Why are people's relationships important in online work?
A network is only as strong as the people that are part of it. Working for social change requires passion and commitment to a cause. This becomes even more crucial if the work we do is mostly online, because the support of our co-workers is distant and it is easy to lose motivation or the sense of urgency when we interact through a phone, pad, tablet or computer screen instead of face to face.
In this sense, it is important for your organisation to make explicit what you believe in and build common ground among the people in your network, which includes your shared ideas, practices and politics. This is very helpful when new people come into your organisation, so that they can know what everyone expects from them. It can also be a criterion when you build new relationships and collaborate with other people and organisations.