What are the best practices for building trust and rapport in a virtual culture?

Time's up for the term "above and beyond". In the future of work, we need to abandon policies that can't be defined. Let's be honest about the roles we're hiring people into and ensure that they are aware of the expectations. We also have to focus on goals versus hours and process. Allow people to share openly how they work best and come up with a shared plan to create healthy relational energy. Some people need head's down time to get into a groove - others need more breaks. Focusing on core hours while still setting up specific time for relationship building - making friends and having fun (something we're desperately missing) is just as critical as a strategy meeting. We work better when we are all moving towards a shared goal.

4 top tips for great communication in an organisation: 1. Have transparency as a core principle. Keep everything public unless there's a reason to have it private (e.g. business confidential or personal information) 2. Repeat repeat repeat. If a leader is getting sick of saying the headline, the people in the organisation are probably just about beginning to remember it 3. Remember attention span. Keep all comms as short as possible. When presenting, have a joke, a light moment, a gif - about every five minutes of any presentation - and don't be scared to get people to stand up and stretch 4. Don't do work in the DMs. DMs aren't searchable, and if someone leaves, their knowledge is gone. Keep DMs for 'Ready for lunch?' type communications

More is not better. BETTER IS BETTER! :) When we are focused on distributed communities, quality is the goal. If you've read or heard Darren Murph speak on his famous GitLab Remote Work Playbook, you know documentation and asynchronous support for employees is key. It doesn't matter what software you use; if you don't clearly convey information to your teams, then you will fail at maintaining a positive virtual culture. For what it's worth, I predict asynch workflows become the status quo as knowledge work moves toward outcomes-based expectations that doesn't care how many hours you clocked in a week. Want to build trust? Provide and expect high-quality information to be shared asynchronously between your ICs, and other teams.

To build trust, I have been practicing the VAST cycle, a framework to enhance connection and engagement in relationships and organizations. VAST stands for Vulnerability, Authentic Connection, Safety, and Trust. The cycle promotes introspection and conscious behavior choices to foster deeper connections and trust. In both personal and professional contexts, it guides actions and builds trust. In order to create meaningful and impactful connections, you must show up authentically and be vulnerable.

When it comes to organizational culture, communication is central to everything. How does your leadership team communicate expectations and goals? Here are my top three tips for getting communication right: 1) Integrate expectations into your onboarding process. This is a good way to set new employees up for success and standardized what's communicated across the team. 2) Have a regular check-in around organizational or team goals. Place it on the calendar and plan to be transparent around roadblocks, challenges, and accountability. 3) Communicate with your team around the wins just as much (if not more) as the shortcomings. They shouldn't only hear from you when something is wrong. #Nonprofitleadership #workplacewellness

Clear and frequent communication is essential for trust and rapport in a virtual culture. It's not just about relaying information; it's about fostering an environment of openness and understanding. Utilize diverse channels to accommodate different communication styles, ensuring clear and jargon-free messages. Authenticity in communication is critical—be genuine in your interactions, showing real interest in team members' thoughts and feelings. This approach breaks down barriers, promoting a culture where every member feels valued and heard. This level of attentiveness and respect in communication lays the foundation for lasting trust and rapport in a virtual team.

Post re-caps and questions in Slack channels where everyone can benefit from knowledge reinforcement and searchability. Make posts concise and scannable by selectively using emojis, bolding, and bullet points. Always look to reduce word count.

Building trust and rapport in a virtual culture requires intentional connection and a proactive approach to supporting your team's well-being. Leaders must create opportunities for meaningful communication, whether through regular video check-ins, virtual team-building activities, or simply fostering open dialogue. It’s also essential to check in on both the mental and physical health of remote teams, as leaders are still responsible for their well-being. By setting clear expectations, following through on commitments, and encouraging transparency, leaders can strengthen trust and rapport, even in a fully virtual environment.

To build trust and rapport in a virtual culture, effective communication, teamwork, and leadership are important. It is also important to encourage teamwork and collaboration by creating opportunities for team members to work together and build relationships. Effective leadership is also essential in building trust and rapport in a virtual culture. Leaders should lead by example, be transparent, and foster a culture of trust and respect. Additionally, providing opportunities for team members to connect on a personal level, such as virtual team-building activities can help.

