Is lack of trust hurting your remote team?
It's far easier to assume the worst when you're not working in proximity to your peers. Trust is foundational to the success of any team, and I would argue that is especially true for remote ones.
Photo by Andrew Neel on Unsplash
We're all facing a new reality. With COVID-19, remote work is likely here to stay one way or another. Perhaps you've been working 100% remotely for a while already, and you've managed to leverage video services such as Zoom, Google Meet and others. You might have noticed that working remotely needs a few more adjustments as well.
In the last four years, my responsibilities were leading individuals and teams 100% remotely and working with them to solidify their resilience, empathy and confidence to be more productive and impactful in their roles. I quickly realized that remote leadership was challenging and discovered vital areas to focus on to thrive. The most foundational one was continuously building and strengthening trust between all team members, including myself.
It's far easier to assume the worst when you're not working in proximity to your peers. Trust is foundational to the success of any team, and I would argue that is especially true for remote ones. Have you ever met a successful team that didn't trust each other? The way I've accomplished building trust in my team is by opening every meeting with authentic conversations, asking curious questions, listening actively, and genuinely being interested in what team members have to share. I made a point to create space for the team to connect regularly, and it was invaluable in its success.
Adopting remote work and leadership isn't easy. It's more than working from home and using video conferencing services. It requires shifts in many areas such as our mindsets, behaviours and habits, overall team culture and having the right processes, systems, and tools to be thriving. Which of these areas still needs shifting in you or your team?
What changes might you need to help strengthen the trust in your teams as you continue to work remotely? Please leave your comments below. I’d love to hear from you.
What changes might you need to implement to help strengthen the trust in your teams as you continue to work remotely? I'd love to hear from you. Please leave your comments here.
Here's a little update on the rebranding. I'm making good progress. I have a new logo that I'm happy with it. I'm sure it will change in the future, but what is important is not perfection, but getting it out there.
I've formulated a plan to transfer my website to a new theme that will align better with the new brand. I still need to write content to address the new "added value" I'll be adding to my business as part of this rebranding. I'm excited to share more details with everyone. For now, that's all I have.
Keep an eye out for my next emails.
Cheers!
P.S. If you're feeling stuck right now, either in a personal or professional capacity, please don't hesitate to reach out.