You're starting a new team with remote members. How can you establish trust without meeting face-to-face?

We are working 100% remote post Covid & have declared Permanent work from anywhere for Entire corporate ! We are able to do this successfully by building Clear Expectation setting & did this by : 1. Building OKR/KPI-KRA for entire team starting with Core team . This set the clear expectation setting between both team n company. Currently we meticulously improving all matrixes one by one . 2. Planning everything : Right from day planning to Task Management , everything is getting structured , SOP & Plan . If it’s not plan , it doesn’t happen . If same task is to be done more than 3 times , it has to be documented n processed . 3.

Setting clear expectations is essential for creating trust and alignment in a remote team. This involves clearly communicating the team’s goals, individual roles, and specific responsibilities. When everyone understands their tasks and how they fit into the larger picture, it prevents misunderstandings and keeps the team focused on shared objectives. Regularly revisiting and adjusting these expectations ensures that everyone stays aligned and engaged. Remember: “Define goals and roles clearly to build trust and teamwork.”

Begin by setting clear expectations and roles to ensure everyone understands their responsibilities. Utilize regular communication channels to maintain transparency and consistency. Foster a culture of accountability and reliability by meeting deadlines and following through on commitments. Encourage open dialogue and feedback to build mutual respect. Additionally, use virtual team-building activities to strengthen personal connections and trust among members.

In my sales and Marketing lead career, it's common to manage regional team members remotely. Nature of a team is having shared responsibilities, but with an accountability to each member. To hit the ultimatum, everyone is expected to deliver results. In this path, effective communication plays a pivotal role to set clear expectations, establish an organizational culture, deliver results, etc. Within all these processes, magnifying the contribution of the person, his importance to the business and the empowerment given, the level of trust I put on, and also communicating them in depth will build trust among the team members. Trust is personal quality, which you build through time.

I’ve been working with remote teams for 25+ years, and I’ve found two tools essential for success. One facilitates asynchronous chat, such as Slack or Teams. The other facilitates synchronous voice and video calls. We encourage all team members to keep their video on during calls. It’s important to see people’s faces so we don’t lose the all-important nonverbal communication cues. Plus it’s just nice to see the other people vs talking to static headshots! Human beings are social creatures and remote work can otherwise be isolating.

At HKESE, the next-generation recruitment platform championing the Future of Work, our remote-first culture is deeply embedded in our DNA. We work from anywhere and at any time that fits our individual schedules, favoring asynchronous communication over real-time interactions. For asynchronous communication, we leverage tools like Trello, Email, and Google Docs. When real-time communication is necessary, we utilize phone calls, Google Chat, and Google Meet. Our simple yet powerful tech stack facilitates both asynchronous and synchronous communication, empowering our team to work productively and uphold the flexibility that defines our core values.

Communication is the lifeblood of Eve tive teamwork even in remote working environments. This is achieved through dedication and effort. The communication channels being used need to be accessible and ideal for the remote team. There needs to be a frequency of active communication which needs to start from the leadership. Collaborative tools such as Slack are great for communicating projects and work related matters.

Set Clear Expectations: Clearly define roles, responsibilities, and objectives to ensure everyone is aligned and knows what is expected of them. Encourage Regular Updates: Foster a culture where team members regularly share their progress, challenges, and achievements to maintain transparency and accountability. Foster Personal Connections: Encourage informal check-ins, virtual team-building activities, or casual conversations to build rapport and strengthen the bonds between team members. Consistency is Key : Trust is built over time; be consistent in your approach to communication and support to nurture a trustworthy and cohesive remote team.

Building trust takes time. Give people responsibility and work with them to set a deadline. Were they on time? Was the quality of the work good? Did they communicate challenges / delays and ask for help? From your side - did you provide them for the context they need and help remove the blockers? If so, trust will be built. If not, provide feedback and give it another go.

Building trust remotely would be easier, when team members regularly share updates, it builds transparency and trust. Everyone knows what others are working on, which reduces uncertainty and fosters a cohesive team environment. Updates facilitate collaboration by keeping everyone on the same page. Team members can identify opportunities to collaborate, share insights, or offer assistance based on the information shared.

