Five ways to establish effective communication in remote teams

The term "remote" itself has a connotation of automation. With travel blockades, social distancing and other restrictions brought about by the coronavirus epidemic, remote communication has become the main measure for many companies to operate their businesses. As we all know, people cannot do without communication. However, the greater the distance, the greater the gap and difficulty in communication, but with advanced technology and tools, there is nothing to worry about. According to a survey study, nearly half of the respondents in the United States prefer to work remotely or work from home, and they can work according to their actual situation.

Regardless of the communication technology used, remote communication through online platforms still has glitches and shortcomings. Companies are looking to overcome various obstacles to effectively maintain the work of remote teams. Here are five ways to establish effective communication in remote teams.

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1. Remote communication

This form of communication is introduced when people communicate through electronic devices and other tools such as telephone, mobile, email, video conferencing, etc. This form of virtual communication comes into being when face-to-face communication is not possible. Communication in remote teams is essential to keep members connected and aware of each other's progress.

2. Mode

Make sure your team is happy with the decision and invite everyone to participate in the discussion. Video conferencing will energize team members and put them into efficient working mode. Virtual face-to-face chats can bring significant results for effective communication in remote teams. Therefore, managers need to encourage teams to build or adopt remote communication platforms such as Microsoft Teams, Skype, Zoom, WebEx and other community applications. Another example is Basecamp, where team members can chat directly and share documents and files, tasks and questions, make calls and chat, which can get work done faster.

3. Goals

Set a goal for each team member so they know what they are working on every day. Remote team communication makes it easy to connect with colleagues and keep them updated on each other’s progress. Submitting a daily activity report at the end of the day helps employees stay on track of their tasks and make more progress. Using an app to track the team’s progress and provide feedback is very useful and more accessible. Once the team is aware of their goals, they will do their best to meet the implementation.

4. Office culture

It’s crucial to strengthen intimacy within your team, which can be achieved through available digital platforms. Maintaining office culture in a remote location is difficult, but companies can create a corporate culture of remote work. Here are some tips to break the ice, build friendships, and improve team communication efficiency:

• Virtual lunch.
• Group discussion activities.
• Happy hour.
• Online team building activities.
• Coffee break.
• Work hours to solve interesting challenges.

5. Visual Effects

Online platforms can be more deceptive and distracting. Remote communication modes can make employees lose focus, watch other content during meetings, do chores at home, or even sleep during meetings. To avoid such distractions and obstacles, using visual images, videos, or infographics can be very useful to maintain the integrity of remote team communication. These tools can help employees improve their concentration and better understand the topic of discussion, making communication effective. If you want to get the attention of your employees, there are some tips to keep in mind:

• Don't overload your slides with text.
• Use a simple color scheme and professional layout.
• Use appropriate images and videos.
• Make a chart to explain.

Using visual communication in remote team communication mode has proven to be very effective. It helps employees remember the key points and understand the concepts better. Apart from that, presentations in this mode become more productive.

Remote team communication is challenging and difficult, but taking various steps to overcome these difficulties is something that should be attempted. Effective remote team communication is based on taking creative actions to improve methods.