Building trust in remote teams starts with understanding how people want to feel while working together. Transparency and virtual bonding are essential, but trust truly deepens when emotional needs—like feeling valued, supported, and connected—are intentionally addressed.

Building trust in remote teams requires intentional effort. Begin by fostering open and transparent communication. Regular check-ins, video calls, and team meetings create opportunities for connection and clarity. Encourage team members to share their thoughts and concerns, promoting a culture of mutual respect and understanding. Additionally, set clear expectations and provide consistent feedback. Recognize and celebrate achievements to reinforce trust and collaboration. Implement virtual team-building activities to strengthen relationships and ensure everyone feels valued and included in the company's cultural evolution.

Managing virtual teams requires a modern management style and is hard work. Creating a trust based high performance culture is already difficult when meeting in person and being able to 'read' body language. Also, virtual interactions tend to miss the classic 'meet at the coffee machine' or 'walk into the room chat' what is a good moment to feel tensions or issues. Therefore: - provide opportunities for bonding / unformal exchange - perform regular check-in sessions for direct interaction and idea exchange - don't micromanage. Lead result-based and coach the team If it does not work in office, it will only get worse when remote working. Or the other way around: if it does not work remotely, it did also not work in office!

Building trust in remote teams is challenging as companies move to online work. Physical distance and reliance on technology can hinder collaboration, leading to distrust among team members (Saxena & Burmann, 2014). Organisations can improve this by using practical communication tools and regular online meetings on Zoom and Microsoft Teams. Virtual whiteboards can also enhance teamwork (Karis et al., 2014). Setting transparent processes and expectations is crucial. When team members understand their roles and deadlines, they feel more secure and trusted, which fosters belonging and a positive remote work culture.