The number of leaders who manage remotely is increasing (see Gallup data), and as a result, they are faced with creating connections and engagement without having the benefit of face-to-face time. And, those who work remotely 100% of the time are the least engaged of all. Just because you manage remotely doesn't mean you can't foster strong connections and sense of belonging with your team members. Here is a compilation of 17 simple ways to stay connected when you are a remote leader. Get the downloadable document and share it with your peers who also manage remotely: PDF: 17 Ways to Stay Connected
- Greet people every morning or at the start of their workday, if different than your own. Use a brief email or IM; consider including a GIFF or photo attachment.
- Set up and hold a recurring virtual coffee break. Send mugs to everyone to start the tradition.
- Send a periodic “team in a box”: something that everyone receives for being part of your team. An example is an inspirational quote in a small frame that can be changed out periodically based on what is going on in your department.
- Be ruthless and rigorous in your transparency about scheduling; go beyond access to a shared calendar: set up a group norm about how and when to share schedules (i.e., email at end of day about next day), etc.
- Keep a connection checklist: a table that contains a list of all your team members and columns to fill in with date of last contact. Put a date each time you've connected live—the goal is to not let more than a day go by without a connection (holidays and vacations being the exception).
- Hold virtual celebrations for events such as birthdays and work anniversaries.
- Set up a team workspace (Microsoft Teams, Slack, etc.) and populate it routinely.
- Use video every chance you get and as much as you can.
- Schedule a full hour for one-on-ones each week with team members and be very reluctant to cancel them.
- Balance schedule inconvenience; take your turn for early mornings or late evenings.
- Get together face-to-face at least once a year. When together, take a group photo and ensure everyone has a physical copy before leaving.
- Look for opportunities to get team input to decisions and idea generation. Create a group document for brainstorming and idea mapping.
- Announce news often—don't wait for it to be a big event to share day-to-day information. Think about it as if you were sitting next to one another and share tidbits throughout the day.
- Dial into meetings early to have time to chat; allot the five minutes leading into a meeting as 'social' time.
- Let people know of any delays in responses; a quick email to acknowledge, “Got it and will respond ASAP” is helpful to keeping connections.
- Run a group challenge (such as number of steps in a day) to create sense of community.
- Mail hard copy notes for special (and not-so-special) occasions. These birthday and thank you cards become visual reminders of you and the team.