7 tips for developing psychological proximity when working remotely or in hybrid mode

You’re sitting in the dental clinic’s waiting room, waiting patiently. In the chair next to yours is a person you’ve never met in your life. You can say that your physical proximity is rather high.

Now imagine the same situation, but the chair next to you is empty and you are instead on the phone with your long-time friend Camille. Suddenly, the wait is shorter as you chat with her about this and that. You might even confess that you’re a little nervous about dental injections…

Yes, this article is about psychological proximity and not about root canal treatments, but we wanted to illustrate the great distinction between physical proximity and psychological proximity.

Being close to a person physically does not necessarily mean being close to that same person psychologically. In the same way that being far from a person physically does not necessarily translate into being far from that same person psychologically.

In a team that works remotely, it is important that everyone puts in a little bit of effort to feel close to their colleagues. We are passionate about this subject because it is so very important!

In this article, we present seven simple tips to boost (or maintain) a strong sense of psychological proximity within your remote or hybrid team. But first, let’s take a look at the significance of this precious feeling.

Why psychological proximity matters at work

Have you ever heard of social affiliation? Along with autonomy and competence, this is one of the three basic needs that must be met to feel wellbeing and engaged in our work.

Social affiliation refers directly to psychological proximity as it is based on feeling connected to and supported by others.

More specifically, in a work context, the feeling of psychological proximity consists of feeling comfortable expressing yourself, sharing, and collaborating with your colleagues.

Maintaining this closeness in remote or hybrid work is certainly a challenge, but one that is well worth the effort since teams with a high sense of proximity are happier and more engaged.

So how do you overcome the feeling of isolation that remote or hybrid work creates, and build, or maintain healthy and satisfying relationships? Here are seven tips to help you!

Tip 1: Hold regular one-on-one meetings

Even if you are used to participating in team meetings, planning one-on-one meetings with your colleagues serves a completely different purpose. You can take the time to ask each other about your respective needs and challenges at work, but also to share your personal joys and/or concerns.

This tip is especially useful if you (or your colleagues) are by nature more reserved during team meetings.

Tip 2: In videoconferencing, turn cameras on to capture non-verbal cues

Reading a message without being able to associate it with a tone of voice or facial expression can be quite a challenge! Sure, emojis can help clarify intent, but there’s nothing like being able to rely on the non-verbal cues of the person you’re interacting with to get it right.

If you are all working remotely, or if some of your colleagues or collaborators are, turning on the camera during meetings will enhance communication and the feeling of proximity.

Tip 3: Establish the frequency, means, and timing of communications in advance

A work team is made up of many completely different people, but they must learn to collaborate in an optimal way. A simple chart clarifying the norms of interaction can be very helpful in this regard.

Tip 4: Communicate more frequently to encourage informal discussions

In this particular situation, too much is better than too little! To replace the impromptu discussions that occur in the office on the way to the bathroom, around the coffee machine, or in the parking lot on the way out, invite your team to communicate more frequently to create more opportunities for informal discussion.

Tip 5: Plan for “off-topic” moments

Your dog chased a duck this weekend and you had to dive into the lake to get it? Your team definitely wants to know! Setting aside time to chat at the beginning or end of team meetings is the most effective way to plan for these “off-topic” moments.

And for those of you who believe that these informal exchanges are detrimental to productivity, think again! It seems that giving our brains a little mental break between two tasks will help them get back to work.

Tip 6: Choose the right communication channel according to your intent

Have you ever asked someone “Can I call you? It would be more efficient if we talked.” If so, you already understand the basis of this tip.

Each message, depending on its complexity and sensitivity, requires a different communication channel. Be vigilant and ask yourself if you have chosen the best one.

Tip 7: Implement rituals that reinforce a sense of belonging

Last but not least! This one can be anything from sending a funny GIF on Slack every morning, to making a list of the week’s big accomplishments at the end of the day on Fridays.

With a little digging, you’re sure to find plenty of ideas to implement in your organization!

So, do you feel inspired and ready to boost psychological proximity within your team?

These few tips are a great start, but as you can imagine, creating and sustaining such a feeling within mixed work teams is certainly a challenge… Unless you have the right tools!

To help as many teams as possible be happy and engaged, we have developed several autonomous learning solutions, two of which focus on psychological proximity.

Our ready-to-train kit is simple to use, offers a multitude of tangible and actionable tips that can be applied right away, and can be used by a single work team or the entire organization.

And for those who want an even more comprehensive learning experience, our interactive path on psychological proximity, including the ready-to-train kit, engaging workshops, and transformative team challenges, will exceed your expectations.

Let’s get to work! It is now time to transform your waiting room into a hub of interaction.