Communication Strategies to Effectively Connect With Your Remote Team
Last year's circuit breaker forced workplaces all over Singapore to shift to a work-from-home setting. But even as vaccination plans roll out and some offices have reopened, the Ministry of Health encourages companies to adopt a more flexible working schedule, blending a remote setup with staggered start times.
As remote schemes continue to be the norm, it's now more important than ever to learn how to communicate effectively with colleagues and teammates online. In order to improve efficiency and productivity even while apart, you need a strong communication strategy that will help you keep your productivity in check, and maintain smooth relations and camaraderie among the team. Here are ways on how to stay connected, even remotely.
How do you communicate effectively with a remote team?
Remember that context is key.
While working within a remote setup has its benefits, it certainly has its caveats when it comes to communication. Without physical interaction, we lose out on the nuances and subtexts in a conversation, such as tone or body language. It can be difficult to distinguish whether a recent email or message is a passive-aggressive reminder or a simple check-in. This may leave the door open to miscommunication.
Providing context is important in communicating remotely. For example: instead of simply saying, "Can I have more details?" which can either be taken at face value or as a curt response, you can elaborate further such as: "Is it possible to have all the details by end of the day? So we can work on the brief until Wednesday."
If you find that a certain directive is hard to explain in writing, you can ask to jump in on a video call to clear things up faster.
Use a daily activity report to track progress.
Tasked to handle teams? Managers may find it useful to track progress through a daily activity report. A daily activity report allows you to stay up to speed on your co-workers' progress without being intrusive. After all, checking in over multiple messages and emails every so often may eventually strike a nerve on your co-workers and sink team morale.
Your colleagues can submit the daily activity report at the end of the day for your checking before they "clock out" of work. This entails enumerating the tasks that were accomplished for the day, followed by ongoing tasks for the week, and the tasks they need to complete the following week. This can help you track each team member's productivity without regularly intruding on their work.
Bring the office culture online.
A physical workplace helps you build relationships with your co-workers faster, and establish a great working dynamic. That isn't to say that effective collaboration isn't possible while working online. If your office is used to end-of-the-week socials and gatherings, bring that culture to your virtual workplace. Host trivia nights, or midweek cocktails with a theme.
Set attainable goals and make information digestible.
Without in-person interaction to boost morale, the sheer mass and monotony of work can discourage even the hardest of workers. Set your team up for success by managing expectations, setting realistic goals, and making information more digestible.
Instead of sending a lengthy document that explains the scale of the task at hand, plan by breaking down the work into realistic, attainable goals that can be achieved by everyone by the end of the week. Use your internal calendar or working tool to designate blocks of work that need to be accomplished by certain dates to make the tasks seem less daunting.
Additionally, implement a team rule that all reports and presentations must be made digestible. Break long paragraphs into bullets that are easy to understand. Moreover, supplement additional information with the use of infographics and pictures.
Sample Communication Plan
Make sure your team communicates effectively with one another and that you all stay on the same page with a simple yet effective communication plan.
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