All things work from home have been popular globally due to the rise of technology and recently due to the virus outbreak.
In today’s interconnected world, many of us actually don’t need much more than a laptop and a good internet connection to get the job done. However, collaborating with a remote team can be challenging, especially if you are used to being in the office together and have to switch to a remote working set-up without a transition period. We all know that communication is essential so one key to success is to maintain open communication and effectively communicate with team members. So, without further ado – here are some tips to stay synced up with your team while working from different places.
1. Specify common working hours (if possible)
Working at home might make you lose track of time or miss an important opportunity to talk with your team when you need help. By doing this, your teammates will be able to respond quickly and efficiently while they still have some freedom to work at their favourite time slot. Sometimes your hours may not match up due to time zone differences – if so – you may want to try setting an overlapping slot for 2-3 hours.
2. Make sure things are easy to find
Make sure that important/frequently-used files are easily accessible online. Whenever someone needs to send a document with a company letter-head or creating a presentation – it’s always good to know where the source file is. Along with that – if you are ever sending files to someone – don’t forget to also notify them on multiple communication channels and also send the actual link.
3. Create productive meetings
Set-up a daily and/or weekly team-sync meeting is quite useful, especially for remote working. This will help keep the group engaged and still “see” each other virtually. It will also help identify whether a specific person or department needs help. To spice things up and keep it fresh so people are actually looking forward to the meeting – you can consider adding themed meetings from time to time such as all-black dress code or doing a short ice-breaker to get the conversation started. That being said – make sure the meeting is concise so people aren’t checked out before the meeting ends.
4. Keep track of daily tasks
Writing daily or weekly task lists and sending it across the team via email will help keep track of each other’s progress. It makes things clear for everyone of what they’ve done – especially if multiple people are involved. Teammates will also be able to seamlessly check back later for any references. It may seem like a hassle at first – but soon it will become a habit that will give you a better vision of your work.
5. More conversations
Chat with your team more regularly in organized channels will help you keep in touch with each other. You may need different chat rooms for different projects or purposes but keep it balanced since overusing platforms can decrease productivity instead of boosting it.
6. Address questions and problems ASAP
Whenever you are stuck, ask your teammates for help as soon as possible. Remember that other than chat rooms and project management tools – we all likely carry a mobile phone and it’s just one ring away. The sooner the team acknowledges the issue, the better. Don’t hesitate and ask away.
7. Build a healthy relationship
This is not merely setting up a meeting – but also about the well-being of other team members. If you are a manager – you may also consider doing a one-on-one meeting with your team every once in a while to tackle problems and address concerns.
This also goes both ways so don’t forget to reach out to your supervisors if you face any issues or need to talk with someone. Group activities such as online lunches, playing co-op games, or Netflix Watch party will also foster this workplace atmosphere.
At the end of the day,
these are just some remote working tips you can try out with your teams which can be adjusted to suit your company culture as you see fit. Just remember that you should communicate whenever you have doubts, questions, concerns, feedback, or updates, and communicate as clearly as possible so that everyone in your team can work smoothly no matter where they are. Sometimes it might require more effort but, trust me, communication will definitely help!