Here's how you can foster trust and rapport in a virtual team.

I believe that Clearly outlining job expectations  helps ensure smooth operations and effective collaboration. To reach out to the overall objectives successfully it is very important to establish clear expectations.

In a virtual team, trust and rapport are built through clear communication channels and regular check-ins to ensure everyone feels heard and valued. Encourage open dialogue, foster a culture of transparency, and utilize technology to facilitate collaboration. Additionally, establish shared goals and celebrate achievements collectively, reinforcing a sense of unity and camaraderie within the team.

Develop a team charter that clearly states the roles, responsibilities, and expectations for each team member. Review and update this document regularly to ensure alignment.

Trust is something that we earn in time, through our character and concern. By people transparent, vulnerable, and open, and communicating frequently and clearly, we can build this trust. There are some many contacts that occur through media - video, text, email - that we no longer interface in person as frequently. This impediment to building rapport requires us to take a special effort to connect. Start conversations on a personal tone - ask about people’s lives - families, weekends, trips, hopes, dreams, fears, etc. It is showing genuine compassion and concern for others, being authentic, and investing energy in relationships that make them sustainable and productive.

O ambiente de trabalho influencia o comportamento das pessoas. Veja a água. Quando quente, ela evapora. Quando frio, ela congela. Quando não está nem quente e nem frio, ela fica em seu estado natural, líquido. Qual o clima que você tem criado no ambiente online?

Consider these nuanced approaches to bridge the physical gap and strengthen relationships: Icebreakers: Begin meetings with icebreaker questions, encouraging team members to share personal stories or interests, setting a friendly tone for the session. Virtual Coffee Chats: Host informal virtual gatherings, like coffee chats, fostering an environment for casual conversation and bonding outside of work-related discussions. Collaborative Activities: Organize fun, team-building activities – such as virtual games or quizzes – to encourage interaction and promote camaraderie. Encourage Video Usage: Recommend that team members use video during virtual meetings, enabling visual contact to enhance communication and connection.

A study from Harvard Business Review found that employees who feel a personal connection to their team are 50% more likely to stay with the company. Start meetings with a few minutes of casual conversation. Ask about each other’s weekends or hobbies. Organize virtual team-building activities like online games, virtual coffee breaks, or team trivia. These activities foster personal connections and build trust.

Psychologically safety is the bedrock of a successful team. As leaders, it’s imperative that we create and foster a psychologically safe environment. Consistency is one of the key ingredients of this, as it helps enable your team to trust you. Especially with globally distributed teams, many of us have members in our team whom we meet mostly virtually, so it’s especially important to stay consistent and dependable with open lines of communication. By setting this standard, you can help build the culture of your team to reflect the same.

According to Edelman Trust Barometer, 83% of employees say they trust a company more if it consistently delivers on its promises. So, create a reliability scorecard where team members can anonymously rate the reliability of their peers. Use the feedback to identify areas for improvement and celebrate high performers.

Focus on being reliable. Follow through on your commitments and meet your deadlines. Show your team that they can count on you. Be proactive in communication, regularly update your team on your progress and any potential issues. You're building a foundation of trust, as your team sees through your actions that you are dependable and transparent. You'll create a stable environment where team members feel secure and valued, enhancing collaboration and overall team cohesion.

Be proactive and lead with Empathy, Recognize and consider your team members feelings and perspectives. After leading multiple teams I’ve found that giving opportunities for your team members to feel ownership and flexibility will give you back 2x 3x from your team.

Celebrate successes is the most under evaluated success strategy ever :) 👉Celebrating stimulates dopamine release. 👉 Dopamine reinforces the learning experience and our self-efficacy 👉 Our brain recognizes it, likes it a lot and starts paying attention to what happened to generate it. 👉And it does it again ! We don’t just celebrate the win; We celebrate to win !

We, as humans, enjoy receiving rewards, even small ones. Therefore, make sure to acknowledge and reward both the big and small achievements of your team. When you celebrate, it allows your team to see what they’ve accomplished and understand how these successes contribute to the success of your clients and their clients. Recognizing achievements not only boosts morale but also reinforces the value of their contributions to the larger goals of the organization.

Trust starts with you. Let go of the notion that if you can’t see your employees working, they aren’t working. Manage performance—wherever they are—by: Setting clear expectations: The "what" and "when" are your responsibility. Collaborate with your team on the "how" and "where" within company policy. Show trust by empowering employees to manage their workday in a way that suits them best Focusing on outcomes, not activities: Don’t be fooled by signs of working (e.g., late-night emails) and resist jumping to conclusions about their dedication Conducting weekly check-ins, not check-ups: Ask open-ended questions to gauge progress against goals and identify obstacles. This helps in course correction and provides support for their success

I hate to break it to you, but building a culture or trust and rapport on a virtual team is literally no different than an in person team. The same principles apply. Stop over-complicating things! 1) Set time on at least a weekly basis to connect for at least 30-45 minutes with each of your team members to check in. 2) Be transparent with your team. 3) Create opportunities for team building exercises and projects (competitions, games, book clubs, etc). 4) Set the example of great communication.

Trust is the foundation of a successful team. According to PwC, 55% of CEOs think that a lack of trust is a threat to their organization's growth. Regularly seek feedback from your team on how trust and communication can be improved. Act on their suggestions to show you value their input. Create a "trust manifesto" that includes team values, goals, and commitments. Review it periodically and make adjustments based on team feedback and changing circumstances.