We have teams of people across several clients and location. Each team is embedded at the client site and fully focused on project work. Typically each person is engaged at the client level but may or may not feel connected to our company.
There are several articles for telecommuting workers and only a handful around distributed teams and engagement that I have found. The articles talk about:
- Virtual gatherings on a regular basis
- Open ended questions allowing employees to discuss around work
- Social communication channels for “water cooler” talk
- Connecting with the company mission and goals
- Ensure that employees feel that they are appreciated
- Reciprocate the time and effort people put in for the company with demonstrated results, actions, and changes as issues are discussed
- Provide a place to share stories and learnings between teams