doesn’t make a difference. On the other hand, trust and psychological safety are major enablers of inclusion. Once everyone feels safe and is enabled to be their best version, your team performance will go beyond limits. Whether you work face to face, hybrid, or remotely.

Acknowledging that we don’t have all the answers is an important first step. Creating a team manifesto where together it’s agreed how to work, show up, support and communicate across borders and in a way that supports different communication preferences and appeals to individual needs, can help get things off to a positive start. From there on in it’s about proving yourself to others via your words and actions and ensuring you’re both trustworthy and approachable.

The golden rule of remote communication is to always assume people have good intentions and read their written communication in the most positive way possible.

Not everyone works the same way in the office, and that same idea goes for remote workers. Having clear communication with team members who work remote about their schedule ahead of time and trusting them will go a long way. Sometimes life happens, and everyone should be given the grace to adjust their schedule as needed so they can do their best work.

Learn to measure outputs instead of inputs. Once you've adjusted to this, it is easy to allow people to work in the place, times and ways that are best for them without risking any loss of productivity. In fact, the data shows that you'll have increased productivity! Be careful not to abuse this. In a remote setting people are often willing to work earlier or later and often even do it subconsciously. It's important to think long term and encourage your team not to burn themselves out.

Openness significantly bolsters a culture of continuous development, especially in remote teams. When employees witness their peers engaging with online courses or learning tools, it builds a sense of communal learning. Visibility can break down barriers to participation, encouraging more team members to use these resources. Discussing experiences and applying new concepts collaboratively not only enriches individual learning but also helps team dynamics. Open learning creates an atmosphere where knowledge sharing is a norm, and each worker feels empowered. The approach aligns with remote work's flexible nature, turning potential isolation into an opportunity for collective learning and an inclusive environment.

Everyone wants to learn, this is as simple as setting up time for it. Other work obligations can fill up your calendar very quickly so it's important to encourage your team to block time for learning & development and then respect that time and not book over it.

In my experience, the number one barrier to better engagement from remote workers is lack of capacity of line managers. The task of 'people-management' is crucial for so many reasons and it is often an obligation that sits on top of a line-manager's usual workload. Employees will all have unique requirements to foster engagement, and it's a line-managers responsibility to figure it out and then action it. More time needs to be allocated as BAU for people management.

Implementing an effective remote inclusion strategy involves key steps: 1) Empower your team by giving them autonomy in tasks, regardless of location, encouraging inclusivity in decision-making. 2) Stay accessible as a leader, especially in remote settings, to bridge distances and foster connection and inclusion. 3) Promote teamwork and inclusivity by creating collaborative activities that encourage team engagement. 4) Use communication channels for open dialogue, ensuring seamless information flow and alignment among team members. Together, these steps create a supportive and inclusive remote work culture.

Many of the principles for fostering inclusion and strong engagement among a team remain the same, regardless of whether they work mostly in-person, remotely or a hybrid mix of the two. Managers must set the tone for fostering inclusion through their behaviours, authenticity and the ways of working they promote day-to-day. Communicate frequently - both 1:1 and as a group, celebrate successes big and small (and publicly recognise great performance), invite views from everyone and be mindful of people who are less keen to speak up in group settings, empower and enable team members - providing guidance, where needed, but not 'micromanaging'.