Remote Project Team Coordination

𝟓 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗿, 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 - 𝘁𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲, 𝗵𝗶𝗴𝗵-𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗶𝘁𝘆 (𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝘁𝗅)  Team events, but online - HOW TO make them special with 'Love Letters'! 💌 We are a hybrid team at femtasy / Pink Internet GmbH, and we only come together in person once per quarter with the full squad for our big 'team days' (including plenty of team-building time). I’m a big believer though that it’s important to create little moments of connection in between. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶-𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗯𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝘄𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗱—𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗳𝗳𝗼𝗿𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗠𝗔𝗝𝗢𝗥 𝗶𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁, 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝟓 𝗲𝗮𝘀𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽𝘀: 1️⃣ Take a regular company/team-wide meeting (eg the all-hands) & add 15 minutes. 2️⃣ Set up a shared workspace (like a FigJam board) with little Love Letter icons & each team member's name. 3️⃣ During the meeting, invite everyone to write a short note (a 'love letter') to their colleagues, focusing on what they admire or appreciate about them. 4️⃣ Ask volunteers to read out some of their notes by the end of the meeting, and let everyone read the rest afterwards. 5️⃣ Observe how the magic unfolds. 🙂 Our team couldn’t stop writing and reading notes to each other! The result? A more connected team that knows their work—and their relationships with each other—truly matter. ❤️ Truth be told, it moved me a lot to read the notes team members wrote to me. But even more than that, it was incredible to hear the genuine words of appreciation colleagues shared with each other. It made me SO proud of the trust, kindness, and support we’ve built as a team. If you’re looking for a meaningful team bonding exercise, try this—I promise you’ll love it! What’s your favorite way to keep your team connected? Always curious to try new things! #companyculture #leadership #femalefounders #team #peopleandculture

Let’s get real; those chats around the water cooler were never that great. There’s a reason why this photo looks like a generic stock photo—this situation is fictionalized. While people may have shared casual stories about the weather or the latest movies around the water cooler, deep relationships were never built there. Remote and hybrid work is criticized for a perceived inability to build culture. If people aren’t talking about their weekends in the break room, the thinking goes, how can we build a cohesive team? In reality, those surface-level conversations don’t do much to build a strong culture, and they certainly aren’t more important because they happen in person. In fact, Gallup research shows only 20% of fully in-office employees feel connected to their company’s culture, slightly below the rate of hybrid employees. What people need more than serendipitous chit-chat is focused, intentional moments of connection - and you don’t need an office building for those. Instead, managers can adopt a few strategies to create connections in hybrid/remote (or in-person) settings that build cohesiveness, decrease feelings of isolation, and boost morale. Good examples are outlined in @Rising Team’s new Guide to Maximizing Hybrid Work Success, including strategies like: 🛠️Dedicate time to build understanding:  Activities that foster authentic understanding are essential for maintaining connection in hybrid environments. While happy hours may be fun, learning about people’s workplace preferences, like how they like to be appreciated and how they prefer to receive feedback, go a lot further towards building strong relationships. 🔗Create micro-connections:  Quick, intentional check-ins about work and life can do much more than casual conversations. Try asking, “How do you like to be supported on a hard day?” or “What is something you’re proud of outside of work?” instead of small talk about weekend plans. Questions like these enhance trust and understanding. 👥Maximize in-person time:  When your team does meet in person, focus on activities that the research shows benefit from face-to-face interaction, like brainstorming or collaborative projects. These in-person moments should strengthen virtual connections and keep the team aligned on shared goals. Find the full list of examples by downloading our free Guide: https://lnkd.in/g9ditxXA Building a strong team culture isn’t about casual in-office encounters—it’s about fostering intentional connections that have real impact. Whether through meaningful check-ins or focused team activities, managers have the tools to create a cohesive, engaged team in any environment. Hybrid and remote work aren’t obstacles to culture-building—they’re opportunities to redefine it. #HybridWork #RemoteLeadership  — This is the final post in my series on maximizing success in remote work. Check out my LinkedIn channel for past posts on best practices for leading hybrid/remote teams.

