4 Ways to Build Trust in Remote Teams
It’s a critical building block to a team’s effectiveness, both in a physical and virtual environment. Throw in the high levels of stress and anxiety; confidence levels in a team can collapse if not managed properly. Building a culture of trust makes a meaningful difference in both employee engagement and company outcomes by enabling higher productivity and increased profitability.
If you can foster a domain of trust, your remote team will thrive. While it is more difficult to build trust when team members aren’t face to face, it is definitely still achievable. Below are some proactive management strategies that can cultivate strong workplace relationships and productive collaborations.
1. Transparency and Open communication
Maintaining open communication is key to build a collaborative workforce. You can’t keep your employees in the dark if you want them to be honest. There are numerous options available that ensure team members have a way to stay in touch irrespective of their communication style.
In a remote environment, transparency is especially valued as it lowers the chances of miscommunication. Keeping employees in the loop builds trust as they can evaluate and understand how the information they receive affects their performance.
2. Awards and Recognition
It is important to celebrate individual and group wins no matter how big or small. Acknowledging an employee’s contribution builds their trust and pushes them to do better.
Promoting and recognizing their strengths by praising their contribution helps build confidence and trust with the management and also plays a part in the group’s success.
3. Autonomy
While it is nearly impossible to observe if all employees are working round the clock, most successful companies focus on the results.
Therefore, by granting autonomy along with organizational support, the employee is empowered to make decisions and solve problems on their own as much as possible. It also places a high level of trust on both the employee and the management that the work is getting done.
