Building Stronger Teams: Purposeful Connection in a Remote World

How do you maintain a cohesive, supportive team when the office is now spread across dozens of different locations? In this episode, Carolyn Woodard sits down with Saba Gebru, Vice President of Support Services at Community IT, to discuss the intentional work required to foster teamwork in a remote and hybrid environment.

Saba shares how Community IT transitioned through the pandemic and emerged with a deeper understanding of why social connection isn't just extra—it’s essential for better service delivery. 

When technicians feel supported and connected to one another, our clients benefit from the collective knowledge of the entire firm, not just a single individual. We also discuss how to keep team building from feeling mandatory by aligning activities with mission-driven values, such as local volunteerism and servant leadership.

Featured Resources

• Community IT Values: Our Story | Read More Learn more about the core values that guide our team—including balance and transparency—and how these principles help us better serve the nonprofit community.
• Guide: Managing Remote Teams for Nonprofits | View Article For managers looking to refine their remote operations, this guide offers practical tips on the tools and cultural shifts necessary to keep a distributed workforce engaged and secure.
• Case Study: 100% Remote Work Implementation with Microsoft Cloud | Read the Case Study Transitioning to a fully remote model requires more than just a change in mindset; it requires a robust technical foundation. This case study follows a large nonprofit as they navigated a rapid shift to 100% remote work. By leveraging Microsoft Cloud tools the organization was able to deploy hardware and support staff across the country without ever needing to meet in person, proving that with the right roadmap, technology can bridge the gap between physical distance and mission-critical collaboration.

Next Step for Your Organization

Building a strong team culture is an ongoing process, especially in the remote era. If you haven't recently checked in with your staff about what they need to feel connected, consider making it a priority in your next departmental meeting. Start the conversation by asking for feedback on what types of optional social or volunteer activities might resonate with their values.

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Start a conversation :)

• Register to attend a webinar in real time, and find all past transcripts at https://communityit.com/webinars/
• email Carolyn at [email protected]
• on LinkedIn

Thanks for listening.