The personalities that benefit most from remote work

At an individual level, some people will find it easier to adapt than others.

• A study revealed that when people are imaginative and enjoying a new challenge, they are happier to embrace virtual teamwork.
• Extroverted individuals prefer face-to-face work, and virtual work may lessen the energy they get from social interaction.
• Introverts are better at adapting to a virtual environment as it involves less face-to-face interaction.
• Those who like to make quick decisions prefer virtual teams.

Some initial findings suggest that adapting to virtual collaboration may be changing our personalities.

• Students that participated in one study scored lower on agreeableness - a main personality trait - after a period of virtual working,
• They also grew more extroverted and open-minded.
• Students with more extreme personality scores, such as low agreeableness or strong extroversion, came out f the experience closer to the average.

There are established ways to cultivate positive team cultures, even virtually.

• Schedule time for virtual water-cooler chats.
• Consider how you're going to work together and what the rules of engagement will be.
• Introduce a daily stand-up meeting, no more than 15 minutes, during which each member says what they did yesterday, what they plan for today, and outlines obstacles.

The aim of stand-up meetings, informal virtual chats, and other new routines is to help people feel they are part of a team, which will increase mutual trust - a hallmark of a high-functioning team.