Team Member In Field Feels Disconnected From Team

We have a team member that is not in the office every day and she feels that she is an outsider and not part of the team. She has advised that I always make her feel welcome but that she doesn’t get that from the other team members. I am the office manager and I am concerned that she feels this disconnect. I appreciate her coming to me with her concerns and that she is safe, comfortable and honest to share her feelings with me. What can I do as well as the other team to make her feel more a part of us?

The Team Doc Says…

Kudos to you for establishing trust with this team member so she feels comfortable coming to you. If she doesn’t interface with other members of the team on a regular basis, this could be the cause of her feelings.

We all get caught up in the “busyness” of our work and often forget that it takes several members of a team to actually reach the goals we set forth.

One thing you can do is ensure that each team member understands how every other team member fits in the big picture. The best way to make that happen is via regular communication.

Take the time, starting right now, to get the entire team together at least once a week for a meeting. It doesn’t have to be a long meeting — 15 to 30 minutes will do.

At each meeting have one team member talk about what they do (5 minutes) and how they integrate with other team members. Discuss how everyone’s work fits into the whole picture. Do some brainstorming or problem solving to make your team the best.

And make sure you don’t do all the talking. You should lead the meeting, but make sure team members are the ones who are contributing to the content.