Remote work gives you the freedom to work from anywhere you want, but it can also be very isolating. Working with remote workers can be a thrilling experience, but it can also feel intangible and unproductive.
While remote working is rapidly changing the way we work, one of the biggest hurdles to overcome is the perception of trust between remote workers and their managers. Now, there’s no denying that remote work can be demanding. You might work with people who are in different time zones, and you may be unable to address immediate concerns with your team.
But trust is a two-way street, it’s not just a one-way street. Your remote workers need to feel that their managers are there to support them, even if you’re in a different time zone.
One of the most important skills a manager has is being able to build trust. Yet, many managers struggle with this because they have no idea how to do so.
When thinking about building trust between team members in a remote team, some things to consider: How should we communicate in the team? What types of assignments should we assign each person? How should we communicate with each other on our off time?
Create a remote work policy
Remote work can be a great way to do your job, but there are some important things you should do to make it successful. Remote workers need to have a clear understanding of where their teams stand, what the on-boarding process was for new hires, and what their expectations are with regards to work quality and deadlines. In addition, remote workers need a clear remote work policy that clearly defines what the company wants from them and what they expect from their teams.
Communicate and listen to your team members
Some employees, especially recent hires, may have been given the impression that it’s okay to be dropped into a project with no guidance. Or, maybe the manager has been too busy to be proactive about communicating and setting expectations. If so, the best way for a manager to manage is to set priorities, provide clear direction and feedback, and talk a lot in order to get his or her point across.
Be available to speak with your team
We work remotely for a lot of reasons, including personal preference, career growth, or family life. The ability to work from home is a powerful advantage in our industry, and we are lucky to have the flexibility to do so. The problem with this flexibility comes when we don’t manage it well. As remote workers, our team members are not physically located in the same office. We have to manage our time effectively, and be available to our team at all times.
Make trust building your top priority
For remote workers or anyone who works remotely, trust can be a huge challenge. You need to trust your team’s work, but you also need to trust the people on your team. Sometimes the trust isn’t there from day one, but often the problems start because of miscommunications or misunderstandings.
That’s why it’s important to work on establishing a foundation of trust from the start. It makes it easier to build on in the future, and it gives you a foundation for the hard work that needs to happen.
Tell the truth
In a world where most of us are often overwhelmed by information, we sometimes encounter the temptation to say or do things just to avoid confrontation or conflict. But this behavior can be harmful and counterproductive, and at the end of the day, getting along with people is the best way to get things done. When you come across a situation in which you need to say something that is not completely true, tell the truth rather than telling a lie.
Respect the privacy of your employees
For the past few years, remote workers have been steadily gaining popularity. As companies strive to increase the productivity of their employees, it’s more important than ever to keep them engaged and productive, which means encouraging the free flow of ideas and the willingness to take initiative. Improving communication and collaboration is a key part of building a remote workforce, which means making sure privacy is respected and that employees are aware of how they are being monitored.
Plan regular meetings
Some people are naturally good at working remotely, and some aren’t. Regardless of how you feel about the idea of working remotely, it is important to have a process in place for your team. Meetings are a key part of a remote team’s success, so it makes sense to plan ahead.
Establish a culture
There is one problem you have to address to have a good remote working environment: Trust. Remote work is not a culture to the same extent as traditional offices, where people interact face to face and know each other’s names. You need to create a remote working environment where people trust each other, because if you don’t do that, you end up with a sort of “virtual office” where people don’t trust each other, and can’t work together.
Be consistent in all communications
Remote workers have many advantages, such as the ability to work from anywhere they want. While it brings a lot of freedom, it also brings challenges, such as the difficulty to communicate effectively. In this post, we will look at what it means to be consistent in all communications, and how you can use that to build trust.