The importance of trust increases in a distant working setting. In a remote situation, especially when it comes to connections with managers, trust has proven difficult to create and cultivate because it is impossible to swiftly engage in casual conversation, participate in social events, or even keep eye contact.
Communication breakdowns that occur when remote team members rely on conventional communication tactics despite making significant changes to their working dynamic can worsen the trust deficit that many people suffer when making the move to remote work.
High levels of trust are necessary for remote teams to function well, especially in an asynchronous setting when employees have little opportunity for overlap in their workdays. When the recipient’s workday ends several hours sooner, it becomes much more difficult to address a badly constructed communication that leaves them in the dark.
Effective communication and the replacement of some of the old in-person routines with systems and processes created for our new reality are the first steps in maintaining trust in a remote situation.
Switch from putting speed first to putting communication quality first
Smoother handoffs, fewer bottlenecks, and higher levels of trust are ultimately the results of taking an extra few seconds to read and revise an email before sending it or investing more time in better information organization. Even though it can take a bit longer initially, doing so will significantly lower the likelihood of expensive delays down the road.
Change from inadequate to excessive communication
As long as the information is appropriately arranged, distant team members can become less dependent on real-time information exchanges when they have more information at their disposal. In the end, thoughtful and thorough communication can lessen the possibility of misunderstandings and misinterpretations, which frequently damage confidence between distant coworkers.
Distant teams need to create proper communication etiquette for remote settings
A mutually agreed-upon method for handoffs, best practices for communicating critical information, and straightforward instructions for nudging and follow-ups will all help to improve communication and foster confidence.
Transparency is crucial in a remote and hybrid environment, particularly when making decisions
The chances of misunderstandings and presumptions of bias or antagonism are drastically reduced when organizational leaders and management set clear expectations, progress is monitored objectively, and they provide insights into decisions.
The majority of us have worked in an in-person, real-time environment for our entire working careers, yet the habits we’ve formed aren’t suitable for a high-trust distant business. Maintaining high levels of trust in a distant, hybrid, or asynchronous setting will increasingly depend on your ability to adjust your communication tactics and technologies.
