How to build a culture in a remote team
We have talked about the importance of building the right culture for our company and our team many times before.
It is all about creating a common conscience, a style, and a vibe that is understood and shared by the whole team. It goes from the way the workflow goes to the communication routes and styles.
It includes social gatherings, team building and actually connecting with your team.
But how do we do it when we are dealing with a remote team? How do we literally save the distances to make those members part of the community to be included and connected with the company’s culture?
This situation actually will test the quality of the culture we have built and challenge it so here are some good pieces of advice to make sure we are creating a company culture that welcomes everyone on the team no matter where they are.
-
Go beyond the classic group games or activities.
Many companies feel like by just having a couple games in the office or gathering for a group activity outside, the job is done. But that is a very lazy look to what company culture means. Having a remote team will force us to base our culture in something less obvious since those people can’t join the game.
-
Focus on how your company works.
Ok, so if it is not about just connecting through physical activities, then what is it? The most important thing to remember is that company culture is about how you work, is the dynamic created by the leaders of the company that defines how everyone on the team should ideally work.
Your team should know how much time are they expected to work, how the communication within the company and with clients should work… all those things define the company and will ease the work flow and the ability of everyone to feel connected and in harmony with how things work at the office, no matter where they are working from.
-
Create a fun safe environment to connect on a personal level.
Yes, a ping-pong table will make people connect, but maybe just 2 at a time. Allowing a virtual platform to talk and connect will help people get to know each other, relax a little bit and feel part of a family. There are many available tools right now that allow those chat rooms, choose the one that adapts the best to your company.
-
Find and use every form of useful communication.
Don’t stick with emails, make sure that you see each other faces, and that everyone feels confortable talking with and in front of the rest of the team.
-
Meet in person at least once are year
A get together for the company is great and builds a much stronger relationship amongst all the members of the team. Create those gatherings and make them a staple at least once a year if not more.
-
Trust your team
It is crucial that the whole team feels trusted, managing a remote team takes a lot of trust and confidence on the people you have working for you. Just as much as you shouldn’t be constantly overlooking what your team at the office is doing and how, it is just as important that your remote employees don’t feel like you are monitoring them, they must feel able to make decisions and know when it is time to raise their hand a communicate a possible issue.
At the end of the day is all about believing in the people you hired and creating a strong environment that feels leaded and consistent, so that culture that you create helps them know what needs to be done and how.
