People and Participation: How to Foster Participation and Trust in Remote Teams
Building trust for a collaborative and inclusive environment
The MAP Framework is a practical guide for managers navigating the essentials of distributed work. Mission and Metrics clarifies goals and how to measure performance, Approach, shapes how the work actually gets done, and People & Participation, the focus of this post, focuses on how people show up, interact, and feel included.
At its core, People & Participation come down to three things:
Non-verbals in the remote environment
Communication rituals to promote trust and collaboration
Inclusion and psychological safety
Master Non-Verbal Communication for Remote and Hybrid Teams
Research consistently shows that non-verbal cues make up the majority of human communication. For remote teams, those cues are often missing or difficult to interpret. Without body language, tone of voice, or facial expressions physically present, text-based communication can easily lead to misunderstandings.
For remote team managers, it can be tempting to try to replicate in-person signals one for one, like using few emojis on a chat platform to replace the light-touch nature of a hallway conversation with a quick email. A better strategy is to rethink how the team communicates so that meaning and intent are not lost in the ether.
Negotiate Your Remote Team’s Camera-On Policy
Video adds an extra layer of connection, but it can also risk Zoom fatigue. There is no one-size-fits-all solution for a team’s camera-on policy, and there are many options including:
Cameras on for key conversations. Define which meetings are “camera-on” (e.g., team kick offs, client updates, retrospectives, meetings that require nuance and balanced perspective). Give your team a heads-up so they can prepare.
Cameras on when speaking. In larger meetings, encourage participants to turn cameras on when presenting or asking questions. This reduces fatigue but still adds a point of connection.
Protect breaks. If cameras are required often, establish a balance by enforcing buffer time between meetings.
Educate Your Remote Team on Digital Body Language
Remote body language looks different, but it’s no less important. Here are a few tips to guide your thinking about body language in the remote environment:
Make “eye contact” with the camera. When presenting, periodically glance at the camera lens to create the feeling of eye contact.
Use reactions to show acknowledgement. In person, nodding or smiling signals agreement. When participating online, it can be difficult to tell if the team is nodding along in agreement or passively listening. Use reaction emojis to confirm understanding when possible.
Don’t neglect your background. A tidy or intentional background conveys professionalism and readiness. A chaotic or blurred background may signal disorganization or distraction.
Tailor Your Remote Team’s Tone in Written Communication
Written communication is the dominant form of communication in the virtual world, so it’s important to get it right.
Mind the font styles. All-caps or excessive bolding may feel like shouting to the reader even if you mean for it to be emphasized or sarcastic in your head.
Response length matters. One-word replies may feel dismissive and overly long messages can overwhelm the reader. Use clear but warm responses.
Batch your messages. Decide as a team whether it’s better to send one consolidated message or a series of short pings.
Communication routines and rituals to promote trust and collaboration on remote and hybrid teams
Establishing a routine with your team’s communication can create predictability and a sense of belonging. Without this rhythm, teams can become disconnected and much can be lost in translation in asynchronous communication.
Top-down Communication for Remote Teams
Strong communication starts at the top. When leaders communicate clearly and consistently, they set the tone for how the rest of the team connects and works together.
Encourage leadership to stay visible. Leadership should regularly connect with their team in structured ways through structured All-Hands meetings, Town Halls, email updates, or informal “Ask Me Anything” style meetings.
Share regular updates. Transparency from leadership reduces anxiety and builds trust. Even small updates, like “what’s on my plate this week” can reinforce connection.
Share the “why” behind decisions. Providing context behind decisions, even small ones, helps team members feel included in the bigger picture and builds trust in leadership.
Team-Level Collaboration for Remote Teams
Team collaboration rituals create connection, preventing remote work from becoming purely transactional.
Protect team meetings. It can be tempting to cancel team meetings, but if these are the only chance for your entire team to connect with each other synchronously, make sure the time is protected, as they are vital touch points for connection.
Build in time to build rapport. Reserve the first 5-10 minutes for casual check-ins or small talk. This time might seem frivolous, but it fosters camaraderie and psychological safety for your team to connect with each other.
Effective One-on-One Meetings for Remote Teams
One-on-one meetings are a strong opportunity for managers and team members to build trust. Managers who treat this time with intentionality communicate to team members that they are valued as contributors and individuals.
Come prepared. Create an agenda that balances tasks, development, and feedback, and keep it consistent from week to week.
Personalize the experience. Ask about what matters to your team and remember their small wins.
Balance feedback. Celebrate successes and acknowledge growth instead of jumping right into constructive criticism.
Inclusion and psychological safety for remote teams
Inclusion and psychological safety are the foundation of effective participation. Without them, collaboration remains surface-level, and innovation can suffer. Remote environments can make this tricky, as quieter voices can easily be drowned out in the digital noise.
Acknowledge All Voices
Inclusive teams design for participation. Remote and hybrid environments make it easier for quieter voices to to fade into the background, so leaders must create intentional structures to ensure everyone is heard.
Design for participation. Use tools like polls, chat function, or round-robin sharing to ensure everyone contributes. Consider finding ways to have individuals participate anonymously.
Rotate facilitators. Giving different team members the role of leading a discussion builds confidence and shared ownership.
Normalize Giving and Receiving Feedback Well
Feedback is necessary for growth, but it can be hard to deliver - and receive. Leaders can support a culture of feedback by establishing best practices and making it a routine practice for everyone.
Train your team on feedback. Provide resources and training opportunities on how to give and receive feedback well and what to avoid.
Feedback as a gift. Frame feedback as an investment in growth, not as criticism. Model this by asking for and accepting feedback yourself.
Use multiple channels. Some people are more comfortable sharing feedback in writing, others prefer live conversation.
Foster Psychological Safety
Psychological safety is a foundation of collaboration, otherwise, people will withhold ideas, downplay risks, or disengage entirely. Leaders can create safety by modeling vulnerability and shaping team norms.
Model vulnerability. Admit mistakes and share learning moments as a leader. This sets the tone for true honesty.
Respond with curiosity and not judgement. When someone raises a concern, ask questions and them to elaborate instead of reacting.
Protect against interruptions. Set meeting norms that prevent dominant voices from talking over others.
Successful distributed work hinges on people and participation. It is important to consider how your team connects with each other by rethinking nonverbal cues, creating internal communication rituals, and fostering psychological safety. Mastering these things can help managers build teams that are productive, resilient, and connected.
Interested in helping your team master communication in the virtual world? Check out our ready-to-run trainings on communication best practices in the remote world or schedule a custom workshop.