Cultivating trust within teams is crucial in today’s dynamic work landscape, characterized by blended and virtual workforces. Renowned violinist Isaac Stern once likened music to what happens between the notes. Similarly, in an organization, trust is the essence of what transpires between the scheduled meetings. The casual conversations in the corridors, the impromptu exchanges over coffee, and the camaraderie developed during lunch breaks. These seemingly trivial interactions collectively lay the foundation for cohesion, trust, and robust relationships within the team. However, in virtual settings, where face-to-face encounters are limited, fostering such connections requires deliberate effort and innovative strategies.
Trust Is What Happens Between the Meetings
When we think about how trust is built in traditional office environments, it’s not the meetings that typically create the bond. Instead, the unspoken, unscheduled moments provide the foundation for trust. These encounters happen when people aren’t consciously trying to make a connection—when they bump into each other in the hallway, exchange a few words in the elevator, or chat while waiting for coffee. These “in-between” moments build rapport and, over time, establish a sense of reliability and understanding between team members. When people engage informally, they’re more likely to open up about personal experiences, ideas, and feelings, which creates a human connection.
Trust forms in those spaces of spontaneity. These interactions allow employees to see each other as multi-dimensional individuals rather than just colleagues. They reveal that we are not defined solely by our roles at work but by our broader life experiences. In a conventional office setting, people often forge relationships by discussing their families, the challenges they face in their personal lives, or offering support for something unrelated to work. This connection deepens as trust is built through these informal exchanges.
In remote work environments, however, the absence of these organic moments creates a significant challenge. There are no chance encounters in the hallway, casual chats over lunch, or informal conversations before or after meetings. The only interactions that take place are in scheduled settings, typically within the framework of a meeting. These interactions tend to be transactional—focused on the specific agenda, problem-solving, or decision-making. As a result, the opportunity to establish trust diminishes. Without these “between the meetings” moments, team members may feel isolated, disconnected, or unaware of each other’s personal experiences. As a result, the lack of informal interaction can stifle creativity, decrease collaboration, and lead to miscommunication.
Thus, remote teams face the difficult task of artificially recreating those informal, relationship-building moments naturally occurring in a traditional setting. The challenge lies in ensuring that team members perform their tasks effectively and maintaining the human connection that is critical to fostering trust and cohesion in a remote environment.
Artificially Creating Connections in Virtual Teams
Since remote teams lack spontaneous interactions in physical office spaces, there needs to be a concerted effort to facilitate these moments. One of the most effective ways to do this is through what Simon Sinek describes as weekly huddles. These 30- to 45-minute sessions allow teams to gather virtually and share personal stories, discuss challenges, or connect as human beings. Importantly, these huddles are not about business. They’re not designed to tackle work-related issues or solve complex problems. Instead, they provide a space where team members can be vulnerable, open, and themselves. This type of informal interaction is essential for building relationships, particularly in virtual settings where colleagues may not have the opportunity to interact casually.
In these huddles, the conversation may touch on a wide range of topics—from sharing what someone did over the weekend to discussing a favorite book or hobby to exploring challenges outside of work. These discussions allow people to understand each other better, making them more empathetic and more likely to collaborate effectively. The beauty of this approach is that it removes the pressure of productivity or goal-setting. The objective is purely relational, fostering trust because individuals begin to see each other as real people with lives outside of the workplace. When employees feel like they truly know and trust their colleagues, the overall collaboration within the team improves.
Furthermore, breaking the larger group into smaller breakout rooms during these huddles can help facilitate even more meaningful conversations. Smaller groups allow for more intimate interactions and provide a sense of privacy, which can encourage team members to open up and share more. In these spaces, the connections are often more personal and authentic, strengthening the foundation of trust. The deeper the relationships within a team, the easier for members to work together towards shared goals, knowing they have the support of people they trust.
Virtual social events are another excellent method to foster connection. Whether it’s a virtual coffee break, an online game, or a casual “happy hour,” these events encourage employees to engage with one another on a personal level. These activities create opportunities for team members to bond outside of work tasks, and the more teams connect in informal settings, the easier it is to build rapport and trust.
