How To Build Belonging And Safety With Remote Teams

Many U.S. companies continue with hybrid work models, which, while not impacting productivity, present challenges to connection and cohesion.

The solution? Productive team offsites.

Some companies, notably giants such as Amazon and J.P. Morgan, are now insisting on a full-time return to the office model. However, such firms are in the minority, and this approach is generally unpopular with many whose jobs theoretically allow the flexibility of some remote working, such as in the tech sector.

According to a new McKinsey study, hybrid work models seem to be the new normal, and this brings up unique complications. Specifically, challenges related to innovation and psychological safety.

It’s intuitive why innovation takes a hit remotely; ideation is not always synchronous, it misses that “live action” component, people are easily distracted, and the hard-to-describe energy or “vibe” that makes teams come together just isn’t there.

Psychological safety is a component of workplace belonging. When leaders can’t look us in the eye to tell us that they care, when we can’t see and feel the office environment we’re a part of, and when we can’t observe nonverbal cues in meetings, it’s hard to feel safe. In fact, it’s isolating.

What Is Workplace Belonging?

Before we discuss what might help solve for workplace belonging in a remote-first world, let’s first define what it’s not.

Workplace belonging isn’t, despite what trite HR programs may say, tolerating underperformance in the name of insincere hyper-inclusivity.

In my book, I introduce the four horsemen of the workplace apocalypse, which are the lead-up to a toxic culture:

• Conformity Pressure: Employees feel compelled to suppress their individuality to fit in with workplace norms.
• Performance Neglect: Emphasis on culture leads to overlooking poor performance and lowering accountability.
• Inclusion Illusion: Inclusion is superficial, favoring only those who align ideologically or culturally with the majority.
• Dependency Culture: Employees rely too heavily on their employer to fulfill their sense of belonging.

A culture of belonging refers to an organizational environment where employees feel deeply connected to their company or team. In such a culture, employees can show up authentically, are recognized for their contributions, and clearly see how they fit into the larger picture.

“Establishing a psychologically safe environment guarantees that all team members can freely express themselves without worrying about criticism or negative consequences,” I write in my book, The Quest: The Definitive Guide to Finding Belonging. “It fosters trust, encourages mutual respect, and promotes vulnerability.”

Promoting belonging in remote cultures

Now that we’ve established that productivity may not suffer when we work remotely, but innovation, safety, and belonging do, let’s discuss the solution.

Enter offsites and retreats.

Offsites are strategic meetings that take place out of the office. Their primary purpose stems from business objectives like board meetings, annual planning, or quarterly reviews. Retreats, on the other hand, may be connected to these but are centered around team-building to promote cohesion, which is correlated with higher performance.

Regardless of the vessel, bringing people who work disparately together for a multi-day gathering to ideate, produce, and/or celebrate can accelerate productivity, increase engagement, and strengthen organizational commitment.

This is a big reason why I founded my new company: to bring retreat venues to life so that small teams can do big things. Intimate corporate gatherings are the ideal tool for remote team leaders to leverage when they’re trying to create innovation, promote safety, and foster belonging.