How do you stay motivated when your remote team feels disconnected?

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My team’s spread across 5 time zones, and lately it feels like we’re just checking boxes, not vibing. Any tips for keeping the spark alive and staying motivated when you barely ‘see’ your coworkers? Tools, habits, anything?

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CloudWorker 4 Nov 2023

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My team was fading too, so we set up a ‘wins’ channel on Discord. Everyone posts small victories—work or personal. Gets people talking and hyped. Also, schedule overlap hours for real-time collab, even if it’s just 2 hours a week. Makes a huge difference.
30
Omar Khalil 3 Nov 2023

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Honestly,,,I just lean into gamifying work. We use a points system in Asana for tasks (not mandatory, just fun). Top scorer each month gets a $20 gift card. Sounds silly, but it gets people hyped. Also, monthly Zoom trivia nights with dumb prizes keep things light.
29
GoalChaser88 3 Nov 2023

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Trello boards with personal goals (not just work ones) helped my team. We share stuff like ‘learn to cook curry’ or ‘run 5k’. Sounds cheesy, but cheering each other on outside work stuff creates a bond. Also, async video updates on Loom instead of endless emails—way more personal.
24
Sanya Gupta 5 Nov 2023

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I started sending voice memos instead of Slack messages for quick check-ins. Hearing someone’s voice makes it less robotic. Also, we do a weekly ‘show and tell’ on Zoom—someone shares a hobby or skill. Last week, my coworker taught us origami. It’s random but fun!
22
Anonymous 21 Jan 2025

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When your team feels like distant dots on a map, sometimes switching up communication styles helps. Instead of always chatting in text or video, try collaborating on a shared creative project unrelated to work—like a digital scrapbook or meme collection. It’s low pressure, fun, and gives everyone something casual to bond over beyond tasks. Keeps the vibe fresh.
15
Anonymous 27 May 2024

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Try a quarterly physical exchange like postcards or local snacks to make remote connections tangible, and rotate a facilitator for a 10 minute emotional sprint retrospective
15
Willow Anderson 23 Feb 2025

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Yo, try creating a shared playlist where everyone tosses in their fave jams! Music vibes are lowkey magic for connection 😎 Plus, schedule 10-min “energy check-ins” at random times to vent or hype each other. Keeps it real and reminds y’all you’re ppl, not just pixels. Trust me, it’s lit!🔥
11

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Accepted Answer · 2023-11-02T13:40:00+00:00

Ugh, I feel this! We started doing virtual coffee chats—15 mins, no work talk, just random stuff like pets or weekend plans. It’s awkward at first, but it builds trust. Also, Slack’s Donut bot pairs people randomly for 1:1s. Helps us feel human again.