How To Build Trust Among Remote Teammates: 20 Exercises For Managers
- Matei Dumitru
- Apr 3
- 6 min read
Trust is the foundation of every high-performing team, but in remote and hybrid environments, it can be harder to build and maintain. Without daily in-person interactions, misunderstandings, miscommunication and a lack of connection can erode confidence between colleagues, which ultimately impacts collaboration and productivity.
Leaders of dispersed teams must intentionally foster inter-team trust, creating opportunities for teammates to be transparent and vulnerable in sharing their experiences. Here, 20 Forbes Coaches Council members share effective exercises leaders do with remote and/or hybrid teams to strengthen trust among team members, improve cohesion and elevate performance.
1. Create A ‘Working With Me’ Document
One effective exercise for building trust in remote or hybrid teams is a “Working With Me” document. Invite each member, including the leaders, to share their strengths, opportunity areas and preferred work. The team shares the documents to foster empathy and connection. The team builds psychological safety by creating space for open sharing, which is essential for trust. - Dr. Jennifer Bryant, Reaching From Within, An Empowerment Journey LLC
2. Explore Their Enneagram Types
Team members usually have various Enneagram types. So I recommend a short mindfulness practice that acknowledges the unique strengths of each Enneagram type and the value each type brings to teamwork. Include a reflective meditation of gratitude containing supportive affirmations for each Enneatype, which enhances understanding, acceptance and trust between team members. - Gia Tskhovrebadze, GT Coaching International
3. Foster Connection By Organizing Activities
Foster connection. Organize a series of activities where colleagues can get to know each other as people. Remember to explain the trust equation, where credibility plus reliability plus intimacy (how safe we feel entrusting someone) gets divided by how self-oriented they appear to be. Are they out for themselves or for a greater good? Work with the team to build the top part of the equation and reduce the bottom. - Michele Cohen, Lead to Growth Coaching
4. Encourage People To Show The Personality Behind The Title
When team members don’t trust each other, it’s important to remember that trust is a complex phenomenon with different levels—from interpersonal trust to trust in each other’s skills and competencies to emotional trust and, ultimately, team synergy. To build trust in a hybrid team, leaders need to start from the ground up and ensure that people get to know the personality behind the title and role. - Daria Rudnik, Daria Rudnik Coaching & Consulting
5. Use The ‘Into-Me-See’ Exercise
I would have them do an exercise called “Into-Me-See.” It is designed to see in others what you cannot see in yourself. It involves making eye contact and directly sharing with others what you see “in them,” but ultimately demonstrates that what you see as a flaw in them is also inside of you. Then when you notice this and clean it up within yourself, your trust issues with “others” actually dissolve. - Darla Beam, Darla Beam Leadership & Coaching
6. Establish A Recurring Opportunity To Connect
As we know, trust is the bedrock of any successful team. Leaders who desire to help members build more trust with one another can cultivate trust by consistently bringing the team together. Meeting on the same date each month fosters their connection with their leader and other members. Having an agenda that includes the language “ice breaker” and “share and receive” welcomes feedback without resistance. - Kurline J Altes, CWDP, KURLINEJSPEAKS LLC
7. Do A ‘Vulnerability Share’ Exercise
In a “vulnerability share” exercise, each team member shares something personal (but not overly private) about themselves with the group—something that others might not know about them. It could be a personal challenge they’ve faced, a story about an early career setback or even something they’re currently working on improving in their personal life. - Gamze Acar Bayraktaroglu, Motiva International
8. Host A DISC-Based Communication Workshop
When team members understand how others communicate, trust begins. A DISC-based communication workshop helps members identify their DISC profiles and share their preferred ways of receiving feedback and collaborating. This reduces misunderstandings, enhances empathy and fosters authentic connections, empowering the team to build stronger bonds rooted in mutual understanding. - Diana Lowe, Blue Light Leadership
9. Differentiate Between Execution Trust And Relationship Trust
There are two kinds of trust: execution and relationship. Start with execution trust and identify what each person needs from others on the team to be successful. Agree on the best approaches for surfacing problems, solving problems, making decisions and coordinating effectively. Document agreements and set up a regular review so that people experience keeping agreements. Trust naturally goes up. - Mark Samuel, IMPAQ Corporation
