Making Virtual Collaboration Feel Personal

🎯 Why Your Virtual Team Might Be Failing—And How One 3-Minute Video Can Fix It Ever led a virtual team where things look good on paper—but something just feels… off? I’ve been there. I was managing a cross-functional virtual team spread across time zones. We had top talent, clear goals, the latest tools—but something was missing. Engagement was low. Collaboration felt clunky. Results slowed. 💡 Then it hit me: We weren’t seeing each other anymore. Yes, we had Zoom. Yes, we had email. But we had stopped doing the one thing that builds trust faster than anything else in remote leadership: 📹 Face-to-face video communication—even if it’s virtual. ⸻ ✅ Here’s one thing you can start doing that will change everything: I began having weekly video meetings and sending 3-minute video check-ins. No agenda. Just eye contact, body language, and real talk. The result? • 36% increase in project velocity in just 30 days • Team engagement scores jumped 22% • Even our quietest team member started contributing ideas during meetings Why? Because seeing people changes everything. You can’t read warmth in a Slack thread. You can’t show empathy in a bullet point. But you can feel connection through a face, a tone, a gesture. ⸻ 📊 Here’s the Science Behind It: Harvard research shows that non-verbal communication makes up over 90% of how we understand one another. Yet most virtual teams rely solely on text and task boards. That’s a disconnect. If you’re a team leader, remote manager, or project lead, you must go beyond just “managing tasks”—you have to influence with presence. ⸻ 🧠 Practical Application You Can Start Today: 1. Send a 3-minute video check-in every Monday—no script needed. 2. Use video for feedback instead of email. It builds rapport. 3. Hold at least one “cameras-on” meeting a week. Make it about connection, not just work. It’s not about being polished. It’s about being present. ⸻ 💬 Who this is for: If you’re a: • Virtual team leader • Remote project manager • Distributed team coach or agile lead • Startup founder managing remote talent …then this applies directly to your day-to-day. ⸻ 🛠️ Tools I Recommend: • Loom (for async videos) • Zoom (for live connections) • Slack clips (for lightweight updates) #VirtualLeadership #RemoteTeamManagement #AsynchronousCommunication

We've been a remote-first company since 2016, and I'm excited to share that you don't need to be physically close to someone to build strong personal connections. Many tools help our team at OmbuLabs create personal connections. Here are a few: - Canopy (formerly known as Know Your Team) -- This service has a bunch of different questions about people and their life experience. It sends you a weekly message to share your personal experiences. When it comes to onboarding new team members, I really enjoy reading the icebreaker answers for every new hire. - Donut -- This is a tool randomly connects people (in your company), whether they're contractors or full-time employees, for one-on-ones, virtual coffees, or lunches. We don't require people to do this, but if people want to have a virtual coffee with someone they don't usually collaborate with, it gives them that opportunity. - Zoom. Every two weeks, we hold an optional call to play online games together. This is not required, but it gives you an opportunity to play fun games with your co-workers. - Team retreats. The money saved on office space can be invested in a yearly team retreat. Our last retreat was in Costa Rica! It was a great opportunity to get together, have fun, discuss ideas, and get to know each other a little better. - Pairing remotely. You can use Tuple or Zoom or something else to pair up with a co-worker and work on something together. - One on Ones. We use Lattice to power our monthly one on one meetings. These regular calls are a good opportunity to remind people that it is up to them to connect to their teammates. Management can provide the tools, allocate time during work hours, and organize these activities, but it's up to the team to participate. Sometimes, an endless Slack thread can be resolved with a quick 5-minute call. Just because most of our communication is async, it doesn't mean that is *always* the best way to communicate with your teammate. I hope you find these services useful for creating a culture that people love. Happy and connected teams are always more productive than those who feel disconnected. 🚀 #People #TeamCulture #RemoteWork

I’ve been leading #remote teams for 17+ years, and I know firsthand that building strong bonds within the team doesn’t happen as organically as it might in an office. Remote work makes fostering meaningful connections more challenging—it just does. Stevie Case and I discussed this challenge on my podcast, and here’s what we’ve found works: 𝗙𝗼𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗰𝘂𝗹𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗿𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀. Build an environment where people feel comfortable sharing ideas, feedback, and wins. At SalesRoads, for example, we create opportunities for team intros to encourage connection across departments and recognize individual contributions in creative ways. 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁. Be intentional about creating moments of connection—virtual game days, where the team hangs out and has fun together, or Slack channels like our “Water Cooler,” where people share updates, hobbies, and non-work-related moments. These small efforts help foster a sense of belonging. 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲. Steve also pointed out the importance of in-person retreats or offsite. If it's not feasible, focus on consistent virtual touchpoints to keep the team connected. For instance, I have a virtual lunch with every new hire. Just 30 minutes to get to know them and make them feel welcome. Since the key to feeling connected to work lies in feeling connected to the people you work with, it’s on us to intentionally create space for collaboration, trust, and engagement. What have you found works best for building bonds in a remote team? You can find the episode here ⟶ Sell Like A Leader Podcast #salesteam