#remote-teams — Public Fediverse posts

Digital propinquity: how to engineer serendipity and build connection in remote teams

We cannot teleport physical proximity, but we can replicate its psychological effects in remote teams. This has everything to do with propinquity.

If the physical world provided connection by accident, the digital world requires connection by design.

The most critical loss in the shift to remote work is “propinquity,” a fancy word for physical nearness.

In the 1950s, psychologists discovered that the single best predictor of whether two people would become friends was how close their apartments were to each other.

In the professional world, this is the “hallway track” at a conference.

It is inefficient, but it is highly effective because it facilitates passive, frequent interactions.

You bump into someone at the coffee station.

You exchange a nod.

You accumulate data points about them that transform a transactional contact into a human relationship.

In a remote setting, propinquity does not happen by accident.

There is no digital equivalent of bumping into a donor at the water cooler unless someone deliberately builds it.

This requires a pivot to “Digital Propinquity.”

At The Geneva Learning Foundation, A Swiss non-profit that works globally, we have found that a sense of nearness can be cultivated digitally if we align the right factors.

In our work with health professionals globally, we utilize a concept called “structured serendipity”.

For example, one simple and surprisingly effective method we use is the “Randomized Coffee Trial”, or just “remote coffee”.

In this model, participants opt-in to be randomly paired with a stranger from the network for a short conversation based on a non-work prompt.

This mechanism builds “weak ties,” the casual connections that sociologists know are essential for innovation.

We have also found that we can change how we facilitate dialogue and connections between people and organizations online.

Traditional remote management is often rooted in a culture of surveillance.

It focuses on reporting and asks “Have you done the work?”.

This erodes trust, turning connection into suspicion.

Instead, we implement what we call “digital accompaniment”.

Derived from physical-world experiences of working side-by-side with a shared purpose, this model uses technology to provide sustained, high-touch presence.

The use of technology results in losing some of the signals we are most familiar with, grounded in our experience of the physical world.

We also gain new signals from defying distance to include those who might otherwise never meet.

The challenge is learning to listen to these signals, and how to respond to them.

That is core to our model for facilitation.

We use digital channels that are already part of people’s lives to ask: “How are you navigating this challenge?”.

This initiates and then sustains dialogue on local challenges.

Challenges in very different locations turn out to be remarkably similar. 

This approach prioritizes psychological proximity over supervision, no matter how supportive the latter may be intended to be.

By establishing what we call Accompaniment Pods mediated by Foundation-supported facilitators, such networks can provide the psychological closeness usually found in face-to-face mentorship.

The facilitator acts as a sensor for the network, for example to detect early signs of distress before a participant disengages.

By treating the digital space as a distinct social architecture with its own ‘physics’, we have been able to reconstruct a new kind of intimacy or kinship that distance negates.

A new peer learning programme for those leading change across distance

Distance is no longer a barrier to partnership. It is the condition for a new kind of “augmented reality” where collaboration can be more inclusive and effective than in the physical world. The Geneva Learning Foundation’s Certificate peer learning programme in Artificial Intelligence includes a tactical primer to master the essentials of digital, remote work and partnering with both humans and machines as co-workers. The primer serves as the stepping stone to a broader strategic transformation, where you will learn to build communities of action that scale expertise and deliver results faster. By rejecting the “digital dualism” that treats online interaction as a deficit, you will turn the necessity of working apart into a decisive organizational advantage. Get The Geneva Learning Foundation’s AI framework now. You will then receive the invitation to join the primer on the essentials of partnering and work in the Age of AI.

References

• Allen, T.J. (1977) Managing the Flow of Technology: Technology Transfer and the Dissemination of Technological Information within the R&D Organization. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press.
• Festinger, L., Schachter, S. and Back, K. (1950) Social Pressures in Informal Groups: A Study of Human Factors in Housing. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
• Granovetter, M.S. (1973) ‘The Strength of Weak Ties’, American Journal of Sociology, 78(6), pp. 1360–1380. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1086/225469
• Korzenny, F. (1978) ‘A Theory of Electronic Propinquity: Mediated Communication in Organizations’, Communication Research, 5(1), pp. 3–24. Available at: https://doi.org/10.1177/009365027800500101
• Sadki, R., 2023. Digital bridges cannot cross analog gates. https://doi.org/10.59350/srvap-txc24
• Soto, M., 2013. Institutionalising Serendipity via Productive Coffee Breaks. Nesta. URL https://www.nesta.org.uk/blog/institutionalising-serendipity-productive-coffee-breaks (accessed 2.8.18).
• Watkins, K.E., Sadki, R., Kim, K., Suh, B., 2019. Changing Learning Paradigms in a Global Health Agency, in: Evidence-Based Initiatives for Organizational Change and Development. IGI Global, pp. 693–703. https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-5225-6155-2.ch050

About the image

Near, Without Touch © The Geneva Learning Foundation 2025. This installation arranges a series of carved forms in deliberate proximity, each distinct yet subtly responsive to the others. The surfaces twist and lean as if drawn together by an unseen force, suggesting closeness that is sensed rather than physically realized. Made from the same living material but shaped along different trajectories, the figures evoke how connection can emerge through alignment, attention, and shared orientation rather than direct contact. The work reflects on proximity as something that can be engineered and cultivated, reminding us that nearness is not only a matter of distance, but of how carefully space is shaped to allow encounters to happen.

