One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned as a dev manager—and one I keep learning—is that trust isn’t just a nice-to-have. It’s the foundation of everything.

Without it? Teams drift into silos. Collaboration breaks down. People stop asking questions or reaching out for help. Deadlines slip. Morale drops. And worst of all—people lose that spark that made them love coding in the first place.

But when trust is present? It’s a beautiful thing.

You get teams who communicate openly, who aren’t afraid to ask even the “stupid” questions, who support each other, and who get things done. There’s flow, laughter, honesty—and actual progress.

So, how do you build that kind of trust? Especially when your team is distributed across time zones, screens, and Slack threads?

Let me share what’s worked for me.

🧑‍💻 Start With Presence (Even When Remote)

When someone new joins the team, I make it my mission to be there for them—even if we’re hundreds of kilometers apart.

That means:

Responding to their questions quickly (even if it’s just to say “I’ll get back to you at 2pm”)
Daily check-ins during their first two weeks
Making sure they feel heard, welcomed, and never left hanging

I want to establish a virtual open-door policy right from the start. They might not see my face every day, but they’ll feel my support.

🧩 Rituals That Reinforce Trust

Trust isn’t something you set and forget—it’s something you maintain.

Here’s what I do to keep the connections strong:

Monthly 1:1s focused on the person, not just the work. Career goals, frustrations, even what’s going on in their personal lives (if they feel like sharing).
Bi-weekly retros, where the team can raise issues or questions in a safe, collaborative space.
And sometimes? We don’t have any burning issues, so we just play games or chat. That’s trust in action too.

It’s also in the little things—like remembering a birthday, or that someone’s cat was sick, or they had an important presentation last week. Those moments matter.

😬 Mistakes Happen. Trust Decides What Happens Next.

When someone on my team makes a mistake (and we all do), the first thing I do is listen. Really listen.

Sometimes, people are their own harshest critics. I’ve seen team members beat themselves up over something minor. My role is to help them process—not pile on. That doesn’t mean we ignore repeated issues, but the first response is always empathy.

The goal is to help them grow without losing the joy of what they do.

💬 My “Virtual Door” Is Always Open

Slack. Google Meet. Calendar links.

I use them all to stay connected—and more importantly, to stay available. My team knows they can message me any time. If I’m in focus mode, my calendar reflects that. But otherwise? I’m here. Whether it’s for a blocker or a meme.

Because I’m not just a manager—I’m a dev too. I love this stuff as much as they do.

🙋‍♀️ Vulnerability Builds Credibility

I’ll be honest: when I became a dev manager (and even earlier, as a team lead), I had no clue what I was doing.

And I told my team that.

Not in a way that undermined confidence, but in a way that said: I’m learning, too. And I’m learning with you.

That openness created space for honest conversations, mutual respect, and shared growth. No ego, no pretending to be all-knowing. Just people figuring things out together.

🌱 A Story About Rebuilding Trust

There was a team member early in my leadership journey who didn’t trust me at first. I couldn’t read them, and they weren’t engaging.

I made mistakes—I didn’t have all the answers, and I could sense their frustration. But I didn’t give up.

I kept reaching out. I apologised. I encouraged. And slowly, they came around.

That person became one of my most trusted teammates—the kind of colleague I could confide in. It taught me that trust isn’t always instant. Sometimes, it’s something you earn over time.

🧠 One Small, Powerful Thing

If there’s one habit I’d recommend to any leader trying to build trust—it’s this:

Remember things.
Remember what matters to your team. Reflect it back to them.
You’d be surprised how often a small gesture—remembering a moment, asking how something went—can spark a smile and strengthen a bond.

Final Thought

Remote or not, trust is the bedrock of every high-performing dev team. And it’s something you actively cultivate, with consistency, presence, empathy, and care.

It’s not always easy—but it’s always worth it.

How I build trust in my dev teams (even remotely)