The Power of Annual Offsites and Hackathons
While regular virtual check-ins and huddles are essential, Simon Sinek believes that there is no substitute for the power of in-person interactions. In a remote team, the lack of physical presence can make it more challenging to nurture deep relationships, so teams must try to come together in person at least once a year. Annual offsites are an excellent way to achieve this. These offsites take team members out of their regular work environment and provide a fresh setting where they can reconnect and build trust in ways that are difficult to replicate virtually.
The offsite is not about achieving business goals or tackling productivity challenges. Instead, it’s about creating space for personal connection and team bonding. It’s a chance for people to get to know each other better, share stories, and engage in conversations that transcend work-related tasks. These moments help build a stronger sense of unity within the team and create the sense of belonging that is important for building trust.
Moreover, an offsite can involve various activities—group dinners, outdoor team-building exercises, or even workshops—that foster collaboration, creativity, and open communication. The informal setting of an offsite allows for more candid conversations and often leads to deeper insights about colleagues. When people spend time together in a relaxed, informal environment, they are more likely to build the kind of bonds that transcend the constraints of virtual meetings.
Another strategy that Simon Sinek advocates for is the use of hackathons. Hackathons bring together small groups of team members to solve a specific problem in a focused, intense environment. Unlike regular work meetings, hackathons allow people to collaborate intensely on a single issue, generating ideas and solutions that might not surface during everyday interactions. What makes hackathons particularly effective is the opportunity to engage in creative problem-solving under pressure, often leading to breakthroughs that would be difficult to achieve in a routine setting.
Hackathons also encourage cross-team collaboration and innovation. By bringing together individuals from different departments or teams, hackathons provide an opportunity to generate new ideas and fresh perspectives. Sinek also recommends inviting someone from outside the team to join the hackathon, as this can introduce an entirely new viewpoint and push the team to think differently. These external perspectives can spark creativity, challenge existing assumptions, and help the team approach problems from new angles.
At their core, offsites and hackathons help teams collaborate more effectively and build stronger interpersonal relationships. These shared experiences forge deeper connections and allow team members to see each other in a new light, strengthening their trust and making it easier to work together toward common goals.
Discipline and Consistency in Building Trust
Building trust is not a one-time event or a quick fix. It’s a process that requires consistency, intention, and discipline. Simon Sinek emphasizes that trust doesn’t happen by chance; it must be intentionally cultivated over time. Remote teams must commit to regular practices that foster connection and trust. The weekly huddles, offsites, and hackathons are all excellent ways to build trust, but the key is to do these things consistently, year after year.
It is crucial to maintain regular check-ins, organize social events, and prioritize face-to-face interactions—whether in person or virtually. Without consistency, trust can erode quickly, especially in remote teams where physical separation makes it easy for employees to feel disconnected. Leaders must ensure these practices become part of the organizational culture and are upheld even when other priorities demand attention.
In addition, trust is also nurtured by being transparent, reliable, and accountable. Leaders must model these behaviors and encourage others to do the same. Transparency ensures team members are aligned and informed, while reliability reinforces the sense that colleagues can depend on one another. Individual and collective accountability further strengthens trust by ensuring that everyone is working toward the same goals and taking responsibility for their actions.
Ultimately, building trust in remote teams requires constant effort. It is not enough to simply host a one-time event or occasional meeting and expect relationships to form. The ongoing, consistent efforts ensure trust is maintained and relationships continue to deepen over time. By embedding trust-building activities into the team’s routine and culture, organizations can foster a strong, resilient, collaborative team capable of succeeding in a remote work environment.
Conclusion
Building trust in remote teams is not a one-off task but a continuous, deliberate effort that requires consistency and intentionality. In a virtual setting, where casual interactions and spontaneous conversations are limited, it is essential to create structured opportunities for team members to connect and engage personally.
By implementing regular huddles, organizing annual offsites, and encouraging collaborative events like hackathons, teams can foster stronger relationships and a deeper sense of trust. However, maintaining these efforts with discipline and commitment is the key to long-term success.
When trust is consistently nurtured, teams can thrive, innovate, and work together more effectively, even across distances. Through thoughtful actions and a culture of connection, remote teams can achieve the cohesion and collaboration necessary for success in today’s digital world.