Hiring is broken. Long cycles and high costs slow startups down.

Team-as-a-Service (TaaS) is the shift:

✅ On-demand squads
✅ Cross-functional teams ready from day one
✅ Global talent for diverse perspectives
✅ Scale fast without overhead

Learn more: https://squads.com/blog/team-as-a-service-taas-the-next-big-shift-in-tech-hiring

#RemoteTeams #TaaS

☕ Beyond Slack and Zoom: #DevConf2025 speaker Georgina Armstrong reveals how to unite remote technical teams around complex tasks. From a leader with 12+ years in Data Science who's mastered the remote challenge. #RemoteTeams #DataLeadership

Going to host an online games night for our remote colleagues soon. Looking for recommendations for free or low cost games to play with a set group of people that don’t need particular consoles, ideally played in the browser. Or games you’ve played over Teams/Zoom that worked well?
#OnlineGames #RemoteTeams #gaming

Going to host an online games night for our remote colleagues soon. Looking for recommendations for free or low cost games to play with a set group of people that don’t need particular consoles, ideally played in the browser. Or games you’ve played over Teams/Zoom that worked well?
#OnlineGames #RemoteTeams #gaming

Being offered to work from home is a huge demonstration of trust – and therefore a strong motivating factor. #HomeOffice #RemoteTeams #Trust
https://www.bevuta.com/en/blog/interview-ute-home-office-and-office-weeks-combined

Informelle Gespräche funktionieren auch remote. Über flexible Chatsysteme und gemeinsame Videocalls als Flurfunk-Ersatz haben wir mit unserem Kollegen Martin gesprochen. #RemoteTeams #Flurfunk #Mattermost #Socializing
https://www.bevuta.com/de/blog/interview-martin-motivierte-teams-brauchen-kein-buero/

🌐 We're a global team, and while virtual meetings are great, nothing beats face-to-face interactions. But how do we meet responsibly with less environmental impact?
#ghg #co2 #cop28 #climatechange #airtravel #remotework #remoteteams

🌐 We're a global team, and while virtual meetings are great, nothing beats face-to-face interactions. But how do we meet responsibly with less environmental impact?
#ghg #co2 #cop28 #climatechange #airtravel #remotework #remoteteams

How does language reinforce power imbalances in remote teams?
And how can multilingualism be used as a resource to empower teams?
Tune into our educast and explore some fruitful strategies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsdqvvAjc_A

#ScienceCommunication #multilingualism #RemoteTeams #translanguaging #intercultural

How does language reinforce power imbalances in remote teams?
And how can multilingualism be used as a resource to empower teams?
Tune into our educast and explore some fruitful strategies.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tsdqvvAjc_A

#ScienceCommunication #multilingualism #RemoteTeams #translanguaging #intercultural

Kontrolle abgeben gehört dazu. Aber wenn Dinge nur noch mit Kontrolle funktionieren, läuft ohnehin irgendwas schief. Mit unserem Kollegen Clemens sprechen wir über Motivation, Vertrauen und Kontrolle in #RemoteTeams. #Motivation #RemoteWork
https://www.bevuta.com/de/blog/interview-clemens-wenn-arbeit-kontrolle-braucht-laeuft-was-schief/

We're heading to Nashville (in 2 weeks) for our @transistor team retreat! Question: What are some (non-cringe) activities, games, and discussions that have been great for your remote team?

Our last retreat was amazing, but I'm always seeking new ways to increase connection ☺️

**#remotework** **#remoteteams** **#teambuilding**

We're heading to Nashville (in 2 weeks) for our @transistor team retreat! Question: What are some (non-cringe) activities, games, and discussions that have been great for your remote team?