Don’t end your session without this… 🛑✋ One of the most common criticisms of icebreaker activities - or any playful exercise, even if it’s framed as a “serious game” - is that they’re a waste of time. And honestly? That criticism is often valid. Not because the activity itself isn’t valuable… but because facilitators skip the most crucial part: 🧠 The debrief. Without reflection, the group misses the why. The experience stays surface-level. And all that potential for insight, connection, and growth? Gone. After the activity, the fun is fading, the adrenaline is dropping… and this is exactly when most facilitators move on. But the best ones? They pause and help the group make meaning. With just a few minutes of thoughtful debriefing, everything shifts. You give participants a chance to slow down, make meaning, and apply what they’ve just felt, learned, or experienced. Because it’s not the activity itself that creates transformation, it’s what we learn from it. I was recently reminded of a debrief activity called the "Traffic Light" after watching a video by Mark Collard, which I would love to share: Instructions 📋 1. Create three spaces (physically or metaphorically) based on the colours of a traffic light: red, yellow, and green. For in-person meetings, mark the spaces using coloured tape (maybe ⭕️🪄 Matthias has a fun #Facilitape Tip for us?) on the floor or place three papers labelled “Red,” “Yellow,” and “Green.” 2. Guide the whole group from one space to the next and ask: 🟢 Green – What should we continue doing that’s working well? 🟡 Yellow – What should we pay attention to or approach with caution? 🔴 Red – What should we stop doing that’s not helping? 3. With enough time, you could also have participants pair up for a conversation about each question, then invite them to share their thoughts in the larger group. But, here’s the key: For the best outcome, adjust the questions based on your activity and debriefing purpose. Here are a few more examples: After a new team experience: 🟢 What behaviours helped us work well together? 🔴 What slowed us down? 🟡 What worked… sometimes? Midway through a retreat or training: 🟢 What’s energizing you so far? 🔴 What’s feeling unclear or overwhelming? 🟡 What’s worth revisiting? After a tough discussion: 🟢 What helped you feel heard? 🔴 What felt off or uncomfortable? 🟡 What might be worth exploring more deeply? What I love about it is that it engages the whole group (especially when you incorporate movement from one space to the next), and it provides people with a safe structure to share honest feedback. Also, I often start with green, move to red, and end with yellow. This way, we always start with something positive and don’t finish on a negative note. 👉 What are your favourite debriefing activities and methods? #facilitationtips #icemeltersbook

While my year 11 students were working on their Global Perspectives team project, I noticed a familiar challenge... Some groups weren’t gelling. A few students kept quiet, some complained constantly and others simply didn’t contribute. The energy was off and collaboration was missing. So, I introduced a quick activity: The Game of Zoom. It’s a storytelling challenge where each member gets a picture card and must connect their image to the next person’s to form a coherent story. At first, there was confusion and laughter but soon, something shifted, communication began to flow, eyes lit up and teamwork and leadership emerged naturally. That moment reminded me that before people can work together, they must first connect. Here are other simple team-building ideas that bring people closer: 📍 The Marshmallow Challenge – Teams build the tallest tower using spaghetti, tape and a marshmallow on top. Great for creativity and collaboration. 📍 Human Knot – Everyone stands in a circle, holds hands with two different people, and untangles themselves without letting go. Encourages patience and problem-solving. 📍 Desert Island Scenario – Team members choose five items to survive on a deserted island. Perfect for learning negotiation and decision-making. 📍 Blind Drawing – One person describes an image while the other draws it based on the description. Builds clarity in communication and trust. Team-building isn’t about fun for fun’s sake. It’s about creating psychological safety, where voices are heard, roles are valued and collaboration feels natural. When people feel connected, they don’t just complete the project, they own it together. #ZippysClassroom #MakeTeachingGreat #TeamBuilding #Zoom #Collaboration

