Whether you are starting a new remote job or have been working remotely for years, building meaningful connections with your team can be a challenge. You might be wondering how to connect with people when you’re not in the same physical space. Here are some tips to help build strong relationships with your remote team.
Get to know your team members on a personal level
Working collaboratively with a team can be both fun and rewarding. To make sure everyone is on the same page and to create an enviable work environment, it’s important for team members to get to know each other on a personal level. Asking about family members, pets, hobbies, and other leisure activities can help colleagues develop an appreciation for one another that can translate into increased productivity and job satisfaction. It’s also a great way for important connections to form between people who initially may have only had a passing familiarity. By taking time to talk about topics that don’t necessarily have anything to do with projects or tasks, your team will be able to share stories and valuable life experiences that can help promote mutual understanding. Ultimately, getting to know your coworkers on a more personal level starts by inquiring about their families, pets, and hobbies – so don’t hesitate to strike up an engaging conversation and discover what makes your team members tick!
Make time for small talk – it’s important to build rapport with your team members, even if you work on a remote team
Working as part of a remote team has its advantages and disadvantages. To stay connected with your colleagues, it’s important to make time for small talk in addition to larger topics. Engaging in small talk with your teammates is not just about making conversation; it helps create strong relationships between members of the team and is an essential part of building rapport.
Small talk can be about something that happened that day or the previous week, or it can be general conversation about hobbies or interests outside of work. It gives everyone a chance to learn more about each other on a personal level which helps foster a sense of collaboration and understanding within the team. No matter what your team’s workload looks like, taking time out for some light-hearted banter can help make connectedness while reinforcing the importance of collaboration among members. So next time you are chatting with your colleagues, spend a few moments getting to know each other on a deeper level – it can help build stronger teams and partnerships no matter where everyone is located.
Be open and honest with your colleagues – they need to know they can trust you, even when you never get to meet in person
There is no denying that the global pandemic has caused us to look at our working relationships in a new light. No matter what career we are in, it is clear that there has never been a more pressing time to be open and honest with our colleagues; they need to know they can trust us, even without ever meeting in person.
Whether we are engaging with someone through email, Zoom, or phone calls, every conversation should be conducted openly and respectfully. As demanding as it can be to maintain these conversations through a computer screen, it is vital that we make an effort to listen attentively and express ourselves clearly. When our communication with other colleagues is honest and considerate – regardless of physical proximity – our mutual respect for one another will flourish.
Such collaborative relationships allow us to understand each other better and productively work towards reaching common goals. Taking the extra care to enhance our interactions should not be viewed as an added burden but rather an opportunity for personal growth and fruitful teamwork over great boundaries of space and time. Making sure that everyone on the team feels like their efforts count by engaging wholeheartedly will ultimately bring us closer together, both virtually and figuratively speaking.
Keep communication lines open – check in with your teammates regularly and encourage them to do the same
Being part of a successful team is often a matter of communication. Open lines of communication between teammates and strong relationships are essential for achieving goals together. Staying connected and in the loop can prevent embarrassing surprises down the line, such as when expectations are mismatched or when certain topics are misunderstood.
It’s important to stay in touch with your fellow team members. That doesn’t just mean updating them on what you’re doing; it also means asking how things are going on their end, too. Checking in encourages others to do the same. If you’re the leader of the team, practice this behavior by proactively initiating dialogue. Making sure everyone is comfortable discussing important issues promotes trust among teammates, creates transparency, and allows each individual to do their best work collectively as part of a united force. By keeping communication lines open within a team environment, everyone can reap the benefits gained from regular check-ins and honest bidirectional conversations.
Celebrate successes together – whether it’s a big project milestone or a small personal achievement, take the time to celebrate as a team
Successes have a way of bringing people together and giving them something to cheer about. Showing appreciation for accomplishments – big or small – is important in strengthening relationships both on the job and outside of it.
It’s essential for a team to take the time to celebrate successes together and show their support for each other. Whether it’s a major milestone in a long-term project or just a personal achievement, these small acknowledgments remind us that we’re all working toward something bigger together.
Celebrating as a team can be as simple as when someone takes the time to recognize somebody else’s work or goes out of their way to give some extra recognition during an end-of-the-week team meeting. Whatever approach your team takes, it’s worth taking a few moments out of your day to appreciate achievements, large and small – because that shared enthusiasm will only make all involved feel connected, accomplished, and motivated to continue down the path toward success.
What to do when you can’t connect with your team outside of work because everyone is remote
Working remotely is both exciting and challenging, especially when it comes to connecting with your team outside of work. After all, meaningful relationships often require one-on-one conversations over lunch or drinks, which are impossible when everyone is stuck at home.
Fortunately, there are still plenty of opportunities to get to know your colleagues despite the constraints of remote work. Virtual meetups and webinars allow for meaningful dialogue between team members, while online games like chess and trivia can help break the ice in more casual settings. Additionally, planning social activities such as happy hour (virtual or socially distanced!) also helps people come out of their shells and connect on a personal level.
Overall, there are plenty of ways to be part of an engaging workplace culture, even when you’re not in the same room. By taking advantage of these tools and resources, you can ensure that your team remains strong during a time of physical distance.