You may be on a team that is new to working virtually.

There are many challenges for new virtual teams, like exhaustion from screen time and learning to navigate how to manage people that you can’t see working.

But, one of the biggest struggles I am hearing these days is team members feeling a lack of connection and belonging.

It’s affecting people’s ability to do their work…

We are finding out that company culture is important, maybe more important than we realized. New virtual teams are feeling the effects of the pandemic more because their culture was built on being together most of the time.

However, several of my clients are in virtual companies that have always been that way. And, others have worked extensively with international teams. While these teams were able to meet in person before, the majority of their work has been done using technology to connect them.

Here are some best practices you can use, based on what’s worked for teams that have honed the art of working virtually…

Shaping a Culture Virtually

I was talking to Christine Gannon of Brightworks Consulting for a book that I am writing and she mentioned that working with international teams was much the same as working virtually with her team in the US.

I spent much of my career working with teams in Asia and Europe so I knew exactly what she was talking about. We discussed how we used to always start a conversation with some talk about our families before we got down to business…

Christine told me that, “Learning how to build an international team meant spending time with my team members, not talking about the project or the program or the contract or the client, but really talking about who they were as a person.

“So for example, if you heard someone say their kiddo’s birthday is coming up this weekend, ask them on Monday how it went. That’s how you start to build a relationship and a team. I don’t have to be in the same room as you, I just needed to be listening.”

In lieu of the coffee break, stopping in the hall, or popping into someone’s office to chat, we have to intentionally create these spontaneous moments when working virtually…

We are finding out that these moments are a critical part of our business. In the past, we might have seen these moments as “wasting time” but now we see that it’s a valuable part of what we do as team members.

So, we need to bring people together intentionally to have spontaneous conversations?

How does that work?

The important part is to try new things. Try a few types of informal gatherings and ask the team for their feedback during a follow-up discussion.

It can be hard for some people, especially those who aren’t as inclined to be social, to see the benefits of any one meeting. But, by comparing a few after some time has passed they can more easily see the effects of the interactions.​

Here are four different types of culture-building activities I’ve been hearing about:

1. Warm-ups (what I like to call Icebreakers)

Start each meeting with a provocative question that helps you get to know each other personally. The team will build more psychological safety and trust when they are more vulnerable with their answers.

With practice and guidance, the team can get good at doing these quickly so it can take just 10–15 minutes of the time.

A web search will turn up lists of ideas so you can keep them fresh. Some ideas to get you started are: bucket lists, desert island items, people who have influenced your life and how, and important events in your life.

Don’t think you have time for an icebreaker?

Consider how much faster your team can move when they are working more cohesively because they have trust and psychological safety. It’s the number one factor in team performance.

Maybe it’s worth being more selective about what you put on the agenda and how much you try to accomplish in each meeting?

Team members can work better together when they take time to connect.

The benefit of this method is that you don’t have to have extra meetings.

Instead, it can make you more efficient with your meetings by cutting your formal meeting time down. By asking the right questions, you get the double benefit of building psychological safety as part of the culture.​

2. Virtual Happy Hours

This is the first go-to for most leaders.

More than just getting everyone on video and seeing what happens, team members can feel included and heard by intentionally planning and facilitating the meeting.

Bianca Lager of Social Intelligence found that as well as connecting the team, she was able to get to know her team employees better through their happy hours. It has benefitted her because she now knows what their interests are and what talents they have outside of their daily work.

Her company has had fun with themes for their gatherings. They have each person talk in turn about a non-work-related topic like a funny travel story, a spooky Halloween story, or a movie they love.

The benefit of this method is that it’s social and casual. It’s important for teams to have fun together. The team bonding from fun experiences gets them through the rough patches.​

3. Remote Coworking Space

It’s remarkable how motivating it is to work with others silently on video (cameras on, audio on mute).

By setting a time to work together, team members can feel more connected with each other — fostering that feeling of belonging that is in short supply right now.

It can be a time for deep work when there are no other meetings or distractions because everyone is there together…

Imagine a coworking session for 2.5 hours once a week:

It could be blocked out on everyone’s calendar and participation mandatory to help people feel comfortable participating without the guilt of turning down meetings. A strategic project is chosen each week that needs the most attention. At the one-hour mark, a facilitator stops the team to discuss their progress and ask each other questions. This discussion is capped at 30 minutes and then back to work in silence for another hour.

What could you design for your team?

Maybe it’s not so structured but instead a drop-in session every day at a certain time…

The benefit of this method is that the team can have a time of extra productivity and focus they wouldn’t otherwise have.​

4. Virtual Office Hours

Just like you would in the office, you can hold office hours virtually as a way to be accessible for your team. If using Zoom, you can hold people in the waiting room and close the door or you can invite them to join in like you would in person.

It’s easy for people to feel underappreciated or ignored when working virtually, especially if the rest of the team is together physically.

Office hours can be a time to catch people up on what has been happening and show your appreciation for their hard work.

The benefit of this method is that it allows one-on-one time to give personal attention to those who you might not realize need it…

I hope you will try out all of these methods to build connection on your team.

Strong relationships are the basis of a positive culture in any company. They are the foundation of trust and psychological safety, which in turn create stronger performance.

And, it should be fun. We all need more fun so let people relax, enjoy each other’s company, and learn something new about each other.

And YES, pay them to do it. It’s worth your investment.

Start a virtual background contest next week!