The pandemic changed the world, including how we travel, interact with friends, shop, and find entertainment. It turned many, if not most, of our work teams into virtual teams, which meant changes in the work environment, communication practices, meetings, technology platforms, and applications, giving more relevance to a digital marketing agency.
Throughout 2020, more than one-third of workers retreated to work remotely, which had a positive effect. Companies found that they could survive the changes in the workplace and even do better if they worked as a team.
Why is Team Cohesion Necessary?
Team cohesion, as the name implies, occurs when team members feel attached and driven to achieve a common goal. This connection could be the support they give one another, their communication, their ability to acknowledge each other’s contribution to the project, their trust, and their faith in the team’s overall success despite cultural differences.
As simple as it sounds, a team that works well together stays together through ups and downs. A cohesive team is more likely to perform to the best of their abilities and offer their unique skill sets to all types of projects. With a cohesive approach to employee performance, each team member is expected to contribute equally, share similar values and goals to the business, and work together to be productive.
How to Build Cohesion Among Remote Employees
As a leader, you know how important it is to have a team that is ready and willing to meet and surpass expectations. However, in the age of remote work, this may be more difficult to achieve than it once was. To help offset potential pitfalls, now is the time to begin building cohesion amongst your teams and in the workplace. Here are three steps to help you get started
1. Define Your Remote Company Culture
Your business’ culture is like a unified web of beliefs and ideas that help keep each member committed to the bigger picture. In a remote setting, creating culture also means creating awareness, in which people work together for collective success thanks to a strong connection through culture.
A culture of trust amongst team members means that workers trust each other to work towards shared goals, stand by their commitments to tasks and deadlines, and prioritize the team’s success. Because everyone is working toward the same goal, this kind of setting encourages accountability, camaraderie, and teamwork.
When employees feel comfortable enough to express themselves, they share valuable information that helps the team operate more intuitively, regardless of how far the web joints are apart. Team members will feel connected and encouraged to work if they feel there are no barriers between them and their peers or management. This can increase engagement, productivity, and even longevity, simply by developing an awareness of all the cultural uniqueness each individual brings.
2. Establish Communication Guidelines.
When working with people in a physical space, it is easier to give instructions or communicate. For instance, a closed office door means a person doesn’t want to be disturbed, but sharing such visual signals in a remote setting is impossible. Establishing cohesion in remote settings requires clear and defined communication. Therefore, you must define communication guidelines and protocols early on amongst remote employees to prepare for these potential challenges.
Members of remote and hybrid teams need ways of telling whether a colleague has their virtual “door” closed or is not “at work” on a particular day. This can be accomplished by using simple “Do Not Disturb” settings in chat apps and blocking off times for focused work and days off in shared calendars. In remote teams, ensuring adequate communication, both professional and social, is crucial to improving team cohesion. This helps establish and maintain rapport among teammates and allows the flow of ideas and information to facilitate productive collaboration.
Individuals treat and respect time differently, especially in remote areas or workplaces. As such, online meetings sometimes seem longer than they should if held in person. Instead, consider having a couple of hours for consecutive days rather than one or three hours, and only linger on individual agenda items as long as is warranted.
3. Set and Uphold Definitive and Transparent Goals.
Definitive goals are easier to achieve, while transparency helps employees picture the broader motive and purpose behind those goals and progress toward them. The more clearly you can articulate the meaning behind the goals you’re setting with your team, the better equipped they’ll be to achieve them. For team members, the overall goals make it clear how each person’s work fits into the overall business trajectory, and allows employees to be aware and confident of their contributions.
Create such environments by building purpose-led teams. Goals are clearly defined and communicated, processes ensure team members’ success, peers support each other, and clear and comprehensive communication is prioritized.
Conclusion
When generating a cohesive team and a desirable workplace for your employees, the most important thing to consider is that remote work has changed the game. The reality of the modern workplace is now unbound by the four walls of the office. As such, your employee interaction and team cohesion strategies need improvement as well.
Fortunately, virtual team building is essential to addressing these issues. These activities can be quick, simple, fun, and inexpensive, but they should be meaningful for individuals, teams, and the company.
Danny Shepherd is co-CEO of Intero Digital, a 350-person digital marketing agency that offers comprehensive, results-driven marketing solutions. Danny has more than 20 years of experience directing paid media strategies, optimizing SEO, and building solutions-oriented content and PR. He leads a team of experts in web design and development, Amazon marketing, social media, video, and graphic design.
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