Effective Communication Skills for Efficient and Collaborative Remote Work
Effective communication skills are the foundational principle of any relationship. The extent to which those skills and principles are displayed have a direct correlation between the health of those same relationships. Those rules and principles also apply in the business world.
Whether meeting a new client for the first time, sitting down as a team to brainstorm new ideas, clearly transposing notes and memos to disseminate company-wide, or just sending an email, good communication is key to success.
Being that so much has changed in the last decade— but especially these last few years with the pandemic— individuals, businesses, and teams have had to rethink, reorganize, and learn new techniques and means by which to communicate. While many of the same principles and technologies still apply and have transitioned over into the world of the new “normal”, there are still emerging technologies and communication standards that are being reshaped in everyday life and business situations.
For any business, entrepreneur, or budding organization that is looking to build and maintain its strength, it has become necessary to keep up with these evolutions to remain relevant and effective. As such, here are some effective communication skills for efficient and collaborative remote work.
Effective Communication Skills
Showing Empathy
This is a communication skill that should not be overlooked or underestimated. With the world now being interconnected by multiple forms of communications technologies means that there are many more nuances that need to be paid attention to when connecting with people. Where, in the past, most connections were eventually conducted face to face at some point in the hiring or project development process, there were many more body language and social cues to consider.
Being that face-to-face conversations have lessened somewhat as individuals and companies have shifted their processes to consistently more digital formats, it can be harder to get to know people. Without some significant time to be able to ask questions and get to know an individual’s past can lead to a lack of emotional connection. That lack can create more challenging situations when projects need to be completed.
If things start going wrong, tempers rise, and patience wanes, people can be more prone to outbursts. When not controlled and regulated consistently, relationships can strain or all out ruined very quickly.
Empathy is the ability to listen effectively enough to put oneself in the emotional position of another person and is a core principle of counseling. Being intentional about considering what people are thinking, why they are thinking it, and how their own personal lives may be disrupting their ability to do a good job is a wise way to temper tense situations.
Additionally, those people who are able to do this consistently are more prone to making teams work together more efficiently. That efficiency translates well into accomplished projects, more won proposals, and greater profitability for the team or business.
Software for Collaboration
Team collaboration is essential for project completion. Working with employees that are scattered across the country or even the world requires imaginative thinking and often extracurricular activity to better connect and collaborate. Without them, there can be a serious lack of efficiency that can seep into a team and organization.
The good news is that website and app developers have been hard at work for years to overcome these challenges while still maintaining the necessary traditional means of communicating.
All the new apps and software that’s been developed in the last few years have caught on in very trendy ways. Software like Google Drive and chat, Slack, and even Facebook means that there are even more ways to keep in touch, share files, set meetings, and even host video conferencing.
These software are designed to bring teams together in creative ways while enhancing efficiency interdepartmentally. Teams can work on the same document, presentation, or project simultaneously, editing, adding, and changing things in real-time.
Comment sections create a safer, less intense form of critique that can make people more comfortable with suggestions or directions. More than that, the centralization of teamwork on servers means that files are constantly backed up, easily findable, and collectively organized so that, on the day of an important presentation, that important PowerPoint won’t be left on a USB drive in someone’s car.
Practicing Regular Check-Ins
Back in the days of the traditional 9-5, where meetings were plenty (sometimes overly so), being able to check in with team members meant that people had a greater chance to understand where the team was at in a project deadline. Since people and businesses have shifted to more digital, hybrid, and remote management, it can be harder to maintain this level of continuity.
While there will always be people who prefer to work alone and even flourish in that independence, too much isolation can create problems when it comes time to collaborate again. Managers who understand the balance between supportive freedom and necessary communication are more effective leaders.
The team lead or boss who can play that line while respecting project goals, personal requirements, and client requests will make the whole process smoother and more enjoyable by averting the chances of logical fallacies on the job and too many assumptions.
Body Language in Virtual Spaces
Body language makes up the majority of effective communication, while verbal and tonal cues make up the rest. When attempting to communicate or learn in digital environments so much of that can be lost (quite literally) in translation.
Almost everyone has had a moment while texting, emailing, or chatting, where something that was typed came off in questionable content or tone. While emojis have helped in small and humorous ways to reinforce the specifics of intent, there can still be plenty of room for misunderstanding. This is where body language comes in.
A virtual space that utilizes video formatting makes space and time for team members to fill in some of those communication gaps by learning how to relate to specific individuals. More time spent in these formats means a higher chance of effective understanding in communication.
This article has been published in accordance with Socialnomics’ disclosure policy.
