The Remote Work Revolution

The Remote Work Revolution: Building Culture in a Digital World

By Kraig Kleeman
Founder & CEO, The New Workforce

As someone who’s built companies from the ground up and led remote teams in a variety of industries, I’ve come to appreciate one undeniable truth: a strong company culture is the differentiator between average teams and high-performing ones. This holds true even (or especially) for remote teams, where the challenge of building a cohesive culture is more pronounced than in traditional office settings.

While remote work offers incredible flexibility, it can also create isolation and disconnect, making it difficult for teams to stay motivated, aligned, and engaged. The key to overcoming these challenges? Culture.

In this article, I’ll share my experience and strategies for building a strong remote team culture that thrives even when your team is spread across the globe. Whether you’re a startup founder or leading an established company, these strategies will help you build a team that’s unified, motivated, and ready to achieve greatness.

1. Establish Clear and Shared Values

Company culture begins with core values. When your team is working remotely, it’s easy for employees to feel disconnected or uncertain about what the company stands for. But if everyone on the team is aligned around shared values, they’re more likely to feel a sense of purpose and unity, no matter where they’re working from.

How to Implement:

Define Your Values Clearly: Start by clearly articulating your company’s values. What principles guide your decisions, behavior, and interactions? These values should reflect what’s important to the company and to its people.
Integrate Values into Everything You Do: From hiring practices to project management, make sure these values are consistently reflected in your work processes, communications, and goals.
Revisit and Reinforce Values Regularly: During team meetings, virtual retreats, or one-on-ones, make sure to touch on your core values. Remind your team why these values matter, and encourage them to share examples of how they see those values at play in their work.

2. Foster Transparent and Open Communication

Effective communication is the lifeblood of any remote team. Without the ability to communicate clearly and openly, it’s easy for misunderstandings, misalignments, and frustrations to build up. If your team doesn’t feel comfortable communicating openly, it’s nearly impossible to build trust or a sense of community.

How to Implement:

Use the Right Tools for Communication: Whether it’s Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Zoom, ensure your team has access to the right tools for quick messaging, video calls, and document collaboration. Make sure these tools are easy to use and accessible to everyone.
Encourage Regular Check-ins: Whether it’s daily stand-ups or weekly team meetings, create a cadence for regular check-ins. These meetings give everyone a chance to discuss their priorities, challenges, and wins, helping the team stay aligned.
Practice Active Listening: As a leader, make sure you’re truly listening to your team’s feedback. Encourage open discussions and ask questions to make sure everyone feels heard and valued.

3. Prioritize Team Bonding and Social Interaction

One of the biggest challenges of remote work is the lack of informal interactions. In an office, casual conversations at the coffee machine or during lunch help to build camaraderie and strengthen relationships. Without those spontaneous moments, remote teams can struggle to create meaningful bonds.

How to Implement:

Host Virtual Social Events: Just because your team is remote doesn’t mean they can’t have fun together. Host virtual happy hours, game sessions, or themed events to give your team a chance to relax, unwind, and connect on a personal level.
Create Virtual “Watercooler” Moments: Set up dedicated spaces on communication platforms like Slack where team members can talk about topics outside of work. These spaces mimic the informal chats that happen in physical offices.
Encourage Team Members to Share Personal Stories: Allow your team to share personal experiences, hobbies, and milestones. This helps to humanize your team members and create a sense of camaraderie.

4. Celebrate Success and Milestones Together

In a remote work setting, it’s easy for team members to feel like their contributions go unnoticed, especially if they’re not in the same room as leadership. To counter this, make sure you’re celebrating both team and individual successes regularly.

How to Implement:

Recognize Achievements in Public Forums: Celebrate wins in team meetings or through communication platforms. Whether it’s hitting a milestone, completing a successful project, or simply doing excellent work, make sure recognition is public and frequent.
Offer Tangible Rewards: Give out rewards—whether it’s gift cards, extra time off, or team gifts—as a way to recognize and thank employees for their hard work. These gestures show appreciation and reinforce that the company values its team.
Create a “Wins” Channel: A dedicated channel where team members share their accomplishments, no matter how small, creates a culture of recognition and positivity.

5. Provide Opportunities for Personal and Professional Growth

The best teams are always growing, learning, and evolving. When remote employees feel like they’re stuck in a job with no opportunity for growth, their motivation and engagement will inevitably suffer.

How to Implement:

Offer Learning and Development Programs: Invest in courses, webinars, or mentorship opportunities that help your team members develop new skills.
Encourage Career Progression: Work with your team to create clear career paths. Show them that there is room for growth within the company, whether it’s through promotions, new responsibilities, or leadership opportunities.
Support Work-Life Balance: Encourage your team to find a healthy work-life balance, which ultimately helps them avoid burnout and remain engaged in the long term.

6. Lead with Empathy and Compassion

Building a strong remote team culture requires leadership that is compassionate and empathetic. As remote work can often lead to feelings of isolation, it’s crucial for leaders to be attuned to the well-being of their team members.

How to Implement:

Check In on Mental Health: Regularly check in with your team to see how they’re feeling—not just about work, but about their personal well-being. Let them know that you care about them as people, not just employees.
Be Flexible with Personal Needs: Remote work often allows employees to juggle personal responsibilities, but it’s important to be understanding when life gets in the way. Offer flexibility with schedules, time off, and accommodations as needed.
Create a Safe Space for Vulnerability: Foster a team environment where it’s okay to be vulnerable. Encourage open conversations about challenges, whether they’re work-related or personal. This promotes trust and shows your team that they can rely on you.

7. Make Your Culture Visible and Tangible

Remote work can make it hard to physically see the company’s culture in action. As a leader, it’s essential to actively demonstrate and reinforce your company culture in every interaction. Culture isn’t something you simply talk about—it’s something you live, every day.

How to Implement:

Infuse Culture Into All Interactions: Whether it’s a one-on-one check-in or a larger company meeting, make sure every communication reflects your values and the culture you’re trying to build.
Showcase Team Success Stories: Share stories of team members going above and beyond to demonstrate your company values.
Align Culture with Every Process: From hiring to performance reviews, ensure that the company’s values are embedded in every process.

Conclusion: Building a Remote Team That Works Together

Building a strong remote team culture is not an overnight process, but with the right strategies, it’s entirely possible to create a team that feels connected, motivated, and aligned with your company’s mission. By prioritizing communication, recognition, personal growth, and empathy, you can cultivate a remote team culture that leads to lasting success.

A strong remote team culture will not only help you retain top talent but also foster a high level of productivity and innovation. As remote work continues to evolve, leaders must adapt and create a work environment that supports their team’s well-being while driving performance.

The key to building a successful remote team lies in your ability to lead with intention and empathy. Your team will mirror your efforts, and together, you’ll achieve extraordinary things.

About Kraig Kleeman

Kraig Kleeman is a highly successful entrepreneur, author, and showrunner. If his accomplishments and aspirations were to draw inspiration from natural icons, he could be described as a fusion of Elon Musk’s visionary approach to business and Mick Jagger’s electrifying stage presence. He possesses keen business acumen and a flair for captivating performances that awe audiences.

Kraig’s entrepreneurial spirit is boundless, as evidenced by his track record of founding a tech company and taking it from nothing to $30 million in sales, in less than four years. His newest venture, CEO Branding Worldwide, is growing by triple digits, quarter over quarter. While some may liken his abilities to a Midas touch, others prefer to think of it as transforming companies into profitable ventures instead of turning things into gold!