Sometimes it’s necessary for teams to work remotely. For some, it’s the norm and collaboration and communication via digital methods is second nature. For everyone else who is getting used to a new way of working and collaborating, here are our top tips for successful remote working.
Whether it’s an 8am daily huddle or a 5pm catch up, keeping to your ordinary meeting rhythm will help add structure and cohesion to your days. So long as everyone is equipped to work remotely, you can catch up via Group Facetime, Zoom or a multitude of other video conferencing facilities. Keep to your normal agendas and maintain as much normality as you can.
When you’re working remotely it’s easy to get stuck into your tasks and only communicate with others at scheduled times. However, sometimes it’s healthy to just pick up the phone and chat to people spontaneously. Long distance relationships are best built and maintained on a mixture of scheduled and unscheduled communications.
In some organisations, the culture is such that only work subjects are discussed in work time. Sometimes it’s good to break free of this tradition and remember that people like to talk. Especially if one of your team is self-isolating due to illness in their family. A lively personably conversation about their garden, the weather or any other subject of interest could be just what they need to keep motivated and working productively for the remainder of the day.
Have lunch together, stop for a coffee via WhatsApp call, or keep up your Friday happy hour tradition. Adding elements of fun and social interaction into your day help make people happier and more productive.
Everyday moments and informal information sharing is often missed when teams are working remotely. Anything from the overheard phonecall, passing comment to an off-the-cuff operations team update won’t be so common when everyone is spread in different locations. Make a conscious effort to communicate effectively, and never assume that someone is going to have picked something up.
Working from home can sometimes be lonely and frustrating. It’s important to stay positive. Lean hard on other people as well as technology and discover new ways to interact with your colleagues.