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Remote work is the new reality. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the landscape of our working environment has shifted dramatically—a shift that will forever change our work habits. Many companies have recognized the benefits of working remotely, but every change comes with challenges. Here are a handful of important tips that will improve collaboration between remote workers.
Communicate Frequently
In an office, there are countless opportunities to share thoughts and ideas, whether by catching a coworker in the hallway, stopping by your manager’s office for a quick chat, or utilizing a free moment by the water cooler. When staff or clients are working remotely, however, these opportunities don’t present themselves organically. Instead, look for ways to communicate regularly and frequently with your coworkers and clients using the tools and resources available to you. Say “Good morning!” via chat, set up weekly check-ins, or send “FYI” messages to keep your colleagues apprised of your status on projects. The possibilities of when and how to communicate are truly endless these days—it’s just a matter of making the effort to regularly communicate and keeping those lines of communication open.
Use Video as Often as Possible
While we may not always feel comfortable clicking the button to enable our cameras during virtual meetings, face-to-face communication is indispensable and can greatly improve collaboration. Consider the following:
Using email or chat may be quick and easy, but video conferencing encourages real interactions and organic conversations.
Reading a colleague’s facial expressions and body language can help us better interpret their meaning and avoid misunderstandings.
Seeing a smiling face can help alleviate feelings of isolation, which can be a difficult problem for remote workers, especially those new to working remotely.
Video conferences motivate us to get dressed and look our best, which can improve mindset and productivity.
Having our cameras on holds us accountable for actively listening and participating in the meeting.
Sometimes, all it takes is one person to turn on their camera to encourage others to do the same. At your next virtual meeting, take the plunge and turn on your camera!
Tell Your Team How They Can Reach You
In today’s world, there are numerous ways to contact your colleagues or clients, whether by phone, email, text, chat, or video call—and beyond that, there are dozens of platforms for each method of communication. Make sure your colleagues and clients know your preferred method of communication, which may differ by purpose of interaction, at certain times of the day or week, and even between colleagues and clients depending on the resources available to them. Make communicating with you easy and reliable by making your preferences and availability clear.
Make an Effort to Celebrate Successes
Congratulating one another on team or individual successes is a great morale booster, but sharing this news with remote workers can be easily overlooked and forgotten. Be sure to make it a regular habit to share good news and congratulate others on their accomplishments by taking immediate action. Talk about successes in meetings, send a congratulatory email blast, highlight one another’s accomplishments on social platforms, and arrange virtual happy hours to celebrate together—the more creative, the better!
For more on how to successfully manage your staff, be sure to check back for more posts in our Learning to Lead series.
Interested in Joining Our Flexible Work Environment?
Here at MacroSys, we support all types of work situations. Interested in being part of our team? Check out our job openings at www.macrosysrt.com/career. If you don’t see any openings that fit your experience, send us your resume for future opportunities!