How to Maintain Connection Among Distributed Teams

The last few years in the world of work have been tumultuous, to say the least –– and we’re still seeing the fallout from the big changes that happened in 2020. 

The Wall Street Journal reports that workers are unhappy working remote and working in the office, with remote workers feeling disconnected, and office workers feeling trapped by the constraints of office life. What’s more, remote staff are 35% more likely to be laid off, likely because “managers have weaker interpersonal bonds with employees they don’t see in person.”

How to maintain connection among distributed teams - McGeachy Consulting

Why is this so hard? 

We’re probably never going to get back to the same levels of in-office work as before the pandemic, so it’s important to be able to maintain connection among distributed teams.

I believe this issue is particularly challenging because the mix of in-office/hybrid/remote work makes it difficult for a team to develop its “connective tissue.” This is the kind of tacit connection that develops when you spend physical time with other people, and it’s what holds teams together when things get tough.

What’s more, when you’re physically disconnected from your team, it’s much harder to learn what motivates and excites people. You don’t have the body language input in the same way, and you don’t get to see anything outside the little Zoom box, so it’s not like you can pick up on all the little quirks you might otherwise glean from the way someone organizes their desk, or what they like to talk about during lunch.

Bottom line? It’s really hard to maintain a relationship without human connection –– but it’s not impossible.

Here’s what I recommend:

Be intentional about in-person meetings.

Even if your team is primarily or entirely remote, make a point of having in-person meetings at least once a quarter, if you can. While this is of course going to depend on how your teams are distributed, it’s well worth the time and expense to bring everybody together as often as you can. Just be mindful about the impact meetings have on people, since they’ll need to account for travel time.

When you’ve got everybody together, do meetings and work, certainly, but also make sure to have some non-work activities planned too. For instance, you could have a monthly meeting that culminates with a team builder, (happy hour, r tea tasting, dessert bar, mocktail class),or you could do a quarterly meet-up that mixes work with hikes, par 3 golf or games.

Make space for organic conversations.

We learn so much about each other from the little things that come out in conversation, so create space for organic conversations both when you’re in the same place, as well as when you’re distributed. When you’re together this will likely happen naturally over meals or during team-building activities, and when you’re separate, consider having a separate Slack channel, Whatsapp group, or other area where your team can talk specifically about non-work things. 

You may have to take the lead to get the conversation going, but once you’ve modeled for people that it’s fine (and even desirable!) to talk about their personal lives, it’ll likely take off. When in doubt –– ask for pet pictures!

Find excuses to spend time together.

Families develop bonds through spending quality downtime together, and while your workplace is not a family, you can benefit from the same kinds of activities. Look for points of commonality and things you all like doing. Maybe it’s puzzling, or playing a trivia game together, or supporting a local sports team. 

Whatever it is, use it as a jumping off point for joint activities. A lot of times it’s not so much about what you’re doing as the opportunity it affords you to spend time focused on the same thing.

Be curious.

Finally, my top piece of management advice applies here too. Be curious! Look for opportunities to learn more about your team members, build it into your meeting agenda if you have to. I’ve had managers ask everybody on their team the same question, like, “What’s the quirkiest thing on your bookshelf?” or “What’s your favorite local restaurant?” or “What has been your favorite/least favorite client or project and why?” Again, it’s not so much about the specific question as the desire to learn about the other person.

Plan ahead.

Managers who plan 6-12 months out give their team the gift of anticipation. This gives everyone a chance to look ahead and plan for how and when the team will come together. Don’t underestimate the value of having a team get-together on the calendar.

And of course, if you’d like some support as you navigate building connection among distributed teams, I’d be more than happy to help. Click here to find out more.