More and more people are discovering that remote work can be the best way for you to boost productivity. You can create your own hours and get things done from the comfort of your own home.
However, when you’re working in a team, it can be hard to communicate well remotely. When you’re all in different locations or even different time zones, that’s not surprising. Here’s how you can improve communication in a remote team, wherever you are.
Have regular meetings
Thanks to video conferencing, you can all stay in touch no matter where you are. Take the time every so often to check in with each other, using a video conference. Within our team we’ve found that video conferencing can give you the face to face contact you really need to communicate well. We have an integration for video calling in Fleep with appear.in – but you can use any video conferencing software you find convenient for you.
If you’re all in different time zones, make sure you time them carefully. Be fair, too. If one team member needs to get up super early for a conference one time, give them a better afternoon time slot next time.
Use emoji
Emoji may seem like something that should remain in a teenager’s text messages, but emojis can be crucial. Why? Because when you’re communicating via messages, the recipient doesn’t have the benefit of tone or body language. What you could mean to be light hearted can seem quite accusatory to them.
Using emoji sparingly here and there is not just fun, but helps make it clear what you’re thinking. We have built-in support for emoji in Fleep, as well as our own Fleep emoticons to help you out!
Use team chat responsibly
Team chat is a great way to keep in touch with your team throughout the day. When you’re looking for a quick answer to a question, firing off a message can be the best way of getting it. When you use such team communication tools though, you need to make sure you’re using them responsibly.
First of all, remember that team chat culture is key. That is to say, how your team uses the chat for teams, often determines whether or not the tool helps your team get work done. Things like whether people expect immediate responses, whether each team member is in charge of their own attention span – they all matter.
Secondly, grammar matters, even in your team chat and project communication. Bad grammar can cause confusion and irritation with your colleagues and partners. If you feel as if you need help, a writing communities like Paper Fellows or Academized could help you out.
Useful communication tools
With the right tools, you can even further improve communication in a remote team. Here are some of the best online tools that your team can use.
- appear.in: This is one of the best web conferencing, video chat and screen sharing tools around.
- Fleep: This is a team chat tool that can be used on almost any device, and helps your team stay focused on what’s important.
- CloudTalk Phone System: This is a remote-ready communication software that empowers your sales and support teams. CloudTalk has interesting features like automated call distribution, dialer and callback option, IVR, and call center analytics.
- Word Counter: This tool can help your team keep their messages short and to the point when they need to. Enter your text in and you’ll get an accurate word count.
- Do My Assignment: This writing service can help you craft important messages and emails, when you need them the most.
- Write My Essay: This service is excellent when you need to improve your grammar. Work with an expert to see where you need to improve.
- Cite It In: Use this site to get the right citation for your sources, every time.
Better communication with a remote team is based on understanding everyone’s needs. If you take care of each other, you can all perform well.
