{"id":476,"date":"2023-09-21T18:24:57","date_gmt":"2023-09-21T18:24:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/chapter\/introduction-to-video-conferences\/"},"modified":"2025-10-16T03:07:40","modified_gmt":"2025-10-16T03:07:40","slug":"introduction-to-video-conferences","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/chapter\/introduction-to-video-conferences\/","title":{"raw":"Learn It 12.4.1 Building and Maintaining Relationships","rendered":"Learn It 12.4.1 Building and Maintaining Relationships"},"content":{"raw":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Understand how to build trust in virtual teams to create strong work relationships<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Understand how remote teams work together and ways to keep everyone involved and motivated<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Recognize conflict resolution methods that work well for remote and hybrid teams to keep the work atmosphere positive and productive<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Understand strategies for managing work-life balance, preventing burnout, and supporting mental health in remote work settings<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h2>Forming Professional Relationships Remotely<\/h2>\r\n<p>The shift towards remote and hybrid environments has fundamentally transformed how we communicate, collaborate, and maintain relationships within professional settings. This transition presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for individuals and teams striving to foster strong, productive working relationships from a distance.<\/p>\r\n<p>The essence of building and maintaining relationships in a remote or hybrid environment lies not just in adapting to new technologies but also in reimagining the dynamics of trust, engagement, motivation, and conflict resolution outside the traditional office setting. These virtual workspaces demand a higher degree of intentionality in communication and a strong understanding of diverse team dynamics.<\/p>\r\n<h2>Building Trust in a Virtual Environment<\/h2>\r\n<p>Unlike traditional office settings, where trust can be fostered through daily face-to-face interactions, virtual environments require deliberate and thoughtful strategies to cultivate a culture of trust and openness.<\/p>\r\n<h3>Transparency and Open Communication<\/h3>\r\n<p>Having open lines of communication between team members helps to establish trust and keep everyone informed. Some methods to help with this include:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Regular communication routines such as a weekly video team meeting to maintain personal connections and ensure the sharing of information<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Leave time during meetings to exchange personal stories or challenges to mirror the informal exchanges that occur spontaneously in physical offices<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Use collaborative project management tools (e.g. Trello, Monday, Asana) to keep tasks organized and promote transparency in sharing information. This allows team members to see the progress of projects, understand their contributions to the team's goals, and feel more connected to the team's overall success.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\">\r\n<h4>Sunshining at Netflix[footnote]Dahl, Darren. \u201cIf You Work At Netflix, You\u2019re Going To Get Wet,\u201d 11 Nov 2022. https:\/\/www.greatgame.com\/blog\/if-you-work-at-netflix-youre-going-to-get-wet[\/footnote]<\/h4>\r\n<p>At Netflix, employees have access to company financial information that most companies don't share. The company's co-founder, Reed Hastings explained that \"sunshining\" is about transparency. The goal of shining a light on what is normally kept secret was \"to make the employees feel like owners and, in turn, to increase the amount of responsibility they took for the company\u2019s success. However, opening company secrets had another outcome: it made our workforce smarter.\"<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h3>Reliability and Consistency<\/h3>\r\n<p>Reliability and consistency are important to building trust because team members need to know that they can depend on each other to meet expectations and deliver on commitments. Dependability builds mutual respect between team members. To achieve this, it's important to:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li><strong>Setting Clear Expectations:<\/strong> From the outset, establish clear expectations regarding communication norms, project deadlines, and quality of work. This clarity helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that all team members are aligned with the team's objectives.<\/li>\r\n\t<li><strong>Create Accountability Measures:<\/strong> Implement systems of accountability, such as regular check-ins on project progress and peer reviews of work. These practices not only help in maintaining high standards but also reinforce the reliability of team members by showcasing their commitment to the team's success.