How to keep your remote team creative and inspired
Working remotely has become the new normal for many of us. But one of the biggest questions for business leaders is: How do we keep our teams creative and innovative when we’re not in the same office? It’s a challenge, for sure—without the quick hallway chats or spontaneous brainstorms that happen in person, it can feel tougher to get the creative juices flowing.
The good news? With the right approach, you can build a remote work environment that keeps your team inspired, connected, and always thinking up new ideas. Here are some simple, practical tips (with tools to match!) to help spark innovation in your remote team.
1. Capture ideas anytime, anywhere
In remote work, we’re not always available at the same time. But that doesn’t mean ideas should be lost. Set up a system where people can drop their thoughts and inspiration anytime they come up.
Idea boards with Miro: Miro is an example of a good tool to create a shared idea board that’s accessible 24/7. This way, whenever someone has an idea—whether it’s an improvement, a new feature, or just an interesting thought—they can jot it down for the team to see. Feel free to use any whiteboard that works for you and your teams the best.
Less email, more chat: Encourage the team to use Teams/Slack/Discord chat instead of emails for quick questions or ideas. Chat channels are a great way to create a lively, ongoing conversation that helps people connect and share ideas more easily. You can even create a dedicated “Ideas” channel where team members can share new thoughts and react to each other’s suggestions in real time.
Example of how the work can happen on a digital, collaborative space
2. Create a safe space for sharing ideas
People are more likely to share creative ideas if they feel safe doing so. Building a “no bad ideas” culture is essential for remote teams who may feel nervous about speaking up.
Celebrate Small Wins and Ideas: Recognize people who contribute ideas, even if they don’t get used. A quick “shout-out” in a meeting or a positive reaction in Teams chat makes team members feel valued and encourages more sharing in the future.
3. Use AI to help brainstorm and organize ideas
AI tools can be a great addition to your remote team’s brainstorming process. They act like a digital teammate, suggesting fresh ideas or organizing thoughts for you.
ChatGPT for progress: Tools like ChatGPT can help the team brainstorm when they’re feeling stuck or to get some extra It’s like having a second brain on call! If your organization allows it, take advantage of AI to support your alone working time and get some immediate feedback.
Automated summaries with Otter.ai: Record brainstorming sessions and use Otter.ai to automatically create a summary and transcript. This ensures that nothing is missed, and anyone who couldn’t make the meeting can still catch up easily.
Insight: A recent McKinsey report found that companies using AI to help organize and prioritize ideas can increase innovation speed by up to 20%. AI helps teams focus on the ideas that matter most and make faster decisions.
4. Build team spirit with fun, creative activities
In remote work, building a sense of team spirit is essential. When people feel connected, they’re more likely to collaborate and share ideas freely. Try these virtual team-building activities to bring the team closer together.
Virtual coffee chats with Donut (or any other tool of your choice): Donut is a Slack app that pairs team members randomly for casual coffee chats. These low-key conversations help people get to know each other, building trust that makes it easier to collaborate. Encourage your team to have moments like that, just like we usually have in an office set up.
Insight: Research by Harvard Business Review found that remote teams with high social connection are 32% more likely to innovate successfully than teams that don’t feel connected. This just shows how important team spirit is for creative collaboration!
5. Don’t overdo the meetings—give your team time to think
While it’s great to set up brainstorming sessions and collaboration spaces, remember that innovation doesn’t come from constant check-ins. It’s easy to fall into the trap of over-scheduling virtual meetings in a remote setup—often even more than we would in a physical office. Giving your team dedicated time to focus on their work individually is just as important as group sessions.
Limit virtual meetings: Research from Harvard Business Review shows that 71% of employees say they experience burnout from excessive virtual meetings. Too many check-ins can interrupt deep, creative work. Try limiting brainstorming sessions to once a week, and give team members plenty of uninterrupted time to think independently.
Use project management tools to reduce frequent meetings: Instead of frequent meetings, use tools like Teams for quick chats or project management platforms like Asana and Trello to track progress. This approach reduces the need for constant catch-ups and lets people focus on their tasks.
Encourage “focus hours”: Designate blocks of “no meeting” time, where team members can dive into creative work without interruptions. Google has a similar practice with “Focus Fridays” to ensure employees have uninterrupted time to think deeply.
Insight: According to a Microsoft Work Trend Index report, remote employees attend 148% more meetings per week than before remote work was the norm. With such a rise in meeting frequency, it's crucial to protect uninterrupted time to help foster creativity.
In conclusion
Keeping a remote team creative and innovative doesn’t have to be complicated. With a few simple routines, the right tools, and a strong focus on team spirit, you can build an environment where everyone feels inspired and connected.
Try out one or two of these tips to start, and watch your team’s creativity grow—no matter where they’re working from. Happy innovating!
Written by Camila Serpa
Co-founder Formation. My days are filled with writing, listening, and connecting people, problems and tools. Anything that makes growth more sustainable, for people, the planet, and business.
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