You certainly have to look at the frequency of your communications more carefully in a remote setting. The key is avoiding ambiguity and providing clarity. Anything that can be explained in a straightforward and short way, write it, document it, and ask for validation. Anything else, make the extra effort to talk about it, ensuring clarity is achieved for all team members. Assumptions are very dangerous. Focus on outcomes and deliverables, not inputs and process.

Cultivating a shared vision and purpose is pivotal in forging trust and rapport in a virtual setting. It's about creating a sense of unity and direction, where each team member feels part of a more extensive journey. Involving the team in shaping this vision fosters a sense of ownership and commitment. Linking the vision to concrete values and objectives gives it tangibility, making it a guiding light for daily operations. Celebrating milestones and openly discussing challenges reinforces this shared journey, enriching the team's collective identity. By emphasizing common goals and strengths, you nurture an inclusive culture where trust flourishes, and each member feels valued and understood, even across virtual distances.

Here are five top tips for creating a shared vision. 1. Make it eternal. It should be something so aspirational, you'll never really achieve it. (But it would be so amazing if you did!) 2. Invite challenge. Get the truth out by encouraging people to stress-test the vision and purpose. Is it big enough? Truly good for the world? Motivating? 3. Prepare comms in different formats. Some people love a picture, others love a story. We made characters to bring ours to life! Tell it in different ways so everyone can connect. 4. Have a version that's really brief. Just a couple of sentences. Even better, a phrase. You want everyone to remember it, and repeat it to each other and externally

Creating a shared vision and purpose is essential for building trust and rapport in a virtual culture. Clearly articulate the team's goals, objectives, and values to ensure everyone is aligned and working towards a common purpose. Engage team members in discussions to co-create the vision, fostering a sense of ownership and commitment. Regularly revisit and reinforce the shared vision, highlighting progress and celebrating achievements along the way. By establishing a shared sense of purpose, you can inspire trust, foster collaboration, and drive success in the virtual team.

The key difference for a remote culture is to outline what being remote means in terms of communication principles, behaving online, in chats, in meetings...etc. Do not make assumptions, involve your team members to get their input on what a remote culture means for them. Some will highly value the flexibility of time. For others, it would be flexibility of place.

The entire workforce needs to be aligned to manage virtual teams. Clearly state the organization’s objectives and purpose, and ensure that every team member understands their contributions. Being aligned creates connections that are vital to a virtual first organization.

The foundations of building positive workplace culture in the virtual world is not as different as you may think. Intentionality is key whether you are in neatly organized rectangles or in 3D. Shared vision casting is one way to create intentionality. Facilitate a conversation on an annual basis where all teammembers engage in answering... 1. What is the current vision and purpose of our team? 2. Has it changed, shifted or altered? If so, how do we revise it collectively. 3. What values will assist our team in uplifting our vision and making our purpose happen? 4. What are practical ways we can turn our values into action in how we do the work (our communication, procedures, etc.) #nonprofitleadership #workplace culture

Having values matching with your vision and goals is important as to tell a story and to keep your employees engaged. Values and principles should help employees behave towards the same goal. It should guide their decisions and actions. When vision, goals and values are all aligned, the company is going to the right direction and employees feel a sense of belonging.

When the vision and purpose is well defined in the company, It's easier to build a culture around it and create a sense of belonging. If everyone goes in the same direction then they're on the same page and team bonding will definitely come with it.

In a virtual setting, fostering social and emotional connections is essential for deepening trust and rapport. Creating spaces for informal interactions, like virtual coffee breaks or games, can mimic the water-cooler conversations of physical offices, allowing personalities to shine. Sharing personal stories or hobbies helps peel back layers, revealing the human side behind the screen. Regularly expressing gratitude and recognition makes team members feel valued while offering support and constructive feedback creates a nurturing environment. These practices don't just build connections; they weave a fabric of mutual trust and understanding, vital for a cohesive and resilient virtual team.

5 top tips for creating trust 1. Make sure you have ways to 'vent' anonymously. That's the only way you, as a leader, will really know what's on people's minds. Slido and Officevibe are both good for this 2. Include rituals where you do not work, only socially connect. If possible, make these in person - and fun. 3. Role model making mistakes. Not to say you make 'extra' mistakes - just be open about the ones you already make! This makes it OK for everyone to be open about their mistakes too. 4. Similarly, be open about 'bad days' - this lets other people be honest about their own days 5. Give each other regular feedback. This means everyone knows where they stand, which removes doubt and uncertainty.

