Working remotely demands a new set of rules and tools. A professional may want to embrace virtual office backgrounds to disguise their living space and make it look more inviting to clients and coworkers. Also, they may need to invest in headsets or webcams to make long-distance meetings more manageable. Even with the various tools and setups for remote workers, one area seems more challenging than all the others: communication. Thankfully, as remote work becomes a norm, businesses and companies have found effective workarounds to communication challenges.
1. Emails and Slack Messages
Emails are the traditional form of online communication and are still valuable tools. That said, many companies are now focusing on Slack messages and platforms. Slack is a platform to share instantaneous notifications with various team members, creating a unique discussion board around specific projects. The beauty of Slack is team members do not have to share notes right away. They can create their message and save it in a sidebar until they feel ready to send it.
2. Working Documents
While having an office background can simulate the office experience, it is not the same as having direct access to your team and project managers. Using working documents is one way to get the more traditional collaborative feel of the office. A working document allows multiple team members to work on and edit it. Also, team members can leave notes with editing suggestions for the primary author.
3. Video Meetings
One of the best ways to create a healthy team environment and encourage effective communication is with scheduled video meetings on platforms like Zoom. A virtual meeting allows team members to see each other and speak face-to-face without being in the same room. The virtual setting also enables team members to share visuals to help get their message across.
Virtual settings can also help team members connect on a personal and professional level. It can reignite the feeling of traditional conferences and open up dialogue in a way text communication doesn’t.
4. Clear and Concise Writing or Speech
While face-to-face communication over a meeting on Zoom background with company logo is an excellent way to improve communication, it is not the only way. Whether communicating in writing or in person, messages must be clear and concise. You want to avoid mixing various topics into a single discussion and limit any extra details or detours in conversation.
5. Tool Designation
If you are a team manager, the best way to improve communication is to select specific channels. If video meetings are your channel of choice, schedule regular meetings. If you prefer Stack messages that dictate rules to the team for use. Try to limit your group to one or two communication channels to improve dialogue and productivity.
Effective communication is vital to any team environment, but it is especially crucial when working remotely. Talk to a communication or business management specialist to learn more about the communication strategies and tools you can use to improve team dialogue, which should also improve productivity.
