Focused communication refers to the extent to which communication regarding tasks, time or responsibilities of team members, is timely, accurate and results oriented. When focused communication cannot be taken for granted, it creates a major challenge for team communication.

Focused communication, together with knowledge sharing and spontaneous communication, can result in beneficial outcomes for your team and organization, especially when work is highly interdependent, uncertain and time constrained.

• Make sure information and knowledge is exchanged in time.
• Make sure communication is precise and exact, especially if face-to-face contact is rare in your team or If team members depend on each other for execution of their tasks;
• Communicate result oriented.
• Make sure information has been understood accurately by all team members;
• Foster mutual respect between the team members.

Knowledge sharing refers to the extent to which experience, knowledge, and relevant information necessary for team’s work tasks are proactively exchanged within the team. Knowledge sharing is seen as an important indicator for building high quality relationships in teams and for smooth teamwork.

Teams that share knowledge successfully have less need for planning, better cooperation, fewer conflicts and misunderstandings, and lower confusion.

• Emphasize a culture in which members keep each other posted;
• Build an open environment where informal and free-flowing cooperative exchanges among team members are possible;
• Foster rewards for sharing information and expertise;
• Develop ways by which expertise is applied in a timely manner;
• Foster joint problem solving among team members;
• Make sure that team members who possess special knowledge or expertise about how to perform the team task, freely share these with other members.

Spontaneous communication refers to unplanned, informal interactions that spontaneously take place when meeting colleagues unexpectedly, for example at the coffee corner or in the hallway. Spontaneous communication facilitates the creation of shared context and decreases the probability of misunderstandings and conflicts in the team.

Lack of spontaneous communication increases the probability of misunderstandings and conflicts in the team and can hinder interpersonal bonds. This is especially highlighted in distributed teams or teams that do not have much face-to-face time.

• allow team members to get to know each other better and share information, including information about one’s own interests;
• allow team members to learn informally about what others are doing, and in that way ease conflicts and resolve issues before they escalate;
• foster discussing things spontaneously and on a short notice;
• participate in spontaneous conversations yourself.

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Shared mental models refers to the common knowledge that team members have about the availability and use of remote work and how they need to interact for accomplishing their tasks. Research has shown that shared mental models improve team coordination and performance, because they allow team members to predict issues and more quickly decide upon an appropriate course of action.

Here are some suggestions what you, as a team leader, can do:

• Encourage your team members to talk with their fellow team members about their private needs (e.g., need to pick up child at 4 pm every day)
• Foster exchange between your team members about what is essential/helpful to complete their tasks (e.g., which communication media for which purpose; when are they all in the office)
• Encourage your team members to clarify when they are not working (e.g. in signature add “only working from Mondays to Thursdays”)
• Define must haves and nice to haves with regard to availability (outside the office) with your fellow team members

Team trust represents shared generalized perceptions of trust that team members have in their fellow teammates. Team members who trust each other are more likely to engage in productive interactions and teamwork processes that improve team performance.

Low team trust can be harmful for team cohesion and performance, and can lead to more misunderstandings and conflicts in team.

• actively engage in managing interpersonal relationships and fostering trust among team members;
• manage team members’ perceptions of threat;
• initiate trust-building activities where needed;
• create a safe atmosphere in which team members feel comfortable talking about their own or others’ performance problems, without fear of being seen as incompetent;
• openly discussing errors and views about performance problems.

Team cohesion refers to the overall shared attraction or bond, as well as a sense of pride amongst members of the team. Team cohesion is an indicator of positive interpersonal dynamics within the team.

Teams with similar scores on cohesion:

• have team members who trust each other and have positive expectations about others’ knowledge and skills;
• have harmonious teamwork;
• no one tries to push themselves forward at the expense of others;
• there is no competition between team members;
• have team members who help each other if somebody is under time pressure;
• team members feel understood and accepted among each other;
• have team leaders who are person oriented and convey interest, openness, and friendliness toward others.

Team engagement is the extent that your team feels strongly involved and fully concentrated in their work as well as willing to invest effort and persist regardless of the difficulties. Work engaged teams tend to be energetic and enthusiastic about their work, and experience a sense of meaning and security at work.

Team performance refers to the degree to which team members meet the expectations and requirements of their roles, cope with and respond to, changes that affect their roles as members of a team and engage in proactive, future-directed behaviors.

Collective efficacy refers to your teams’ beliefs about their capability to perform tasks successfully. It influences the levels of team well-being and performance and acts as an important buffer against job demands and stress. It is influenced by interdependent team processes, among which team interactions, information exchange and communication play a key role.