In a virtual culture, building social and emotional connections is crucial for trust and rapport. Encourage personal sharing and organize virtual social events to strengthen relationships. This fosters a sense of belonging and camaraderie, enhancing collaboration and trust within the team.

Building social and emotional connections among team members is crucial for creating a supportive virtual culture. Schedule virtual coffee breaks or informal gatherings using video conferencing tools to provide opportunities for casual interactions and relationship-building. Use icebreaker activities or team-building games during meetings to break the ice and promote camaraderie. Encourage sharing personal anecdotes or interests to create common ground and deepen connections. Foster a culture of empathy and support by recognizing and celebrating milestones, both personal and professional, to strengthen bonds and foster a sense of belonging within the virtual team.

One way to build social and emotional connections is around celebrating together. Celebrate birthdays and team milestones in ways that are most meaningful to your team members. How do you find out what's most meaningful? You can use a shared team drive to capture your team members hobbies and interest. Bonus points if you use an already enthusiastic team member that has a good rapport with the group. They can lead the charge.

Create moments of <emotions> - get virtual coffee chats with no agenda and just allowing people to share/ vent/ celebrate. Our team has unplanned meetings that anyone can host- and whoever shows up does, just like in-person water cooler conversation that spur the most normal, natural, even random (great) ideas!

There are a few things you absolutely need to implement when having a remote or hybrid environment. A few things need to be systematize compare to in-person offices to make sure to streamline communication and keep people engaged. You'll need to celebrate birthdays and work anniversaries (best way is to install a small app in Teams or Slack to help you with that), you'll need to actively match people together to meet every week or so (same here, an app can help you with that so that the matching is automatic and reminders are sent), the third mandatory thing to put in place is a recognition program (with or without rewards) so that people are encouraged to send kudos to each others.

When working remotely, you need to put in place specific moments when people will have the opportunity to socialize. It can be physically by going on a team retreat or organizing team activities once in a while. For more recurring (and low cost) solutions, consider installing a virtual coffee matching bot (alfy matching for slack), a birthday bot to celebrate both birthdays and work anniversaries (it's great for bringing a positive mindset, billy birthday works well for slack), also use Kudos, play games, launch a weekend photo contest on Monday so that people can share one picture of their weekend. Many options here, the goal being that people connect through sharing personal stories.

See the perspectives of others. Great leaders know that great employees will move on to different challenges at some point and are mentally prepared to handle the news. They can understand and share their feelings about how and why their employees made that decision. Today, employees are showing more confidence in how they want to advance in their careers. Leaders, despite all your best efforts, your best employees will at some point hand in their notice. How you respond and how your company responds and treats your employees when they leave is the impression THEY will have of your company and YOU. And for the remainder of their career, they will only remember how they felt when they left.

In a virtual culture, embracing diversity and inclusion isn't just ethical; it's a catalyst for trust and innovation. Acknowledging and valuing each member's unique background and perspective enriches team dynamics and drives creative solutions. It's about active learning and adapting, ensuring inclusive and respectful communication. Avoiding biases and stereotypes fosters an environment of openness and curiosity. Championing equity ensures that every voice is heard and valued, empowering all team members. This approach doesn't just build rapport; it creates a vibrant, inclusive culture where trust flourishes, and every member feels an integral part of the team's fabric.

To cultivate a robust virtual culture, prioritize the empowerment of diversity and the celebration of inclusion. By cherishing and integrating the unique perspectives and experiences of every team member, teams can craft an environment where trust and rapport naturally flourish. Additionally, fostering a culture of active listening and empathy can deepen connections and understanding among team members, enhancing collaboration and innovation.

The single most important thing we have done is introduce 'blind hiring'. That means, not looking at name or institutional background until the END of the recruitment process, rather than the start. Instead, we design tasks which as closely as possible replicate the actual job that the candidate will be doing. Once we know the candidate can do the job, we only then look at who they are, what they've done before, and so on. This ensures we are totally focused on ability to do the job and not any other factor.

Equitable leaders go beyond lip service by promoting a culture of fairness. Research shows that team members of color often have more burdensome workloads than their counterparts. A good practice is to engage in a workload review every 6 months. Ensure that each team member not only has a similar number of projects but also the effort (time and energy) it takes to execute is fairly similar. After review, adjust accordingly by having open conversations with team members of color on how much their efforts are valued and give the option to transition out of projects that are creating inequitable loads.