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\">\r\n<h4>Ohana at Salesforce<\/h4>\r\n<p>\"Ohana\" in Hawaiian is an idea that family members, including both blood relatives and chosen family, are interconnected and accountable for each other. [pb_glossary id=\"2862\"]Salesforce[\/pb_glossary] CEO Marc Benioff learned about the concept in the late 1990s.[footnote]Kohner, Jody. \u201cThe Real Meaning Behind \u2018Salesforce Community.\u2019\u201d <em>Salesforce<\/em>, 6 Feb 2017. https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/blog\/what-is-salesforce-ohana\/[\/footnote] It was important to him that Ohana was a part of Salesforce's company culture.<\/p>\r\n<p>However, when Benioff announced laying off 10% of Salesforce employees in 2023, he rambled to employees for two hours and sent an email to all staff but did not answer employees' specific questions.[footnote]Mollman, Steve. \u201cSalesforce \u2018Ohana\u2019 in Doubt after CEO Marc Benioff Avoids Questions about Layoffs in All-Hands Meeting.\u201d <em>Yahoo! Finance<\/em>, 7 Jan 2023. https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/salesforce-ohana-mantra-questioned-ceo-215923705.html[\/footnote] Employees quickly communicated on an internal Slack messaging channel that their CEO's actions eroded their confidence in the Ohana corporate culture.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<h3>Recognizing Achievements<\/h3>\r\n<p>Recognition is important to building trust because it validates individuals' contributions and efforts. An environment of appreciation and respect strengthens interpersonal bonds and team cohesion. Some ideas for recognizing success are:<\/p>\r\n<ul>\r\n\t<li>Acknowledging individual and team achievements in virtual meetings or through team communication channels. Recognition can be as simple as a shout-out during a meeting or a written commendation in a team newsletter. This acknowledgment can significantly boost morale and reinforce trust in team leadership.<\/li>\r\n\t<li>Celebrating milestones and achievements at special virtual events. Whether it's a project completion or a team member's work anniversary, marking these moments together strengthens team bonds and builds a positive team culture.<\/li>\r\n<\/ul>\r\n<section class=\"textbox example\">\r\n<h4>Cast Compliments at Disney<\/h4>\r\n<p>Disney makes an effort to formally record compliments that cast members (what Disney calls its workers) at its many resorts and theme parks receive. Customers can share their appreciation of individual cast members by email, in person, or using Disney's mobile app.[footnote]Flower, Susan. \u201cShare More Magic with Cast Members with Mobile Cast Compliment at Walt Disney World.\u201d <em>Disney Parks Blog<\/em>, 15 Feb 2022. https:\/\/disneyparks.disney.go.com\/blog\/2022\/02\/spreading-more-magic-with-mobile-cast-compliment-at-walt-disney-world\/[\/footnote] Cast members can see the number of compliments they receive on their work portal and they are taken into consideration for promotions.<\/p>\r\n<\/section>\r\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\">\r\n<p>[ohm2_question]14789[\/ohm2_question]<\/p>\r\n<\/section>","rendered":"<section class=\"textbox learningGoals\">\n<ul>\n<li>Understand how to build trust in virtual teams to create strong work relationships<\/li>\n<li>Understand how remote teams work together and ways to keep everyone involved and motivated<\/li>\n<li>Recognize conflict resolution methods that work well for remote and hybrid teams to keep the work atmosphere positive and productive<\/li>\n<li>Understand strategies for managing work-life balance, preventing burnout, and supporting mental health in remote work settings<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/section>\n<h2>Forming Professional Relationships Remotely<\/h2>\n<p>The shift towards remote and hybrid environments has fundamentally transformed how we communicate, collaborate, and maintain relationships within professional settings. This transition presents a unique set of challenges and opportunities for individuals and teams striving to foster strong, productive working relationships from a distance.<\/p>\n<p>The essence of building and maintaining relationships in a remote or hybrid environment lies not just in adapting to new technologies but also in reimagining the dynamics of trust, engagement, motivation, and conflict resolution outside the traditional office setting. These virtual workspaces demand a higher degree of intentionality in communication and a strong understanding of diverse team dynamics.<\/p>\n<h2>Building Trust in a Virtual Environment<\/h2>\n<p>Unlike traditional office settings, where trust can be fostered through daily face-to-face interactions, virtual environments require deliberate and thoughtful strategies to cultivate a culture of trust and openness.<\/p>\n<h3>Transparency and Open Communication<\/h3>\n<p>Having open lines of communication between team members helps to establish trust and keep everyone informed. Some methods to help with this include:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Regular communication routines such as a weekly video team meeting to maintain personal connections and ensure the sharing of information<\/li>\n<li>Leave time during meetings to exchange personal stories or challenges to mirror the informal exchanges that occur spontaneously in physical offices<\/li>\n<li>Use collaborative project management tools (e.g. Trello, Monday, Asana) to keep tasks organized and promote transparency in sharing information. This allows team members to see the progress of projects, understand their contributions to the team&#8217;s goals, and feel more connected to the team&#8217;s overall success.