A CEO recently reached out to us with a problem. She said that her newly permanent remote teams are having varying levels of success communicating with each other. Some of her teams are operating at levels higher than they ever did while in the office. But many others are struggling. She said that she has lately been getting emails from some of their employees expressing concerns. Some feel they now need to be “on-call” around the clock; their managers contact them at all hours and on weekends. Others have said the opposite. They can’t get any response from their managers for even the simplest questions. While in the office together, she never had these issues. What can she do to help these teams?
Simply put – Create a plan and enforce it with training.
Develop an intentional communications plan
Communication becomes exponentially more important in the remote environment, and teams must be far more intentional with how and when they engage with one another. With a myriad of new communication tools and seemingly 24/7 accessibility of remote teammates, it is all too easy to interrupt employees’ work time or invade their personal hours regularly and without awareness. Conducting sensitive or difficult conversations dependent on body language and expression can be a challenge over video, and poorly worded messaging can be the impetus for misunderstanding and frustrations. Needless to say, communication in the virtual workplace is essential, challenging, and something all organizations should focus on. Selecting the right tools, establishing rules for engagement, providing training, and consistent modeling and reinforcement from management are keystones to successful remote communication.
Make sure to include your tools
While convenient and used by practically all organizations, email is not the best for all communications in a remote or hybrid environment. In talking with clients and others, we see an overreliance on email as a primary internal communication tool. According to Radicati, 121 business emails are sent and received each day. With so many emails, it’s difficult for people to keep up with external replies, let alone replies to their internal team. Instead, we recommend that teams strive to reserve email communication for formal messaging or external communications. Consider using other tools like Microsoft Teams or Slack for informal chatting and real-time collaboration. Regardless of the tool, finding an avenue for quick and often informal communication is important for productivity and recreating organic communication between teammates.
Hierarchy can lead to clarity
Regardless of the tools chosen, we strongly recommend establishing and enforcing a hierarchy of communication that streamlines the way your team connects and protects the boundaries of your employees. Establishing a hierarchy of response (i.e., use the PM tool to check on status updates; use IMs (like Slack) for quick questions or messages; use email for formal communication, external communication, or “FYI” communication, use texting for urgent matters, etc.) provides transparency for all. It clarifies response-time expectations that help staff set boundaries around their off-hours, allowing them to take critical mental breaks from their jobs. (Click COMMUNICATION HIERARCHY to get a copy of our communication hierarchy worksheet.)
Training Provides the Backbone of Support in a Remote Environment
Equally as important as defining the right communication hierarchy is reinforcing this behavioral change. Anticipate the implementation of a communication hierarchy to take time and consistent reinforcement. Empower managers and all team members to hold each other accountable. At the outset of implementation, consider introductory training for all staff introducing new practices and an additional review with managers on how to reinforce this behavior.
Training is a key aspect of optimizing remote employees to be their most efficient and happy selves. Middle managers are the crux of communication and workflow within a team. In the remote environment, their role becomes even more critical as the culture carriers of an organization. Thorough and targeted training for people managers means equipping them with the skills and knowledge to:
- Communicate effectively and empathetically
- Detect and support employees mental and physical health from a distance
- Provide consistent and positive coaching towards goals and development
- Foster a community of connection (which we know takes a specific skillset
in a distributed work world)
As a first step, organizational leaders must understand managers’ concerns and respond to them. To do so, concentrate your training efforts on these leaders and their top concerns. According to the State of Association Workplaces Post Pandemic Survey, those top concerns were onboarding, management, transparency, communication, and culture.
In a remote environment, it is essential to:
- Rely on tools and documentation to track and communicate progress; they also help maintain an accurate understanding of project status
- Build trust between team members
- Eliminate the need for micromanagement or excessive check-ins
Moreover, training should address specific areas of concern, such as team connection, performance, and wellbeing. Not responding to those areas could lead to speedbumps as you transition to a long-term remote or hybrid workplace.
Check on your employees
Lastly, don’t forget to regularly assess employees’ feelings toward communication in the remote or hybrid workplace. Do they feel out of the loop? Feel connected to their manager(s)? Are they appropriately receiving meaningful feedback? Communications’ training must go beyond tools and modes of communication to include how to have meaningful communications.
It is essential for your team to have a solid foundation for internal communication, an emphasis on transparency, and regular staff assessments. Without that foundation, your team will quickly feel productivity and information falling through the cracks of a virtual or hybrid office.
To see if your foundation has any cracks, contact us today about our assessment and other ways we can help you optimize your team’s communication.