One of the most common problems in tech teams is: People don’t know each other.

This leads to a dysfunction in the team’s environment:
Team members tend to reject and dismiss other members because they are different – just because they don’t know each other!

It’s easy and common to observe this dysfunction in virtual teams of which most of us are a part:

• The team members from the other country – THEY don’t get the task.
• The team members from the other company – THEY are the ones to blame.
• The team members who are in the other room of the office – THEY are different.
• It’s likely to get angry at the member you’re not seeing during the zoom call.

If you start to feel you’re unfavorable towards a team member and the distance between you two is getting bigger: try getting to know them and look for the similarities – all the things you have in common!

These two will help you:

1️⃣ Spend time together – physically

Being physically close to each other is of great importance. When we’re in the office, for example, it’s way easier to discover things we have in common.

By recognizing the common activities we developed a strong human connection.

2️⃣ Another useful exercise is Patrick Lencioni’s Personal Histories Exercise:

By answering these 3 questions, team members show vulnerability in a safe environment – they get to know each other and recognize the similarities.

You can even do the exercise remotely.

The moment we start seeing the common stuff between each other is the moment we start working better together!

Also, keep in mind the saying: “I don’t like you, therefore I should get to know you!”