Maintaining remote team collaboration Tutorial

Struggling with remote team dynamics? Discover effective strategies to enhance collaboration in 'Maintaining Remote Team Collaboration.' From virtual rituals to continuous improvement techniques, this video covers essential practices that ensure your team thrives, even from a distance. Don't miss out on these insights—elevate your team's connection and productivity today!

11:38
3 views

Selected for you
New

Available in SoftSkills

00:00:05

we remain a team.

00:00:07

Telecommuting with its challenges of communication and

00:00:10

isolation highlights the importance of collaboration.

00:00:14

Some companies have adopted or recommend

00:00:17

new systems in order to prevent telecommuting

00:00:20

from altering group dynamics and mutual support.

00:00:24

Some have even created the position of director of virtual communication.

00:00:29

Let us explore how to facilitate remote cooperation by

00:00:34

instituting virtual rituals,

00:00:36

establishing a dynamic of continuous improvement to collaboration,

00:00:41

and boosting the cohesion of virtual or hybrid teams.

00:00:45

The implementation of virtual rituals has helped many

00:00:49

teams cope with forced telecommuting during the pandemic.

00:00:54

The manager could not be the sole intermediary for each telecommuter.

00:00:58

Group dynamics had to be maintained.

00:01:01

Here are a few tested examples a team meeting every Monday to

00:01:06

discuss general matters and review each

00:01:08

person's activities using stand-up meeting questions,

00:01:12

for example.

00:01:13

Each team member takes turns to speak and explain 1,

00:01:18

what they have done since the last stand-up meeting.

00:01:21

2,

00:01:22

what they are going to do between now and the next stand up meeting and 3,

00:01:26

the difficulties they encountered.

00:01:29

Using a visual support is a plus.

00:01:32

Create a mind map or a table with at least 3 columns to do,

00:01:38

doing,

00:01:39

and done.

00:01:40

Each column should contain the following information tasks to be done,

00:01:45

in progress,

00:01:46

and done.

00:01:48

Staff members should answer the three questions and

00:01:51

update their information on the three columns.

00:01:54

Another idea that has been experimented

00:01:57

a video operative on Friday evening where everyone gives a

00:02:01

quick feedback on their progress and celebrate their small successes,

00:02:06

an opportunity to express gratitude.

00:02:09

Within Group Palmer's HR department,

00:02:12

employees have set up a 5 to 10 minutes exchange time called the Chronicle

00:02:18

during daily and quick informal moments with

00:02:21

the aim of discussing non-professional subjects.

00:02:25

It is a virtual alternative to the traditional office coffee break.

00:02:30

This new ritual revealed previously

00:02:32

unrecognized personality traits and talents.

00:02:36

Employees at Zapier meet for a virtual coffee break with

00:02:40

the aim of holding discussions on non-work related topics.

00:02:45

They also share their favorite music on Slack.

00:02:48

Two rituals have been set up

00:02:51

at Klako,

00:02:52

the virtual early morning coffee break which each employee is free to join.

00:02:57

This is to ensure that everyone is doing well and to create a dynamic for sharing.

00:03:03

The time to sign off in the evening,

00:03:05

an opportunity to discuss business related topics,

00:03:09

give and receive feedback,

00:03:10

and ensure that everyone logs off after this

00:03:13

closing meeting for a good work-life balance.

00:03:17

I recommend that these rituals be performed at least

00:03:20

every 2 days if your entire team is telecommuting.

00:03:24

They can be reduced to once or twice a

00:03:27

week when only part of the team is telecommuting.

00:03:31

Caution,

00:03:32

these rituals must be structured and framed

00:03:35

to allow for exchanges between all participants and to bear fruit.

00:03:40

It is necessary to prepare the questions,

00:03:43

the timing of the sessions,

00:03:45

and to ensure that the agenda is respected.

00:03:48

I recommend alternating the moderation each member of the

00:03:51

team takes turns preparing and facilitating these virtual meetings.

00:03:57

Give them some leeway in the facilitation of these

00:04:00

meetings and encourage them to dare to be creative.

00:04:04

Now let's talk about the continuous

00:04:06

improvement of collaboration in dispersed teams.

00:04:10

We know that remote meetings and workshops are

00:04:13

more difficult to facilitate than on-site meetings.

00:04:17

Studies show that there is less attention and concentration,

00:04:21

a decrease in the quality of information and the fluidity of information flow,

00:04:25

and less active participation.

00:04:28

This

00:04:28

is why super prepared meetings and focus facilitation are so important.

00:04:34

We offer a video on the subject.

00:04:36

You can also propose once a month,

00:04:39

as some teams do,

00:04:40

a meeting with no agenda

00:04:42

so that everyone feels free to express themselves or ask questions.

00:04:47

I recommend alternating the facilitation of meetings between employees.

00:04:51

Assuming the role of facilitator will encourage them to

00:04:55

take responsibility and understand the stakes of remote meetings.

00:04:59

Having tested the difficulty of facilitating a virtual meeting,

00:05:03

I promise you they will become more active and disciplined participants.

00:05:09

The continuous improvement of collaboration in the virtual team

00:05:12

requires training in active listening and other communication tools for

00:05:17

the entire team and not just the manager or the telecommuter

00:05:22

learning to question.

00:05:24

Reformulate,

00:05:25

synchronize,

00:05:26

learning to pick up weak signals,

00:05:28

compensate for the loss of information and human warmth due to distance,

00:05:33

loss of three of our five senses with more attention and empathy.

00:05:37

All of this can be learned.

00:05:40

Last point for the continuous improvement of collaboration,

00:05:44

feedback and experience based feedback.

