Click here to listen now: The Future of Work: Culture, Collaboration & Connection in Remote Teams on Edge of Excellence
Remote and hybrid work have become the new normal. While many leaders have adapted their tools and workflows, far fewer have adapted their leadership.
In this episode of Edge of Excellence, hosts Jess DeForge and Bryon Beilman sit down with Matt Freake, Vice President of Client Services at iuvo, to explore what it really takes to build a healthy, high-performing culture in a remote world.
Below, we break down the biggest insights and practical strategies from the episode, all focused on remote leadership, collaboration, and cultivating thriving hybrid teams.
One of the biggest misconceptions about remote work is that culture must change based on location. According to Matt: “A strong culture is about relationships...it’s about treating people like people.”
Whether your team is across the country or across the office, culture is built on how people feel, connect, and communicate.
A remote environment simply makes this more intentional.
Key insight: Culture doesn't live in an office; it lives in behaviors.
Leaders must model the values they want reflected, especially when they’re not physically present.
Without trust, remote work breaks down. Leaders who default to micromanagement unintentionally signal a lack of confidence in their people which harms morale, creativity, and productivity.
Matt reminds us that:
This mindset shift is important for remote team success.
Remote work exposes communication gaps that were previously masked by physical proximity. To build alignment, transparency, and psychological safety, leaders must prioritize:
“Open communication fosters a healthy work environment.”
Intentional communication is the engine that keeps remote teams running smoothly.
One of the most overlooked areas in remote leadership is remote onboarding.
New employees need culture immersion just as much as they need technical training.
Matt emphasizes the importance of:
A strong onboarding experience accelerates engagement and helps new hires feel connected long before meeting anyone in person.
While culture can’t be automated, tools can make connection and communication easier.
Leaders should implement systems that:
Technology won’t fix a broken culture, but it can amplify a healthy one.
Remote teams thrive on clarity, and clarity comes from consistent feedback.
Matt shares that strong feedback systems accomplish two things:
The best leaders normalize feedback as a two-way conversation instead of a performance correction.
This episode highlights a message every leader needs to hear:
A healthy remote culture improves:
If you only remember a few points from the episode, let them be these:
🔹 Culture should span any work environment, remote, hybrid, or in-office.
🔹 Trust is essential for effective remote leadership.
🔹 Communication must be intentional when teams are dispersed.
🔹 Micromanagement harms productivity and morale.
🔹 Onboarding should integrate culture and relationships, not just tasks.
🔹 Leaders must model the culture they want to see.
🔹 A healthy culture directly impacts business performance.
iuvo’s transformative IT consulting helps you align people, processes, and technology so your business can operate at its best, whether your teams are remote, hybrid, or on-site.
Learn how iuvo can help you transform your IT into an engine for growth. Contact our experts today.
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