There are many reasons why employees might work remotely. Maybe the company is spread across multiple locations, or perhaps you have international companies in your team. Or you simply are adjusting to today’s realities and accept hybrid or remote work models.
Whatever the reason, maintaining reliable and functional remote communication is key to how well your company performs. Here are six tried-and-tested ways to improve the ways employees communicate with one another while working remotely and when work requires communications across departments.
1. Establish a remote communication protocol and stick to it
There is no denying the importance of a clear and established remote communication strategies and protocol. The employer should establish a specific pattern for how each type of communication or collaboration should be done to ensure that everything runs smoothly and efficiently. And there is no difference if your company deals with software creation, teaches on how to find out if your girlfriend is cheating, or is selling hand-made items.
By establishing how employees should communicate, you can improve how well the employees communicate with one another.
2. Use video conferencing for important meetings whenever possible
At this point, we all have faced the need to use video calls for work. And there is no denying that turning off the camera is not very helpful in clear communication. But how to avoid misunderstandings if they are not prevented?
All video calls should also have specific rules, like having a camera on or preparing visual materials to support your point. You can try to create a video communication protocol in the company where you are working- this will help build rapport and improve communication.
3. Make sure all team members have the same tools and software to communicate effectively
The feeling of equality is essential in the workplace- everyone should be provided with similar equipment and programs, so no one is left behind or feels ignored.
If you are working in a company where people speak different languages, you might face a situation when your colleagues cannot understand each other well. In this case, multilanguage tools or even special departments that help people overcome language barriers can be helpful. If you require more privacy, virtual offices, like this awesome virtual office in Glasgow in Scotland, are an excellent option.
4. Encourage employees to take breaks together, even if they’re working remotely
Don’t provide any kind of discrimination and choose some break time for everyone in the company, even if it’s different from regular time. For example, how about creating a shared online space to share hobbies that will provoke a creative mood for everyone. Their employees can share their photos, videos, music, or even work-related memes- they are known for bringing people together.
5. Create an online space for team building parties
There are many possibilities for creating such a space: Skype, Google Hangouts, WhatsApp… The only important part is that all the people working in the same company feel comfortable and familiar with it.
The main aim of this virtual party is to establish friendly relationships between colleagues so you can use it to share fun activities, like playing cards online, having competitions, or watching how your colleagues prepare for the weekend.
A more healthy alternative is to have a walking competition: who can walk the most steps within the month.
6. Celebrate successes together, no matter where everyone is located
Another critical aspect of team building is to celebrate successes! It’s always nice to be recognized for how hard you are working. And you can always share your achievements. And it is vital to communicate with colleagues how good their work was, what they have achieved and how many things were completed successfully.
When your team feels rewarded for its efforts, it will be much more willing to give the best of itself to meet deadlines or achieve set targets.
You can make announcements on every department achievement, celebrate the end of every probation, and brainstorm what to do during your next team building.
Conclusion
Remote communication is possible if you are intentional about it . Successful remote teams are all about communication. This can be hard to do when you’re not sitting in the same room, but it doesn’t have to be.
By following these tips, you can create a remote communication protocol that will help improve your team’s productivity and rapport. Using video conferencing for important meetings whenever possible is an easy way to build better relationships with your colleagues, while making sure everyone has the same tools and software at their disposal will help avoid any miscommunications. Encouraging employees to take breaks together, even if they’re working remotely, will help keep them focused and productive, and creating an online space for teambuilding can help strengthen the bonds between coworkers. Finally, celebrating successes together, no matter where everyone is located, will make everyone feel like they’re part of a larger team.
