Over the past two years, people have figured out that remote work does have its many perks, and many companies are now opting to go fully remote, despite having the option to work in person too.
One of the many benefits of fully remote work is that people from all over the world get a chance to work together, without being restricted by their geographical location.
In the spirit of embracing all the perks of being a fully-remote team, it’s time to find new ways in which you can inspire, motivate, and help your cross-cultural remote team truly flourish. Let’s dive right into the 10 ways you can do this!
1. Celebrate Differences!
The first step to making everyone in a multicultural team feel at home is to celebrate differences. Many employers do the opposite (though they don’t mean any harm) by pretending that everyone on the team is aware and comfortable with the work culture of the company.
To make things easier, it’s always a good idea to start from scratch by understanding where everyone is coming from and what they have in mind for remote work culture.
2. Ice Breakers
Here’s where the age-old ice breakers still serve their purpose, especially in making online teamwork more fun. An ice-breaking session can be held for the benefit of anyone new to the team to help them get to know each other better.
3. Build a Strong Support System
Joining a new team can be hard, but imagine if you were completely alone and all you could do was text your co-workers to clear all the doubts you have?
Many new employees to remote teams struggle with this issue of feeling lost and disconnected because they lack a mentor who can guide and teach them. To avoid this, it’s best to give each new employee a person of contact whom they can reach out to with even the silliest of queries.
4. Breaks are Important
Endless meetings, daily standups, and tasks can drain anyone, let alone a remote team. It’s a good idea to dedicate one evening or afternoon a week to just catching up with each other—whether it’s done with an online movie, games, or even an evening of nothing but relaxing!
5. Set Goals and Motivate Them
People often struggle with Imposter syndrome, where they feel unfit or unqualified to be where they currently are. By helping each of your employees set goals and motivating them to do more than they’re capable of, you’ll be able to see a drastic change in a matter of months.
6. Be Open About Your Story
A sure way to inspire your employees is by being open about your journey as a fresher as well. Not only will they feel more connected to you, but they’ll also respect your honesty and feel inspired to follow your path!
7. Variety Entertainment
Your team has individuals who come from unique cultures, and the best way to lift their spirits is by letting them share a bit of their talent and culture with you.
Host an evening of variety entertainment at least once a month, where anyone can perform anything and even teach others if they want to learn!
8. Be Consistent
If you don’t practice what you preach, your team is going to soon find out about it too. A simple example is that if you want everyone to be punctual, but are always late to meetings, then there’s bound to be a little bit of negligence to what you say from your employees too.
While working in a remote team, it’s paramount to make sure you respect and value your position, which inturn will be reflected by your other team members as well.
9. Be Available
Don’t be hard to reach. Make sure you’re approachable to everyone on the team. This way, no one will think twice before reaching out to you about any issue they may face at work.
10. Listen to Your Team
You may do everything with the best of intentions, but you can truly inspire your team only when you give them a voice as well. Be open to hearing their side of the story too, and always be ready to create a better work strategy if the one you have now isn’t working.