Respecting diversity and inclusion at the workplace is about creating a welcoming and supportive environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered to bring their authentic selves to work. Embrace a culture of open communication, promote equal opportunity to all team members, recognise and value different perspectives! Celebrate diversity by fostering an inclusive work atmosphere!

It's important to embrace diversity and inclusion because it brings fresh perspectives and ideas to the table, making the team stronger. By respecting and appreciating each team member's unique background and viewpoint, we create an environment where everyone feels valued and heard. Actively encouraging inclusive behaviours like listening and empathy ensures that everyone feels like they belong and are an integral part of the team. This not only boosts collaboration and creativity but also makes for a happier and more supportive work environment.

Take part in voluntary, employee-led groups to nurture a diverse, inclusive workplace aligned with the organization. These groups are great ways to connect with others outside your immediate work stream. They are also groups often empowered to share thoughts and ideas with business decision-makers on benefits available to the company.

Understanding that not everyone on your team will have the same methods of working together or communicating is vital to creating an environment that welcomes diversity and is inclusive to everyone. Just because a team member doesn't engage in a particular way doesn't mean they aren't committed to the company or that they aren't a team player. Instead, consider the other ways that they contribute and how those contributions enhance the team and work overall. Some employees communicate better in writing vs in person. Some employees work better independently and only collaborate when they need help with a task while others would rather work collaboratively through the entire project. Respect and embrace differences in how employees work.

How to do Quarterly Feedback well: 1. Nominate a few people you work with, and invite them to a live session (can be in person or remote) 2. Ask them to prepare answers to 3-5 specific questions you'd like feedback on 3. Your manager also attends the session, but stays quiet and takes notes 4. One by one, each person comes in and gives their feedback. We find this is a very positive experience, with lots of positive feedback as well as constructive. 5. You and your manager reflect together on the themes that have emerged over the session. This system has been the cornerstone of trust and performance for us for several years. We love how it removes doubt and uncertainty, and really reveals the important themes for development.

Collaboration and feedback are an integral part of a great culture. For remote work, you need to bring these up a notch in my opinion and really work on the HOW when people give and receive feedback. Written feedback, even comments on a documents, can be interpretated in different ways, and less positively than if given verbally. Coaching your teams to give themselves feedback about the work, before receiving feedback is critical. Similarly, talk about different situations and the best way to give feedback.

From a collaborative lens, it's vital to ignite teamwork, inspire idea sharing, and open up avenues for transparent communication in virtual landscapes. Regular feedback loops not only yield invaluable insights but also fortify bonds and establish trust among team members. Moreover, creating opportunities for cross-functional collaboration and knowledge sharing can spark creativity and drive collective success within virtual teams.

The strongest leaders are the most humble; they ask for feedback. They're vulnerable. They want to create a safe environment for others to share their thoughts and ideas. Those leaders will retain their employees at a much higher rate, leading to more productive, happy, and, most importantly, healthy employees who will help meet and exceed your business objectives.

The most effective leaders don't simply ask for feedback. They have a clear and transparent plan for what they do with the feedback. They go the extra mile by looking for themes in the feedback, integrating those themes into their current plan, and coming back to the group to ensure that the integration aligns with the intent of the feedback.

Feedback, collboration and praise are essential for a good workplace environment. If you have a remote or hybrid workplace, you need to push these a bit more to make sure it happens. It implies putting a process around it and reminders to make sure people send each other feedback and compensate for the fact that there is less small talk and in-person coffee-breaks. These systems are generally small apps you can install for employee recognition, anonymous feedback or 360 feedbacks.

Collaboration is important in virtual workforce settings. There are collaborations tools, software and platforms that bridge team members together regardless of location. Encourage team members to share their ideas and opinions openly. Create a continuous feedback loop.

Regularly prompt the team to give strengths-based feedback in a performance eval platform like Lattice. Because the feedback can positively impact performance evals, it feels especially meaningful and builds trust.

The number one way for leaders to build rapport and model trust is to uphold shared team values in their daily worklife. If a team value is work/life balance then it's important for that leader to model it by not sending emails after hours or working during vacation time. If a team value is integrity then it's important for the leader to choose what is right over what's convenient in every decision that they make. By modeling the teams values, leaders give permission for their team to lean into the values at a deeper level and gain trust along the way.