00:05:48

Organized feedback on best practices,

00:05:51

for example,

00:05:52

telecommuting best practices,

00:05:54

what worked best for me.

00:05:56

Best practices for work groups,

00:05:58

what made us successful.

00:06:00

Best practices on meeting facilitation,

00:06:02

how to optimize the use of Zoom application when using small group rooms.

00:06:07

This feedback can also be done by bringing together two different teams.

00:06:13

Following the example of the Musketeers group,

00:06:16

organize a periodic team meeting

00:06:18

during which employees can freely express what they have experienced

00:06:23

satisfaction,

00:06:25

difficulties,

00:06:26

or requests for help and support from their colleagues or hierarchy.

00:06:30

Encourage disclosure of reasons for job satisfaction,

00:06:34

dissatisfaction.

00:06:36

As remote managers no longer have direct visual

00:06:39

information on the emotional state of their employees,

00:06:43

it is better to set up a system

00:06:45

where those who feel the need to declare their dissatisfaction

00:06:49

can do so via a digital application

00:06:52

so that the company can be informed and take targeted action.

00:06:57

Encourage mutual feedback and 360 degrees in teams so that everyone,

00:07:03

managers and employees at the same level

00:07:06

can better understand the expectations of their peers.

00:07:11

Regular feedback and experience-based feedback are two keys

00:07:15

to continuously improve cooperation in remote teams.

00:07:19

Last advice

00:07:21

boost team cohesion.

00:07:23

One of the unfortunate consequences of full telecommuting has

00:07:27

been the loss of trust and team cohesion,

00:07:31

less interaction,

00:07:32

less sense of belonging.

00:07:34

To ensure that remote teams stay together or that

00:07:38

you do not lose the telecommuter in your team,

00:07:41

make sure you build trust and team cohesion.

00:07:44

The more we know someone,

00:07:46

the more we trust them.

00:07:47

The more we trust them,

00:07:49

the better we collaborate.

00:07:51

Therefore,

00:07:52

make sure that everyone knows each other better and has more reasons to interact.

00:07:58

Set up times for sharing during each team meeting

00:08:02

when everyone shares a little bit about themselves.

00:08:05

Ask each person for the day's weather forecast to find

00:08:09

out their state of mind and energy for the day.

00:08:12

Lead icebreakers with unusual questions.

00:08:15

For example,

00:08:16

who was your childhood hero and why?

00:08:18

Have everyone talk about their dreams and plans.

00:08:22

Ask each employee in turn to present his or her

00:08:26

activity with a pea kucha 7 minutes and 20 slides.

00:08:32

Set up a shared diary with birthdays,

00:08:34

dates of joining the job,

00:08:36

children's birth dates,

00:08:37

dates of return from vacations.

00:08:40

Celebrate each other's successes together.

00:08:43

The feeling of being important

00:08:45

and existing in the eyes of the other is essential,

00:08:49

especially when remote work isolates us.

00:08:52

When you receive all these signs of recognition,

00:08:55

you think.

00:08:56

My boss colleague understands me and is interested in me,

00:09:00

so I can open up to them about problems and dare to give feedback.

00:09:05

You will see many fruits.

00:09:07

The dynamics of collaboration and even teamwork will

00:09:10

grow without you even having to stimulate it.

00:09:14

Finally,

00:09:15

boosting the cohesion within a remote team

00:09:18

means ensuring the integration of telecommuters.

00:09:22

Do not forget them.

00:09:24

If they only work remotely 1 or 2 days a week,

00:09:28

do not forget them for the 1 or 2 days they are away

00:09:31

with the intention of recovering lost communications when they return.

00:09:36

When you have a face to face conversation or meeting and the subject concerns Sam,

00:09:41

be sure to add him to the discussion.

00:09:43

One moment.

00:09:44

Sam is concerned with the subject.

00:09:46

We should loop him in.

00:09:48

I'll call him right away to see if he's available.

00:09:51

Here is another example of telecommuters' integration that I was told.

00:09:56

The team went out to a restaurant to celebrate the success of a project.

00:10:01

Those telecommuting were told not to work during

00:10:04

this time and offered an equivalent celebration amount.

00:10:08

Should you have telecommunicators abroad,

00:10:11

make sure that it is not always the

00:10:13

same telecommuters making sacrifices regarding their time zone.

00:10:17

From time to time,

00:10:19

adapt team meeting times to their time zones.

00:10:23

For meetings held at hours when the telecommuter could not be available,

00:10:28

take turns distributing meeting reports so that the

00:10:31

telecommuter gets to know the entire team,

00:10:34

even those with whom he or she does not normally share files.

00:10:38

You can set up monthly pairs between a telecommuter and an on-site worker.

00:10:43

The manager should not be the only point of contact and information relay.

00:10:48

All in all,

00:10:50

increase the number of telecommuters working in pairs.

00:10:53

This is the best way for them

00:10:55

to always have a foot in the team

00:10:57

and for each member of the team not to forget or judge them out of sight,

00:11:02

out of mind.

00:11:04

Last but not least,

00:11:06

a final piece of advice to promote team cohesion.

00:11:09

Have regular in-person get-togethers with everyone at least once a year,

00:11:15

and do not spare the budget to make it a

00:11:17

special and memorable moment that will create a strong bond.

00:11:22

Whether you call this moment a retreat,

00:11:24

campus,

00:11:25

team building,

00:11:26

conference,

00:11:27

make it a time of leisure,

00:11:29

a festive time,

00:11:30

and a time for sharing and reflection.

00:11:32

There is no better way to boost confidence and team

00:11:37

cohesion.

Mandarine AI: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW