Building trust in remote teams and virtual teams requires intentional effort from leaders and is an ongoing process that demands specific strategies. There are unique challenges in building trust within virtual teams and remote teams, such as overcoming physical distance, lack of face-to-face interaction, and time zone differences, which require tailored strategies to address.
Healthy business-to-business relationships, based on partnership, lead to line growth, stability, and overall sustainability as an organization. Moreover, as in case of personal relationships, a successful business relationship is built on a foundation of core virtues, such as transparency, accountability and trust. How to build trust and maintain relationships in a remote environment? Leaders play a crucial role in virtual trust building by fostering collaboration, promoting transparent communication, and setting the tone for team dynamics. What you need is a strategy and…the right people.
Be communicative, show respect and offer value
On your team you need to have people, who will work towards ensuring the highest quality of the delivery of services to Customer. Depending on the services and the industry, delivery can be perceived variously – it may be, for example, ensured through tracking progress and KPIs, managing budgets, people and projects. Even though the form of service might have changed because of Coronavirus outbreak, the essence of it remains the same. What is universal, and crucial in general, is maintaining a long-lasting relationship, in form of acting on feedback, catch-up meetings etc. Effective communication and transparent communication are essential for building virtual trust, maintaining relationships, and ensuring that all team members are aligned and informed.
Moreover, despite of the industry, in order to build a successful relationship with Customers, one needs to be well informed about various internal and external processes that affect such relationships. Setting clear expectations for roles, goals, and deadlines in remote teams is fundamental for trust and reliability. You cannot do it without excellent cooperation between various teams and departments within the company – i.a. Delivery, Sales. Team collaboration and collaboration among employees are key for development, employee engagement, and fostering a culture of trust. It is what makes such communication possible. Lack of it could affect the work for the Customer. Regular check-ins are essential for maintaining employee engagement in virtual settings.
The foundation of trust
What is important, is first setting a foundation of trust. Building trust is essential for the team's success and overall team performance, as it enables effective collaboration and achievement of shared goals. Trust is a reciprocal behaviour to what Customers receive. None can forced it. Team dynamics play a crucial role in fostering trust and long-lasting relationships, as understanding and improving interactions within the team leads to a more cohesive environment. How to achieve it? Building trust is a long-term process of bringing value to the customer and realizing this value. Trust means partnership. If we build trust, we can embed the gained knowledge and understanding of the customer strategy.One may say, that understanding the needs of both – Customers and various teams inside the company – lays at the bottom of all actions. Team members are seen as reliable when they consistently deliver on their commitments and meet expectations, further strengthening the foundation of trust. High-trust teams see a 43% boost in productivity when given autonomy and clearly defined success metrics, directly impacting team performance and the team's success. Hence, building long-lasting relationships is the absolute core. How to do it effectively?
Communication - go all out
Establishing a new relationship can be a real challenge. It is even more difficult when you cannot meet in person. In virtual environments, it is crucial to keep everyone on the same page to avoid misunderstandings and ensure clear communication. Good communication within the company, often between various teams, is essential. Encouraging open discussion and the sharing of ideas during virtual meetings helps foster collaboration and trust. Team members should be encouraged to present their ideas or scenarios for group decision making, which enhances transparency and consensus-building. One should be well informed about the contacts made by other team members. Uncertainty in remote settings significantly undermines trust, so implementing regular surveys or feedback sessions helps address team issues promptly. Our customers need to be aware that there is more than one contact person who is more than willing to assist in, for instance, building a new team.
Build trust in the virtual world
How to achieve it in a virtual environment? We really have many technological solutions at our disposal. Technology, especially video conferencing platforms, plays a crucial role in building trust and personal connection within virtual teams. E-mails, video messages, phone-calls, chat, and virtual meetings – there is a plethora of options nowadays to foster engagement and effective communication. Video conferencing not only enables face-to-face interaction but also enhances personal connections by allowing team members to see each other as whole, multi-dimensional people. During the first meetings, the priority should be put on listening in order to fully understand the needs of the Customer. Then, during the next (regular!) meetings – weekly / monthly catch-up calls, follow-ups, and even informal virtual coffee breaks or social gatherings – focus on getting to know the customer as well as possible.One of the biggest challenges people have been reporting after switching to full time remote work is the sudden fusion of work and private life. Facilitating shared experiences, such as using virtual backgrounds to share personal stories or weekend plans, and encouraging informal chat interactions, helps foster connection and trust in virtual teams. We have all probably had at least one meeting when kids, dogs or cats invaded the virtual conference room. While it is stressful for our interlocutor, it also forces us to look at them differently, not only in the context of their position and function.
Turn your camera on
If you may say that a picture is worth a thousand words, face-to-face communication is worth at least a million! In virtual meetings, the absence of physical presence and body language makes it harder to establish rapport and trust among team members. The lack of face-to-face interaction is a unique challenge in virtual environments, as non-verbal cues like body language play a crucial role in communication and connection. Even though not everybody feels comfortable in front of a camera (and we have to take it in the consideration) as they feel self-conscious and experience “video call fatigue”, a new term coined by psychologists, there is no better way to get to know each other. As we can see ourselves on the screen, we focus on our “performance”, which in the long run is stressful and tiring. A simple solution is to hide your own window and focus on the other person. During the video call with the customers you see their facial expressions, hear the emotion in their voice. You’re really able to connect with them. It is extremely important especially when getting to know new people. Physically seeing people and interacting with them over video does create authentic connections.
Building trust? Communicate with your team
As listening is the key to understanding the goals of each Customer, team and teammate, one has to also be able to cooperate with several teams within the organization. Fostering open dialogue and encouraging team members to share personal stories and personal interests helps build trust and deeper connections. You often have to connect the Delivery and Sales teams, so it is essential to understand the current status of every given process and to create a sense of community by providing opportunities for team members to connect and collaborate.
Sometimes, there are no results because there are problems people can’t solve on their own, and some team members may be struggling, especially in culturally diverse remote teams where misunderstandings can arise. Leaders admitting their own mistakes fosters psychological safety and encourages honesty among team members. Frankly, solving problems is a good bonding opportunity, but speaking about it is crucial. Scheduled 1:1 sessions should focus on coaching and personal check-ins, not just status updates, to support holistic development. Providing access to online courses and other resources demonstrates investment in employees’ growth and personal interests, while celebrating accomplishments shows that you're aware of and appreciate your team's hard work. Creating a team charter can help set engagement rules for communication tools and response times, ensuring everyone is aligned. Being honest with each other really helps to facilitate closing the process. Understanding that we are one team and we are all here to help, really makes a difference. It makes teammates more engaged and generally, confident about the work they do.
Win-win situation
All in all, being able to build trust and successful relationships with Customers benefits both parties and is essential for the success of virtual and hybrid teams. Success in these environments relies on leveraging collaborative technology tools, which boost productivity and enable teams to collaborate effectively across locations and time zones. The expertise of team members and leaders is crucial in building trust, demonstrating competence, and ensuring that each employee can perform their job without unnecessary micromanagement, which is often associated with the traditional office environment. As the office environment evolves, focusing on results and job satisfaction through autonomy and trust becomes increasingly important. Utilizing digital recognition platforms allows businesses to celebrate achievements immediately after a goal is met, further enhancing engagement. Effective virtual team building activities should have a clear structure and purpose to maximize team performance and foster collaboration.
If you are looking for a reliable Team of Cloud Experts with years of hands-on experience delivering cloud transformation, management, and cost-optimization solutions in remote or on-site environment do not hesitate to contact our NATEK Sales Prospection Team Lead, Andrzej Osman, at andrzej.osman@natek.eu, or fill out our Contact Form to start our collaboration. #growITwithus and build secure, scalable, and efficient cloud solutions that drive lasting success.
We wrote this article in cooperation with Jozef Biacovsky, Global Operations Manager from NATEK Kosice DC. At NATEK, our Service Delivery Managers are responsible for building and maintaining long-lasting relationships. Depending on the location or assigned project, their role may vary but they always play a significant role, acting as a bridge between our clients and delivery teams.