I would treat this like my kid's science project. First, set the objectives and milestones. Don't expect the project to be miraculously completed by the due date (remember the all-nighters moms and dads, while junior slept like an angel?). No way. Set weekly updates, which are read by the project manager prior to the Zoom or MS Meetings sessions, as not to waste time reviewing.

Trust with the team Leaders or between team members?! A game could help established Trust between team members, especially team games, where participants need to informally interactive and Learn about each other. Celebrating birthday and memorable personal events can help break the ice as well.

Remote doesn't mean you can't connect and have a nice working relationship. Care about your team members, what they like, what you both like. You'll see that connecting to fix a problem will be nicer once you're able to connect on a personal level.

Connection building is important when it comes to managing a remote team. Organize discussion forums or conversions where team members can interact and know each other.

Be Sincere: Be true to who you are and allow people to see you for who you really are. Actively Listen: Use active listening techniques to comprehend the thoughts and feelings of others.

Trust exercises are invaluable for creating a cohesive team environment. Team members who open up about their struggles or experiences create empathy, mutual respect, and understanding. It's a great method to build relationships and create a positive team environment. Regular implementation of these exercises can significantly improve team performance and dynamics.

I beleave that trust exercises are nice and importent but not a must. I beleave that mutual respect and open communication leads to trust.

Although a big umbrella, in general I like to use these once a baseline of trust is already there. Baby steps here. Being vulnerable is tough and personal dynamics with each person on a team are nuanced and complicated. I have absolutely been on teams where there was complete trust- this was built through genuine human connection over time. It can absolutely be facilitated but I prefer more casual approaches like just getting people together, sharing experiences, laughing, getting to know each other as humans. Offsites and retreats can be a great way to do this.

Esses exercícios ajudam a construir respeito mútuo e compreensão, que são fundamentais para criar uma base sólida de confiança. Ao promover uma cultura de abertura e vulnerabilidade, você não só melhora a coesão da equipe, mas também fortalece a colaboração e a eficácia do grupo.

Games can be great trust exercises. If you play online games that require people to share things about themselves or learn more about each other, you'll build trust. But the most valuable trust builder is building a team culture that balances respect with honesty, and this starts with leading by example. It's important to give honest feedback in ways that preserve respect, and to give people space to suggest creative or unusual ideas, as well as to ask questions and admit what they don't know.

I believe, having online meetings can restrict people from connecting at a deeper level. Work is important but more than work, establishing trust and security is important. That happens when you take regular feedback, not just related to work but mental health, general life updates, being there more so the person who's working feels connected in more than one way!

Establishing a culture of open feedback in a remote team setting is essential for fostering leadership team alignment and enhancing accountability and commitment. By encouraging constructive feedback, you not only improve operational efficiency but also build a foundation for sustainable growth and value creation. This practice aligns with the principles of radical candor and cascading communications, ensuring that team dynamics remain positive and productive.

Staying informed Staying Ethical Collaborative : 1. Everytime I say when I meet my junior coworkers Only two things in Coding or anything in professional life I will communicate and collaborate about Negative to positive approaches; Positive to next level of positive approaches Honestly, I will expect same level of information from them. transparency leads to more trustworthiness 2. Ask them to follow Agile team approach it supports any individual person freedom to speech Freedom to share ideas Including where no one ever done before type 3. Firm wide updates / Team wide updates Ask them to follow in company provided digital forums 4. Already established trustworthiness for reverse mentoring Financial year 2019 to 2020

Achei super útil esta enquete, acredito que todas as situações são extremamente importantes para garantir o alinhamento junto ao time remoto, mas dentre eles a cultura do Feedback se ajusta completamente ao cenário, pois pelas entregas estabelecidas de forma clara, podemos acompanhar a evolução individual e em equipe, e desta forma desenvolver o time. A cultura do feedback construtivo e respeitoso, transformam pessoas!

Cultivating a culture of open and constructive feedback is vital. Encourage team members to share feedback regularly and openly, and model this behavior yourself. Constructive feedback helps individuals grow and ensures that any issues are addressed promptly, preventing the erosion of trust. A transparent feedback loop signals to team members that their voices are heard and valued.