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"textbox example\">\n<h4>Sunshining at Netflix<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Dahl, Darren. \u201cIf You Work At Netflix, You\u2019re Going To Get Wet,\u201d 11 Nov 2022. https:\/\/www.greatgame.com\/blog\/if-you-work-at-netflix-youre-going-to-get-wet\" id=\"return-footnote-476-1\" href=\"#footnote-476-1\" aria-label=\"Footnote 1\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[1]<\/sup><\/a><\/h4>\n<p>At Netflix, employees have access to company financial information that most companies don&#8217;t share. The company&#8217;s co-founder, Reed Hastings explained that &#8220;sunshining&#8221; is about transparency. The goal of shining a light on what is normally kept secret was &#8220;to make the employees feel like owners and, in turn, to increase the amount of responsibility they took for the company\u2019s success. However, opening company secrets had another outcome: it made our workforce smarter.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<h3>Reliability and Consistency<\/h3>\n<p>Reliability and consistency are important to building trust because team members need to know that they can depend on each other to meet expectations and deliver on commitments. Dependability builds mutual respect between team members. To achieve this, it&#8217;s important to:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Setting Clear Expectations:<\/strong> From the outset, establish clear expectations regarding communication norms, project deadlines, and quality of work. This clarity helps prevent misunderstandings and ensures that all team members are aligned with the team&#8217;s objectives.<\/li>\n<li><strong>Create Accountability Measures:<\/strong> Implement systems of accountability, such as regular check-ins on project progress and peer reviews of work. These practices not only help in maintaining high standards but also reinforce the reliability of team members by showcasing their commitment to the team&#8217;s success.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"textbox example\">\n<h4>Ohana at Salesforce<\/h4>\n<p>&#8220;Ohana&#8221; in Hawaiian is an idea that family members, including both blood relatives and chosen family, are interconnected and accountable for each other. <a class=\"glossary-term\" aria-haspopup=\"dialog\" aria-describedby=\"definition\" href=\"#term_476_2862\">Salesforce<\/a> CEO Marc Benioff learned about the concept in the late 1990s.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Kohner, Jody. \u201cThe Real Meaning Behind \u2018Salesforce Community.\u2019\u201d Salesforce, 6 Feb 2017. https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/blog\/what-is-salesforce-ohana\/\" id=\"return-footnote-476-2\" href=\"#footnote-476-2\" aria-label=\"Footnote 2\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[2]<\/sup><\/a> It was important to him that Ohana was a part of Salesforce&#8217;s company culture.<\/p>\n<p>However, when Benioff announced laying off 10% of Salesforce employees in 2023, he rambled to employees for two hours and sent an email to all staff but did not answer employees&#8217; specific questions.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Mollman, Steve. \u201cSalesforce \u2018Ohana\u2019 in Doubt after CEO Marc Benioff Avoids Questions about Layoffs in All-Hands Meeting.\u201d Yahoo! Finance, 7 Jan 2023. https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/salesforce-ohana-mantra-questioned-ceo-215923705.html\" id=\"return-footnote-476-3\" href=\"#footnote-476-3\" aria-label=\"Footnote 3\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[3]<\/sup><\/a> Employees quickly communicated on an internal Slack messaging channel that their CEO&#8217;s actions eroded their confidence in the Ohana corporate culture.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<h3>Recognizing Achievements<\/h3>\n<p>Recognition is important to building trust because it validates individuals&#8217; contributions and efforts. An environment of appreciation and respect strengthens interpersonal bonds and team cohesion. Some ideas for recognizing success are:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Acknowledging individual and team achievements in virtual meetings or through team communication channels. Recognition can be as simple as a shout-out during a meeting or a written commendation in a team newsletter. This acknowledgment can significantly boost morale and reinforce trust in team leadership.<\/li>\n<li>Celebrating milestones and achievements at special virtual events. Whether it&#8217;s a project completion or a team member&#8217;s work anniversary, marking these moments together strengthens team bonds and builds a positive team culture.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<section class=\"textbox example\">\n<h4>Cast Compliments at Disney<\/h4>\n<p>Disney makes an effort to formally record compliments that cast members (what Disney calls its workers) at its many resorts and theme parks receive. Customers can share their appreciation of individual cast members by email, in person, or using Disney&#8217;s mobile app.