Trust and connection is important in virtual teams, just as in in-person teams. Many times team leaders struggle or question how they can more effectively build trust within their teams. Today's post looks at five specific activities you might consider doing in building trust within your virtual team. While virtual and remote team members may not be as interdependent in their work as some intact teams are, trust leads to connection and engagement.
Here are five ways to build more trust in a virtual team:
Get to know each other – As I've mentioned in past posts such as Teams365 #1126: 3 Activities to Connect Your Virtual Team, taking some time to help people connect at a deeper and more personal level can be important for virtual teams. Check out #Teams365 post #1126 for three quick activities you could use as a warm up in your work: What's at you desk, what's in my lunchbag or what's outside my window.
Build in formal touch points regularly - Being more intentional and scheduled with your team meetings and processes can also benefit virtual teams. Consider how you can build in meaningful touch points throughout this next quarter.
Help people see the connection between their roles - If we are not clear on the bigger picture, or how our roles intersect with others, it is very easy to think that we work in isolation. Help people on the team connect through dialogue or even physically mapping out how roles intersect.
Follow through - Accountability and follow through are critical in virtual teams. Just because it's out of sight, doesn't mean it's out of mind. Consider how follow through is happening as it should. Here's a great article from Nan Richards on "In the New Workplace - Trust Begets Trust"
Peer partners - As I have mentioned recently, assigning partners across the team can also lead to stronger relationships and deeper understanding of what others do. Check out Teams365 #1149 for a post on leveraging peer coaching skills which may be an area for development within the team.
This post also connects to a post from last week on Four Ways to Create Connection in your Virtual Team (Teams365 #1162). Check that post out here.
What do you notice about trust in your virtual team right now? What could use more attention?
Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer
Here are five ways to build more trust in a virtual team:
Get to know each other – As I've mentioned in past posts such as Teams365 #1126: 3 Activities to Connect Your Virtual Team, taking some time to help people connect at a deeper and more personal level can be important for virtual teams. Check out #Teams365 post #1126 for three quick activities you could use as a warm up in your work: What's at you desk, what's in my lunchbag or what's outside my window.
Build in formal touch points regularly - Being more intentional and scheduled with your team meetings and processes can also benefit virtual teams. Consider how you can build in meaningful touch points throughout this next quarter.
Help people see the connection between their roles - If we are not clear on the bigger picture, or how our roles intersect with others, it is very easy to think that we work in isolation. Help people on the team connect through dialogue or even physically mapping out how roles intersect.
Follow through - Accountability and follow through are critical in virtual teams. Just because it's out of sight, doesn't mean it's out of mind. Consider how follow through is happening as it should. Here's a great article from Nan Richards on "In the New Workplace - Trust Begets Trust"
Peer partners - As I have mentioned recently, assigning partners across the team can also lead to stronger relationships and deeper understanding of what others do. Check out Teams365 #1149 for a post on leveraging peer coaching skills which may be an area for development within the team.
This post also connects to a post from last week on Four Ways to Create Connection in your Virtual Team (Teams365 #1162). Check that post out here.
What do you notice about trust in your virtual team right now? What could use more attention?
Have a great start to your week,
Jennifer
Jennifer Britton, MES, CPT, PCC
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching(Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Contact us and let us know how we can support you in helping your team reach its' full potential - (416)996-8326
Potentials Realized | Coaching Team Leaders
Author of From One to Many: Best Practices for Team and Group Coaching(Jossey-Bass, 2013) and Effective Group Coaching (Wiley, 2010)
Team and Leadership Development | Coaching | Retreats
Contact us and let us know how we can support you in helping your team reach its' full potential - (416)996-8326
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