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With more people working remotely than ever before, it’s easy to feel disconnected from teammates. Without good communication practices, it’s easy for morale to slip and collaborate to suffer. Communication in any work environment is the key to success, but with remote workers, communication becomes even more crucial.  

Some organizations feel that constant contact is invasive, but most organizations aren’t actually guilty of “overcommunicating”. There are plenty of ways to support cohesive and consistent communication without being distracting or disruptive.  

Communication Tips for Managing Your Remote Team:

Flexible, always-on options:

One of the best ways to keep communication open and information flowing is to have a platform to keep all communication accessible. Constant emails can feel overwhelming and key information can get lost in a flood of incoming messages. Chat and communication platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and others help keep communication organized while also allowing everyone to stay in contact. These platforms usually have flexible functionality like the ability to directly instant message, as well as having video meetings, voice calls, and the ability to post to different channels about specific topics. Separating communication in specific channels (based on project or department, for example) is a key way to stay consistent and communicative, offering employees all the information they need without inundating their inbox. Employees would know where to go for information and could seek it out as time allowed without getting distracted by inbox notifications. They also give users the ability to track updates, ask questions, and offer feedback in a more linear and specific way. These platforms also often offer some integration with productivity and project management tools like Basecamp, making them even more valuable.  

Regular video calls:

Zoom meetings can feel taxing, but they serve a crucial point of communication. Being able to see someone in person, even over a screen, gives a sense of socializing and camaraderie that helps to boost collaboration and teamwork. The key to video meetings is to use them in the right context; just like in a physical office, not everything needs to be an inperson meeting and it’s very possible to get communication to burn out. Using video meetings to share progress on an important team project, as a way to communicate business updates and announcements, during group trainings, and as a way to brainstorm ideas are all great uses of video meetings.  

Email:

It’s definitely possible to overuse email, but it should always be part of a holistic communication plan. Some organizations choose to use email as a way to communicate urgent updates or overarching policy changes that will also be communicated on different channels 

There’s no one right way for all businesses to communicate, but a key to any method of communication or overall plan is that employees understand how each method will be used and that it’s as consistent and regular as possible.  

The most important part of a communication strategy is to not be afraid of “overcommunicating”. It’s always better that your teams know when and where to get information and are on the same page about expectations. Communication is also key to keeping engagement, collaboration, and creativity high – all of which are necessary for the continued success of your business.  

If you need to add to your team or want to find the right talent to add to your remote workforce, give our expert team a call today.  

 

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