Communication plays a vital role in maintaining good, functional work relationships, especially while working remotely. Here are some tips on how to communicate effectively while out of the office:
- Add your remote hours to your email signature.
- Share your calendar with team members so they can see your availability.
- Use chat functions to encourage open communication throughout the day.
- Set up weekly meetings with team members to identify priorities and deliverables.
- Even though it is tempting, try not to multitask on conference calls. We all have been there- thinking this doesn’t pertain to me so it won’t hurt to quickly check email- then comes the awkward silence that makes you realize someone just asked you something and you have no idea what it was! To have productive conference calls step away from your computer and try walking around a bit to maintain your focus on the call.
- Use video conferencing when possible.
- When working remotely, it is important to maintain social connections so individuals and teams don’t begin to feel isolated.
- Homework doesn’t provide opportunities to run into your teammates like you at work, so having open chats and scheduled social calls can help promote well-being and connectivity.