Do you need to host an online workshop for distributed team members? I got you covered with 5 tips to make the event value-add! Remote workshops come with their own set of challenges (no surprise, right?!). But with more teams hybrid, remote, or even time zones away, you have to adapt. I have participated in remote workshops, and I’ve led them. I’ve tried new things. I’ve seen (and had) a fair share of successes and failures. I’ve listened. I’ve learned. Here are my tips: 1. Establish Expectations Early Reach out to participants with a clear plan and set expectations for their behavior during the session. When the workshop starts, lay down the ground rules and explain how to use the technology. In a remote workshop, distractions are your enemy. Establish a policy of keeping cameras on during the session. ----------------- 2. Use a Flexible Agenda A well-structured agenda is essential, but remember to include some flexibility. Create flexible sessions — discussions, exercises, or breaks that can be expanded or contracted as needed. This approach allows you to adjust the schedule on the fly without participants noticing, ensuring the workshop stays on track no matter what. ------------------ 3. Provide Clear Instructions Even the best explanations can sometimes be missed or misunderstood. To avoid confusion, put short, clear descriptions of exercises and activities in a shared document or collaboration board. This ensures that everyone knows what’s expected of them, even if they need to reference the instructions later. ------------------ 4. Maximize Participant Involvement A facilitator's role is to draw out the best ideas from participants, not to dominate the conversation. Prioritize practical sessions over lengthy lectures to ensure that participants are actively contributing rather than passively listening. Address people by name, in an inviting way, if they aren’t participating (“Hey [name], I don’t think we’ve heard from you on this yet. Do you have an opinion about [xyz]…”). ------------------ 5. Include Regular Breaks Sitting in front of a screen for hours can be exhausting, so make sure to include regular breaks. A 5-10 minute break every 45-60 minutes is usually enough to give participants a chance to recharge. This helps maintain a sense of connection and keeps energy levels up. Online and remote workshops aren't necessarily better or worse than in-person sessions. The big difference between the two is a matter of logistics. And if done well, remote workshops can be an empowering tool rather than a limiting one. They can make the workshop process better. If you want to learn more practical tips on facilitating effective meetings, sign up for The Digital Butterfly membership waitlist today! 😎

𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘄𝗸𝘄𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗩𝗶𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗸𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗺𝘀 “We’ve all been there — that moment when a breakout room goes quiet…” In the last two weeks, I’ve been on both sides of the screen — as a facilitator for the Youth PALLI Fellowship (DRASA (Dr. Ameyo Stella Adadevoh) Health Trust and Alliance for Sustainable Livestock) and as a participant in Women in Global Health’s CAMS training. Both experiences left me reflecting on one thing: 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘴. We all know the story: - Fifteen minutes are allocated. - By the 10th minute, the group is still figuring out the task. - The activity gets rushed, cut short, or pushed back to plenary. As a facilitator, I prepped four exercises but had to shift two out of breakout rooms because participants hadn’t had enough time to connect and gel as a group. As a participant, I saw the same pattern: hesitant starts, long silences, and leadership left to whoever finally decided to step up. 𝗠𝘆 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲𝗮𝘄𝗮𝘆? Collaboration online doesn’t just “happen” — it needs to be intentionally designed. Here are some practical shifts I’ve found useful: 1. 𝗨𝘀𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗯𝗼𝗮𝗿𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 — introduce groups early with icebreakers so people know each other before the first task. 2. 𝗠𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗶𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆 — keep groups stable across sessions to build trust and rhythm. 3. 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 — suggest assigning or rotating group leadership/rapporteur as part of instruction; so time isn’t wasted deciding who starts. 4. 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗰𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗲𝗱 — give clear, simple prompts and mini time checkpoints. 5. 𝗠𝗶𝘅 𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘀𝗲𝗹𝘆 — not every task belongs in a breakout. Save them for real collaboration. If we want virtual engagement to be meaningful, 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘬𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘳𝘰𝘰𝘮𝘴 𝘮𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦 𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘪𝘨𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘱𝘢𝘤𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯. I’d love to learn from others too — what strategies have helped you make breakout rooms less awkward and more productive? #drbaddiesthoughts  #LifeLongLearner  #VirtualTrainingFacilitation  #DigitalEngagement

For facilitators, team leads, and OD professionals who care about doing it well. During my consulting years, I built and tested a set of #TeamDevelopment activities that were practical, purposeful, and adaptable across teams, industries, and group sizes. This isn’t a collection of gimmicks; it’s 12 activities that are rooted in real dynamics: - Creative problem-solving - Trust and communication - Innovation and alignment - Mapping relationships and shared understanding Each is designed to create movement and conversation that leads to clarity, not confusion. I’ve used these with executive teams, frontline crews, nonprofits, and Fortune 500 groups. If you facilitate or develop teams, this will be useful. It’s yours to use, build on, and make better. Let me know what resonates. #Facilitation #TeamDevelopment #Leadership #OrganizationDevelopment #WorkshopDesign