10. Introduce ‘Skill Sharing Spotlights’ For Mutual Learning
Try “Skill Sharing Spotlights.” Each week, one team member hosts a 15-minute virtual session teaching others something they’re good at (could be a work skill, hobby or life hack). This naturally reveals peoples’ authentic selves, creates mutual appreciation and builds trust through shared learning. Plus, it’s engaging for remote teams. - Anna Boltenko, RE.SET Coaching and Mentoring
11. Create ‘Momentum Missions’ To Strengthen Collaboration
“Momentum Missions” are powerful opportunities for team members to collaborate on meaningful goals that propel the team forward. Leaders define the mission, spotlight each person’s strengths and show why their partnership is essential. By tackling big goals together, teams learn to appreciate each other’s contributions and strengthen trust along the way. - Justin Patton, The Trust Architect Group
12. Encourage Non-Work-Related Storytelling
To build trust in remote or hybrid teams, leaders can organize a meetup where each member shares a personal story or unique non-work-related fact. This simple yet powerful exercise fosters vulnerability, humanizes colleagues and strengthens bonds by enabling team members to connect beyond their professional roles, creating the foundation for authentic trust and collaboration. - Maryam Daryabegi, Innovation Bazar
13. Lead By Example With Personal Vulnerability
Trust is built on vulnerability. Bring your team together for a session where each person shares a personal challenge they’ve overcome and what they learned. Lead by example—share your story first. Vulnerability invites connection, fosters empathy and creates safety, turning individual contributors into a team that trusts, supports and inspires one another to grow and thrive together. - Ashley B. Stewart, The Corvian Group
14. Practice Team Gratitude And Appreciation Sharing
During a staff team meeting, we go around the room to say one thing we appreciate about each person and one thing we’ve learned from each person. Trust is built and earned over time, and sometimes the day-to-day stresses can affect the team if we’re only moving toward a goal individually and not reconvening as a team. I focus on the human element of working together, not just being task-focused. - Miriam Simon, Mi Sí Coaching and Consulting LLC
15. Use Virtual Team-Building Activities To Encourage Bonding
One effective exercise a leader can implement is organizing virtual team-building activities. These activities can range from virtual coffee breaks to online games, allowing team members to interact in a relaxed setting. Such informal interactions help bridge the gap created by physical distance, enabling team members to understand each other’s personalities and work styles better. - Veronica Angela, CONQUER EDGE, LLC
16. Facilitate A Virtual Post-It Reflection Session
The virtual Post-It exercise is great for capturing thoughts. Set it up as a venting session where people get to say what’s on their mind—the good, the bad and the ugly. Then, ask the group to categorize the impact using a 2x2 grid. Then, ask them to socialize around the high-impact Post-Its for context and, if appropriate, provide specific examples. This sharing builds empathy and breaks down barriers. - Ricky Muddimer, Thinking Focus
17. Host A ‘Wins And Lessons’ Weekly Check-In
I like the virtual “Wins and Lessons” meeting. Each week, team members share one win and one lesson learned, fostering transparency, vulnerability and mutual support. This practice normalizes setbacks as growth opportunities and helps build trust by creating a safe space for open dialogue and shared experiences. - Leisse Wilcox, Leisse Wilcox Consulting Inc
18. Host A Weekly ‘Story Sprint’ To Normalize Setbacks
Launch a weekly “Story Sprint”—a 15-minute virtual session where one team member shares a professional setback that taught them something valuable. Start with yourself. For example, I shared how a failed product launch taught me to challenge my assumptions. By modeling vulnerability, you create psychological safety that transforms mistakes from threats into bridges. This exercise helped our team collaboration increase by 40%. - Nirmal Chhabria
19. Build Small ‘Power Teams’ For Specific Challenges
From my experience with remote teams, the most effective approach is fostering collaboration through small “Power Teams.” Create small groups to tackle specific challenges, stepping in only when needed and then stepping back. This approach encourages adaptability, trust and teamwork, empowering members to rely on one another and build confidence without micromanagement. - Kiran Mann, M2M Business Solutions Inc.
20. Organize ‘Trust Talks’
Organize “Trust Talks”—a series of structured one-on-one virtual conversations where team members answer non-work-related prompts like, “What’s a personal challenge you’ve overcome?” or, “What inspires you outside of work?” This humanizes colleagues and fosters emotional trust. Trust grows when people connect beyond roles, seeing each other as relatable and dependable individuals. - Carlos Hoyos, Elite Leader Institute