<a class=\"footnote\" title=\"Flower, Susan. \u201cShare More Magic with Cast Members with Mobile Cast Compliment at Walt Disney World.\u201d Disney Parks Blog, 15 Feb 2022. https:\/\/disneyparks.disney.go.com\/blog\/2022\/02\/spreading-more-magic-with-mobile-cast-compliment-at-walt-disney-world\/\" id=\"return-footnote-476-4\" href=\"#footnote-476-4\" aria-label=\"Footnote 4\"><sup class=\"footnote\">[4]<\/sup><\/a> Cast members can see the number of compliments they receive on their work portal and they are taken into consideration for promotions.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n<section class=\"textbox tryIt\" aria-label=\"Try It\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" id=\"ohm14789\" class=\"resizable\" src=\"https:\/\/ohm.one.lumenlearning.com\/multiembedq.php?id=14789&theme=lumen&iframe_resize_id=ohm14789&source=tnh&show_question_numbers\" width=\"100%\" height=\"150\"><\/iframe><br \/>\n<\/section>\n<hr class=\"before-footnotes clear\" \/><div class=\"footnotes\"><ol><li id=\"footnote-476-1\">Dahl, Darren. \u201cIf You Work At Netflix, You\u2019re Going To Get Wet,\u201d 11 Nov 2022. https:\/\/www.greatgame.com\/blog\/if-you-work-at-netflix-youre-going-to-get-wet <a href=\"#return-footnote-476-1\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 1\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-476-2\">Kohner, Jody. \u201cThe Real Meaning Behind \u2018Salesforce Community.\u2019\u201d <em>Salesforce<\/em>, 6 Feb 2017. https:\/\/www.salesforce.com\/blog\/what-is-salesforce-ohana\/ <a href=\"#return-footnote-476-2\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 2\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-476-3\">Mollman, Steve. \u201cSalesforce \u2018Ohana\u2019 in Doubt after CEO Marc Benioff Avoids Questions about Layoffs in All-Hands Meeting.\u201d <em>Yahoo! Finance<\/em>, 7 Jan 2023. https:\/\/finance.yahoo.com\/news\/salesforce-ohana-mantra-questioned-ceo-215923705.html <a href=\"#return-footnote-476-3\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 3\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><li id=\"footnote-476-4\">Flower, Susan. \u201cShare More Magic with Cast Members with Mobile Cast Compliment at Walt Disney World.\u201d <em>Disney Parks Blog<\/em>, 15 Feb 2022. https:\/\/disneyparks.disney.go.com\/blog\/2022\/02\/spreading-more-magic-with-mobile-cast-compliment-at-walt-disney-world\/ <a href=\"#return-footnote-476-4\" class=\"return-footnote\" aria-label=\"Return to footnote 4\">&crarr;<\/a><\/li><\/ol><\/div><div class=\"glossary\"><span class=\"screen-reader-text\" id=\"definition\">definition<\/span><template id=\"term_476_2862\"><div class=\"glossary__definition\" role=\"dialog\" data-id=\"term_476_2862\"><div tabindex=\"-1\"><p>Salesforce is a global cloud computing company known primarily for its customer relationship management (CRM) software, which helps businesses connect with their customers, streamline processes, and improve profitability.<\/p>\n<\/div><button><span aria-hidden=\"true\">&times;<\/span><span class=\"screen-reader-text\">Close definition<\/span><\/button><\/div><\/template><\/div>","protected":false},"author":9,"menu_order":20,"template":"","meta":{"_candela_citation":"[{\"type\":\"pd\",\"description\":\"Adapted from material created using ChatGPT\",\"author\":\"Lumen Learning\",\"organization\":\"OpenAI\",\"url\":\"\",\"project\":\"\",\"license\":\"pd\",\"license_terms\":\"\"}]","pb_show_title":"on","pb_short_title":"","pb_subtitle":"","pb_authors":[],"pb_section_license":""},"chapter-type":[],"contributor":[],"license":[],"part":21,"module-header":"learn_it","content_attributions":[{"type":"pd","description":"Adapted from material created using ChatGPT","author":"Lumen Learning","organization":"OpenAI","url":"","project":"","license":"pd","license_terms":""}],"internal_book_links":[],"video_content":null,"cc_video_embed_content":{"cc_scripts":"","media_targets":[]},"try_it_collection":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/476"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/chapter"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"version-history":[{"count":13,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/476\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5153,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/476\/revisions\/5153"}],"part":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/parts\/21"}],"metadata":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapters\/476\/metadata\/"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=476"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"chapter-type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/pressbooks\/v2\/chapter-type?post=476"},{"taxonomy":"contributor","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/contributor?post=476"},{"taxonomy":"license","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/content.one.lumenlearning.com\/businesscommunication\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/license?post=476"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}