Creating Trust in Remote Teams
Humans have evolved to work together in small, close-knit groups, often based around family relationships. These allow for slow and deep relationships to form, that are the basis of common understanding and mutual trust. Remote teams offer precisely the opposite of this, so the biggest challenge is ‘how can you build a culture of mutual trust?’
Watching this video is worth 2 Management Courses CPD Points*.
(See below for more details)
This video is part of course module number 4.3.5
Program 4: Managing & Leading Groups
Course 3: Teams
Section 5: Managing Remote Teams
Other videos in this section include:
🎬 Introduction to Managing Remote Teams
🔗 https://youtu.be/YsO_GuEjlBo
🎬 Helping Build Understanding in Your Remote Team
🔗 https://youtu.be/ESF_5m45DKk
🎬 Crafting Connection and Building Culture in Your Remote Team
🔗 https://youtu.be/6b4PiNGmJw4
🎬 Fostering Responsibility within Your Remote Team
🔗 https://youtu.be/FpjOKvbZl58
🎬 Maintaining Productivity in Your Remote Team
🔗 https://youtu.be/Na30W6Dti9g
🎬 Getting Sufficient Challenge in Your Remote Team
🔗 https://youtu.be/cEareagQg9Q
🎬 Developing the People in Your Remote Team
🔗 https://youtu.be/oTpkqxeXcdE
🎬 Taking Care of the Wellbeing of People in Your Remote Team
🔗 https://youtu.be/6psjuxxtYps
LESSON NOTES
Trusting remote colleagues should be your primary leadership style.
A pre-requisite for leading a virtual team is that they trust you and your leadership. There are two small things you can do, systematically, to build that trust.
1. Role model respectful and trusting behavior.
2. Set up and celebrate small wins.
Swift Trust
A valuable concept for you is that of ‘Swift Trust’. It was first articulated by Debra Meyerson, Karl Weick, and Roderick Kramer in the cross-disciplinary review book, ‘Trust in Organizations’ (https://geni.us/9i3Z), edited by Kramer and Tom Tyler. They argued that, in some circumstances, we can build trust quickly. They suggest these six conditions. We each:
1. Presume that each other team member has earned their place
2. Trust other people’s expertise and knowledge
3. Create and pursue shared goals and a shared scheme for recognition and reward
4. Accept a clear role for ourselves and others
5. Focus on tasks and actions at the outset (rather than who is doing what, or power and authority)
6. Take responsibility for our work and respond to requests for help
Our video on Swift Trust: https://youtu.be/aiVYyDCz-3s
Swift Trust emerges when we suspend our doubts about colleagues we don’t know and all get on with our part in a shared task.
When you are managing remote teams, you can help build Swift Trust in seven ways:
1. Create a great first impression at the outset – this will have a big influence on your team
2. Build relationships with each individual and learn about them
3. Deal quickly and constructively with concerns and issues as they arise
4. Create a feeling that you are present, even when you are geographically distant from people
5. Encourage frequent team communication
6. Use private methods (rather than public forums) to deal with under-performance
7. Recognize and celebrate achievements often
RECOMMENDED EXERCISE
1. Take a look at our video on the Trust Equation
https://youtu.be/ikVmmhONXig
2. Make an honest assessment of the levels of trust in your remote team (1 MC CPD Points)
3. What are the actions you can take, to strengthen trust? and what will be the indicators that will suggest you are either succeeding, or not? (3 MC CPD Points)
4. Take the first steps, and evaluate them over 2 – 4 weeks. Make an assessment of how well they are working, and then repeat from step 3 (4 MC CPD Points)
DOWNLOADS
Free Resources
– CPD Tools – https://gum.co/MC-CPD
Paid resources
– Management Courses Onboarding Kit – https://gum.co/MC-ObK ($3)
RECOMMENDED READING
– The Five Dysfunctions of a Team https://geni.us/wbIE
– The Wisdom of Teams https://geni.us/7i1AL
– The Belbin Guide to Succeeding at Work https://geni.us/Kzc4GV4
– Dream Teams: Working Together Without Falling Apart https://geni.us/oAgEOdA
– Pulling Together: 10 Rules for High-Performance Teamwork https://geni.us/zUVV3G
– HBR’s 10 Must Reads on Teams https://geni.us/0DLsNe4
Managers need a basic set of kit to do your job well. Here are my top recommendations: https://kit.co/MikeClayton/manager-s-work-kit (the links are affiliated)
Management Courses Continuing Professional Development (CPD) Points
=======================================================
You can record your Management Courses CPD points on our free, downloadable CPD record log.
Download it at: https://gum.co/MC-CPD
Each video has two levels of MC CPD points. For this video:
– If you simply watched the video, record 2 MC CPD points
– If you also carried out all of the recommended exercises, score a total of 10 MC CPD points
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Note:
Links to our book recommendations are affiliated through Amazon
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