Effective ways to build team’s communication while working remotely
COVID 19 has changed the way the organizations are working now and working remotely has become a new norm. It has also changed the way employees interact within their teams.
We all know that effective communication plays a vital role in a team's success. With the team members working remotely, even the most experienced manager may face challenges in managing his team.
While effective team communication creates awareness and understanding ensuring higher productivity, the use of the right tools and methods facilitate the entire communication process.
Whether it is about hosting a meeting, communicating through emails or phone calls, collaborating on a project, getting updates or reports from your team members, following certain simple steps can work wonders for the team.
Here are a few simple tips to maintain effective team communication while working remotely:
1. Adopting relevant communication tools
Today, there are plenty of software and tools available that will enhance the communication and collaboration between team members working remotely. You can choose the right communication tool according to your team’s needs to conduct meetings, send emails, regular quick updates and share files with your teammates.
Slack, Skype, G Suite, Zoom, Microsoft Meeting, etc are such amazing tools to name a few.
2. Daily morning calls or meetings with your remote team
Scheduling regular daily calls with your team to set up the day’s task or updates as the first thing in the morning can help in setting up clear and measurable goals for the team members to achieve the target. Daily meetings are also a good time to strengthen connections with your employees and co-workers, which is essential to team building.
3. Be proactive in managing your remote team
While working remotely, it is important that you are proactive in making sure that the team operates smoothly. You must be proactive in keeping lines of communication open so no one feels isolated or avoid any miscommunications between the team members. You may consider scheduling one-on-one meetings with the struggling employees to assure them that you are available to address their concerns making them feel more connected.
4. Convert in-person meetings to video meetings
A complete absence of physical interaction may sometimes lead to boredom or develop a feeling of isolation which may impact the state of mind or lead to a sense of job dissatisfaction. Video calls provide opportunities to connect face-to-face, virtually. This helps your team to better connect, communicate and collaborate.
5. Encourage knowledge sharing, collaboration or peer-to-peer feedback
For remote teams, fostering a culture of knowledge sharing is beneficial for both company success and employee development. Have you ever worked on a shared Google spreadsheets or Google docs and been delighted with seeing your colleague’s edits in real-time? This is one of the coolest ways to collaborate on files, projects, and presentations together in real-time. Additionally, consistent peer-to-peer feedback is a great way to connect remote teammates. This is just another way to learn from each other.
6. It is not necessary to micromanage and interrupt your team frequently
While as a manager, it is sometimes obvious to get anxious about certain tasks; but constant follow-ups and micromanaging can lead to a feeling of distrust amongst team members and may put them into pressure.
7. Celebrate with your team
Be it their birthday celebration or an exceptional performance in their assigned task, your employees deserve to be felt appreciated. You can do this by sending them a quick thank-you note or a virtual gift card. Recognize their efforts in front of everyone during team meetings. Simple gestures to show your employees you care about them, can really boost their self-esteem.
8. Take time out for having fun with your team
Another way to build better connections amongst teammates with fun is by hosting your regular team-building events online, for example:
- Online games
- Sharing personal achievements
- Connecting virtually for having lunch together
- Video coffee or tea hangouts
It is also important to get the team together virtually on a regular basis to build deeper connections with the rest of the team. And, it doesn't have to be all about work!
Effective communication directly determines the success or failure of an assignment. You simply need to adopt the most effective way suited for your business needs to stay connected with each other. The use of effective communication methods and adopting the right tools will ensure that your team understands everything and remains on the same page consistently throughout the project.
The idea is to keep the teams together even when the team members are physically apart!
We at AMS Human Resources Pvt. Ltd., strive to build effective communications with our remote teammates and ensure that our team remains as efficient and productive as they would have been at the actual workplace.