The hardest part of remote work is how a larger percentage of communication is non verbal. You’ll do great if your team dynamics assumes that interactions are grounded in benevolence, even when the times are though, and the pressure is high. 1/N

Exchanges that would be clear or self correcting when in person, can easily be taken the wrong way. Without deliberately structuring communication based on benevolence, You can get roasted for showing enthusiasm, or for showing appreciation. 2/N

You may say “I do care about this” and people may read “no one else cares about this but me”.
You may say, “thanks to these folks in this group for the work today”, the others may read “I am displeased of folks who worked on it yesterday”. 3/N

You may say “this new tech is exactly what we need!” Other may read “who worked on previous gen tech of the tech are nobodies”.
4/N

But if you and your whole group assume benevolence, there is little chance to harm the team morale.

You don’t need to overthink. You can be joyful and spontaneous, and oven when somebody writes something that reads strange. Give them the benefit of the doubt. 5/N

And if you are on the edge about some message that make you feel negative, go and ask: “this isn’t what you meant, right?”. Good chance is they didn’t. Value these small closer interactions! They will actually strengthen a team, bringing it closer together and personal. 6/6