Our last retreat was amazing, but I'm always seeking new ways to increase connection ☺️

**#remotework** **#remoteteams** **#teambuilding**

Unser Kollege Clemens erzählt, warum Mimik und Körpersprache für gelungene Kommunikation so wichtig sind – und wie sich das in #RemoteTeams in der Praxis lösen lässt. #HomeOffice #Videocalls #RemoteWork
https://www.bevuta.com/de/blog/interview-clemens-wenn-arbeit-kontrolle-braucht-laeuft-was-schief/

What happens if some colleagues meet every day, others not at all? In this interview with our colleague Alex, we talk about why team dynamics change for the better when the entire team works remotely. #RemoteTeams #RemoteTeamwork #TeamDynamics
https://www.bevuta.com/en/blog/interview-alex-balanced-dynamics-in-remote-teams/

Der Vertrauensbeweis, den die Möglichkeit zum Home Office in sich trägt, ist ein starker Motivationsfaktor. #HomeOffice #RemoteTeams #Vertrauen
https://www.bevuta.com/de/blog/interview-ute-home-office-und-buerowochen-kombiniert

Why are video calls better than phone calls? We talked to our colleague Clemens about the pros and cons of different communication channels while working in #RemoteTeams. And a lot more. https://www.bevuta.com/en/blog/interview-clemens-no-sense-in-keeping-teams-on-a-short-leash/

Kontrolle abgeben gehört dazu. Aber wenn Dinge nur noch mit Kontrolle funktionieren, läuft ohnehin irgendwas schief. Mit unserem Kollegen Clemens sprechen wir über Motivation, Vertrauen und Kontrolle in #RemoteTeams. #Motivation #RemoteWork
https://www.bevuta.com/de/blog/interview-clemens-wenn-arbeit-kontrolle-braucht-laeuft-was-schief/

Kontrolle abgeben gehört dazu. Aber wenn Dinge nur noch mit Kontrolle funktionieren, läuft ohnehin irgendwas schief. Mit unserem Kollegen Clemens sprechen wir über Motivation, Vertrauen und Kontrolle in #RemoteTeams. #Motivation #RemoteWork
https://www.bevuta.com/de/blog/interview-clemens-wenn-arbeit-kontrolle-braucht-laeuft-was-schief/

Unsere #RemoteTeamwork-Serie geht weiter! Im #Interview erzählt unser Anforderungsmanager Clemens, warum spannende Aufgaben und eine gute Arbeitsatmosphäre in #RemoteTeams tausend Mal mehr wert sind als jeder Kontrollmechanismus. https://www.bevuta.com/de/blog/interview-clemens-wenn-arbeit-kontrolle-braucht-laeuft-was-schief/

12 Time Management Tips When Working in Different Time Zones - It can be challenging to keep track of time zones. Even though we’ve tried to rein... - https://readwrite.com/time-management-tips-when-working-in-different-time-zones/ #timemanagement #remoteteams #readwrite #timezones

12 Time Management Tips When Working in Different Time Zones - It can be challenging to keep track of time zones. Even though we’ve tried to rein... - https://readwrite.com/time-management-tips-when-working-in-different-time-zones/ #timemanagement #remoteteams #readwrite #timezones

Attended a #leadership event yesterday. A good reminder was:

Have two high level objectives for all meetings you run

1. Focus on the progress of the project at hand
2. Deepen the relationship with others at the meeting (at their comfort level) to aid collaboration

So simple, but could be easily forgotten/overlooked when things get busy and stressful. I added a post-it note to my screen for a daily reminder🗒️ #Management #RemoteTeams

Attended a #leadership event yesterday. A good reminder was:

Have two high level objectives for all meetings you run

1. Focus on the progress of the project at hand
2. Deepen the relationship with others at the meeting (at their comfort level) to aid collaboration

So simple, but could be easily forgotten/overlooked when things get busy and stressful. I added a post-it note to my screen for a daily reminder🗒️ #Management #RemoteTeams

Turing Distinguished Leader Series: Lance Willett, Chief Product and Technology Officer, Tumblr - Hello, everyone! Thank you for the fantastic response to the last session of the T... - https://readwrite.com/2021/12/22/turing-distinguished-leader-series-lance-willett-chief-product-and-technology-officer-tumblr/ #engineeringleaders #distributedteams #remoteteams #remotework #readwrite #build #tech

Turing Distinguished Leader Series: Michael Immell, Director of Engineering at Rachio - Hello, everyone! In this session of the Turing Distinguished Leader Series, we con... - https://readwrite.com/2021/12/09/turing-distinguished-leader-series-michael-immell-director-of-engineering-at-rachio/ #companycultureinremotework #remotedistributedteams #engineeringleaders #leadingremoteteams #distributedteams #remoteteams #remotework #readwrite #build

High-Output Management for Remote Teams and Companies Part II - In the first installment of this two-part series, we looked at the characteristics... - https://readwrite.com/2021/05/10/high-output-management-for-remote-teams-and-companies/ #high-performancemanagement #companyculture #productivity #boundaryless #remotefirst #remoteteams #culture #turing #learn #lead

RT WeAreOpenCoop: RT dajbelshaw: My co-op colleagues and I are in the midst of creating an email-based course on successful remote meetings. This isn't procedural stuff; it's the meta things that leaders need to know to run them well.

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#remotework #remoteteams #email…

We have started organizing our "digital office". Did you have any difficulties setting it up? How can you quickly adopt a #remoteworker mindset? What about work-life balance? Share your advice with us below 🤔

#workremote #remoteteams #teamcollaboration #digitaloffice #opensource