"Remote team building doesn't work." That's what a CEO told me last week after trying his fifth virtual happy hour that ended in awkward silences and forced conversation. After 5+ years of building and leading distributed teams across 50+ countries, I've discovered why most remote team building fails: It tries to replicate in-office experiences online. This fundamental mistake is why 67% of remote workers report feeling disconnected from their colleagues. But the problem isn't remote work itself. It's that we haven't evolved our approach to building belonging in a borderless world. The belonging paradox in distributed teams: 1. We're more connected than ever technologically 2. Yet feeling more isolated than ever emotionally When you can't share physical space, the conventional wisdom says you can't build deep connection. That conventional wisdom is wrong. Here's what actually works for creating genuine belonging in distributed teams: 1. Create intentional overlap Rather than forcing everyone to attend the same 60-minute social, create multiple smaller touchpoints throughout the week. 15-minute coffee chats, async coordination, or interest-based channels create natural connection points that respect time zones and personal preferences. 2. Build psychological safety before fun Fun activities fall flat when team members don't feel safe to be themselves. Establish regular non-work check-ins where sharing challenges is normalized before expecting people to be vulnerable in team-building activities. 3. Connect through contribution The strongest team bonds form through shared purpose, not shared activities. Create opportunities for cross-functional collaboration where people solve meaningful problems together, which builds deeper connection than any game night. The truth is: that remote team building doesn't fail because it's remote. It fails because we're trying to solve a new challenge with outdated thinking. Real belonging in distributed teams comes from reimagining connections for a borderless world not from desperately trying to recreate the office online. What's the most meaningful connection experience you've had in a remote team? I'd love to hear what's actually working for you. #RemoteWorkCulture #DistributedTeams #BelongingAtWork #BorderlessWork #DigitalNomads

Twenty minutes. One question. Eight team members in a circle. That's all it takes to transform how a team connects. I call it a Connection Circle, and here's how it works: You gather your team and sit them in a circle (this can also be done on Zoom). Once everyone is seated, you ask the team a Connection Question, like "What brings you joy?" But here's the key to making this technique so effective in fostering meaningful relationships. Instead of going around once with everyone sharing briefly before moving on to "more important" things, you carve out at least twenty minutes for just that one Connection Question. You heard that correctly. Twenty minutes for just "What brings you joy?" That means people are going to end up sharing multiple times, and that is incredibly important for fostering collaboration and teamwork. In my experience facilitating Connection Circles hundreds of times across hundreds of workplaces, three consistent outcomes emerge during debriefs: The first outcome is empathy – understanding who people are and what is important to them. Empathy activates people to support and help each other. That's why it's critical for increasing team engagement and problem solving. The second outcome is common humanity – recognizing all the ways in which we are interconnected. When team members see their shared experiences and values, this builds and strengthens trust. The third outcome is prosocial behaviors (things good for relationships) such as smiling, laughter, vulnerability, and listening. In a world where people barely know their coworkers, these twenty minutes (implemented weekly, biweekly or monthly in a team meeting) can be the difference between a person staying and a person leaving. The team at Genesys Works NCR (pictured below) experienced our Connection Circles firsthand during a recent team retreat where they practiced this technique alongside other connection-building exercises. If you are looking for an authentic team building experience, you can learn more about Connection Trainings offered by my nonprofit, Evolving Minds, here: https://lnkd.in/e6xicxXV P.S. Here's our Connection Questions Curriculum: •Seeking Gratitude: What are you grateful for? •Sharing Joy: What brings you joy? •Seeing Goodness: Where do you see goodness in the world? •Sparking Hope: What gives you hope? •Speaking Inspiration: What inspires you? •Standing for Peace: Where do you find peace/what brings you peace? •Striving for Curiosity: What are you curious about? •Spreading Love: Who or what do you love?