Setting team norms for virtual teams

Gallup reported that 71% of remote employees are not actively engaged. And 85% say the communication they receive on the job isn’t enough. 

If you are just starting as a remote team, have a kick-off meeting to discuss team norms and learn of each others' expectations, fears, things you are excited for. As a leader, these insights will help you guide and support your team in weeks to come, also, spot early if something is not right. In this article, let us look at the norms.

Failing fast

Including team norms/rules in the kick-off meeting seems pretty logical and a lot of you have probably done that switching to remote working. And that's great - you can't really expect something from others if it was not articulated and given a chance to be challenged. If you ever hear in your head ''that should go without saying''- be ready it does not.

The magic of team norms lies in the frequency of coming back to them. Team norms should be a dynamic concept. Take it as a given that what you think is going to be a great set-up at the beginning, will probably fail in some aspects. The sooner, the better. Hence, don't spend too much time trying to come up with the ideal world of remote work. I am a planner, but, as much as it hurts to say, you cannot plan for everything. Start simple.

Meetings

How often do we meet and what are the topics we should spend time discussing? Who will post (and where) a short summary of the meeting with a detailed plan of action & person accountable?

In video calls, have a set in stone rule that each time you dial in, you turn on your camera. At first, it may feel uncomfortable. As a leader, make sure you set the example. Is formal attire for internal team meetings needed? If not, maybe show up in a hoodie. Show your team that having a camera on is more valuable than good looks. We're all working from home, so be your home self (at least a bit).

Working time

Are we all going to sit 8h in front of our laptops when children are home? Probably not. And that is fine. As a leader, make sure the expectations are realistic. The beauty of remote work is that it is much more fluid. It blends with our personal life, our home environments, so don't make people feel guilty or anxious if they want to take time to do the laundry in between meetings. Letting go may be the hardest.

Talk about what hrs each of you will be most likely online. What worked for my team very well is posting every evening on our dedicated chat what time we will be online the next day. It was not something we used to monitor people, more to self-discipline. We found that it built a habit for each one of us to plan our day in a more realistic way, created great transparency and a higher level of understanding between us. Make it informal.

For instance, I'd post: will go running in the morning, so logging in about 10 am (will have a quick look at emails at breakfast); have mainly client prep work to do tomorrow so need to focus; in meetings 1-3 pm; again online about 5 pm till 8 pm available for a chat;

Do you need to check-in/out or it's easier to use e.g. Slack Status to communicate that? Have a channel that screams ''emergency'' and will be answered within 2hrs (also, DO single out what an emergency is).

Make sure everyone has access to the overall plan, it helps to build accountability knowing my slacking may affect others. Use Trello for your blueprint.

Communication channels

Which channel will be used for what and how often do we expect people to check it? Where do we post updates and how detailed we want them to be?

Also, make sure everyone knows how to use them! This is a perfect time to engage your younger employees to support others in the shift to remote work. Pick people to be Slack Masters/Zoom Masters/etc and ask them to look after a specific department. It will give your juniors a crucial and important role where they can put to work their skills and will speed up the shift. Ask them to be on the call for ''helpline''. Don't be afraid to spend time on helping people catch up with technology - it is a separate learning curve. If you build the foundation right, months to come will be easier!

Roles & Responsibilities

Even if they are not going to change when you shift to the virtual environment, do revisit them. Make sure everyone knows what is their role and where they should take ownership of the process, decisions, etc. There is nothing more demotivating if you have to wait for everyone, things get moving slow and life becomes boring.

Keep in mind that you may not all be online at the same time so it's good to have confidence which decisions are in your remit, and where you may want to use an emergency line or wait till next team call. Having to make a decision you're not sure you can make can become a stress factor that contributes to digital overwhelm that a lot of us may be experiencing already.

As a leader, make sure you allow space for discussing what your team members as comfortable with. Especially now, with lots of uncertainties, either you or your team members may think you need to do it all - share the efforts. Your employees may be ready for more than you think, and the ones that are not will appreciate having a safe space to voice it.

Remember to give support to those who do not feel comfortable at all. Make use of assigning buddies for one-on-one interaction and have regular team sessions dedicated reflect on the ways of working as a team.

Measuring performance

Lastly, be clear about what people's performance will be measured. Especially in cultures where staying long in the office means ''working hard'', people may experience confusion and guilt not being able to show how much they work. Remote working makes it difficult to monitor how things are done as opposed to what gets done. I feel that is a topic for whole another conversation. Will come back to it.

Conclusions

Do not think it is just a copy-paste exercise to move your team to full-on remote work. It is much more of a blended lifestyle than you think. Communicate with clarity and get used to constant feedback & adaptation. Remote work depends on trust, communication and a lot of self-discipline. Be mindful.