SMPS Oregon Education Committee Event Recap

Connecting Teams: Communication and Management in Decentralized Workplaces

Thank you to those who joined SMPS Oregon for our virtual panel discussion focused on enhancing internal communication within decentralized and hybrid teams. This event was designed for marketers managing multi-office operations or participating in dispersed teams. Panelists offered essential strategies to improve communication, foster inclusivity, and cultivate high-performing teams while promoting trust and accountability across various locations.

Panelists provided practical insights drawn from their diverse experiences in leadership and communication strategies within decentralized environments. Before we dive into what we learned, let’s meet the panelists!

How to Engage Remote Teams

Lisa Heath from Coffman Engineering emphasized the importance of intentional communication to keep remote teams engaged. Her team, spread across multiple time zones from Anchorage to San Diego, connects weekly. Because the team does not have face time in office, these calls don’t just prioritize work—they’re an opportunity to connect on a personal level. “If it takes 20 minutes of our meeting to chat about life, then we build that in,” Lisa shared.

In addition to weekly check-ins, Lisa highlighted the value of team-building through in-person events, such as Coffman’s annual marketing summit. These moments foster deeper connections, ensuring that remote and in-office staff feel equally part of the team.

Leah Alissa Bayer from Architects FORA echoed the need for intentionality. Her firm combines work and fun in weekly meetings, bi-weekly one-on-ones, and virtual games. Each team member gets the chance to lead cultural activities, ensuring everyone’s voice is heard and valued. “When you create a safe space, people can show up as themselves,” Leah explained.

Leah’s team hosts a “hot tips” Slack channel and features lessons learned, ensuring continuous learning and collaboration.

Tools for engaging a remote team:

How to Create a Culture of Trust

Trust begins with clear expectations and a focus on outcomes. Lisa Heath emphasized that in a deadline-driven industry, trust allows people the freedom to excel. If issues arise, addressing them early is critical. Lisa gave the example that if a deadline is missed or there is no visible progress, she asks her team what the barriers are for them getting it done before it becomes a pattern. “When you give people trust and freedom, most people rise to the challenge.”

Leah Bayer believes in giving everyone full trust from the beginning, treating them as professionals who can manage their own work and schedules. It is leadership’s responsibility to set clear expectations of what needs to be completed. If something slips, then address it quickly and catch it before it is an issue. If things continue to slip, then perhaps a virtual setup won’t work for that person. However expectations will continue to drive feedback as quickly and responsibly as possible.

Audrey Alverson from the Boldwork Collaborative shared insights into creating a culture where team members feel safe to communicate their needs. She highlighted the importance of understanding individual circumstances, such as the needs of neurodivergent team members and providing flexibility to support their success. Audrey summed it up succinctly: “Focus on whether the work is getting done well, not how often the bubble is green.”

How to Retain Remote Team Members

Retention in decentralized workplaces hinges on fostering a supportive and inclusive environment. Lisa acknowledges that on a team where some employees are in the office and some are fully remote, there are different levels of requests. Lisa suggests that clearly defining roles of ownership for each team member creates a level of accountability so that when someone is asked to do something outside their wheelhouse, they know who to point the request to rather than taking it on. When in doubt, communicate to the entire team when asked to accomplish a project, so the work can be dispersed appropriately.

Leah’s team operates on a “work from anywhere, work anytime” philosophy, which accommodates different working styles and personal lives. Aside from mandatory weekly all-staff meetings, their team can create their own schedules. The panel discussed the freedom that flexible work schedules provide parents, and people living abroad, and how it empowers people to reflect their priorities in their daily lives. Quarterly productivity check-ins and opportunities for team-led fun ensure that her team feels engaged and valued.

Audrey advised creating frameworks that support individual success, recognizing that one-size-fits-all approaches don’t work. She noted that retention improves when people feel understood and supported in their unique needs.

Takeaways

This panel highlighted the importance of communication, trust, and intentional culture in managing remote teams. Whether through structured meetings, collaborative tools, or team-building activities, successful leaders prioritize engagement and inclusivity to keep their teams thriving.