We actually just hosted a masterclass on how to foster trust for high-performing teams, and enabling leaders to 'model trust' was one of the main take-aways. For one initiative, we hosted a peer learning group with a group of leaders, reviewed trust models from books such as "The Speed of Trust" by Stephen Covey. Covey actually has a Trust Tree that helps show the behaviors to foster trust with your team. We started here with our leaders, and then clarified between each other how we can collectively model trust within our teams.

If you're having a tough day with family and personal life, show up at work and say so. This models humanity, encourages everyone to learn how to act with empathy and allows the team to manage collective energies. We don't all show up 100% everyday and that's ok, someone in the team should be able to bridge yours.

In a virtual culture, building trust and rapport hinges on consistent and transparent communication. Start with regular virtual check-ins to foster personal connections. Encourage openness and authenticity in interactions, allowing team members to express themselves freely. Be responsive and available, showing your team that you're there to support them. Lead by example: demonstrate reliability by meeting commitments and deadlines. Use video calls to create a more personal connection, helping bridge the physical distance. Acknowledge and celebrate individual and team achievements, reinforcing a sense of belonging and appreciation.

Building trust and rapport in the virtual world requires extra effort, but the rewards are plentiful. Here's your guide: Communicate like humans: Embrace calls, chats, and emojis to add warmth and clarity. Actively listen, be clear, and avoid ambiguity. Share the journey: Be transparent! Keep everyone informed, celebrate together, and discuss challenges openly. Create a shared vision that unites the team. Connect beyond work: Schedule "virtual coffee breaks", recognize individuals, and show genuine interest in their lives. Master the tools: Leverage collaboration platforms and invest in virtual communication training for all. Embrace feedback and growth: Encourage open dialogue, constructive criticism, and continuous improvement.

You have to focus on intent in your connections, relationships, communications, and collaboration. Be determined to build trust and rapport! Be human and get to know the person behind the job title.

Proximity bias is powerful and at play here. In virtual environments, being aware of this bias and develop strategies to mitigate its impact is critical. Having surveyed 100+ leaders on their hybrid and remote leadership style, proximity bias is the most difficult challenge they have, followed by... building trust. Simple steps to rewire our brains, putting control steps in place, can help "see" everybody in the same awy, regardless of where and when they work.

Use the Trust Triangle to help you build trust. Everyone build trust a little differently, which can be summarized into 3 categories: - Logical: People want to know that you do what you say you're going to do and that you are competent. - Empathetic: These people want to know that you understand them and feel for them and what they care about. - Authentic: People want to know the real, transparent you. They want you to bring your whole, unfiltered self.

Dedicate time for virtual coffee breaks, team-building activities, or non-work-related discussions to foster social connections and build rapport among team members - avoid work feeling transactional. Lead by example through trustworthiness and transparency in your own actions and communications. Be reliable, responsive, and empathetic in your interactions with team members.

Trust and rapport are a function of the alignment between what leaders say and what they do. If a leader talks about 'respect' than a day or two later is participating in gossip about other work areas, then there's an obvious misalignment. If a leader talks about 'tolerance', and then when things go wrong publicly belittles someone for making a mistake, then there's an obvious misalignment. Trust is all about consistency of messaging and behaviours. Rapport is all about the extent to which people believe leaders care.

In a virtual culture, building trust and rapport hinges on clear communication and creating a safe space for everyone. Establish "guidelines" to foster openness and respect, and ensure they are communicated frequently. It's equally important to lead without causing harm. If an action or word violates the group's sense of safety, some members may emotionally disconnect or become passive - a survival response. Understanding how to repair trust when it’s breached is key. Acknowledge mistakes and show genuine effort to make amends. Recognize your team’s dynamics and honour their individuality. By consistently creating a supportive and inclusive environment, you can enhance collaboration, boost morale, and drive productivity.

Be yourself and transparent! One of the main differences between virtual and in-person is the medium in which you are communicating through. Does not mean you should stop communicating, an aspect that builds trust over time.

My team's extensive research shows trusting relationships are built on two key measures. 1. Depth of familiarity and 2. Belief. Focusing on depth of familiarity, how well do people know one another as human beings? It's not enough to have top-level awareness among work peers, they must feel they are truly familiar with team members and leaders in order to have the desired trust. There is great power in prioritizing authentic connection where employees can build this greater depth of familiarity and ultimately trust.