.jpg)
Effective team communication is always important, but it is now more challenging as most of the people work from home to reduce potential exposure to coronavirus.
The move to virtual working felt like a simple answer to a complex problem. However, physical isolation if not managed appropriately, will have unintended consequences, like decreased moral & reduced productivity.
Humans are social creatures, and as such many of our resilience resources are affected by our social interactions.
QUALCO has adopted successful strategies to maintain resilience & effective communication amongst its teams. To summarize these strategies and our experience so far, here are 5 key tips for establishing an efficient remote team communication.
Support
Confidence
Tenacity
Recovery
Agility
Support Tips
Provide our teams with not only practical but also psychological support
Initiate not only task driven conversations but also connect with our staff on a personal level
Schedule recurrent team meetings
Simulate corridor conversations virtually (e.g. five-minute check-in calls or a message via digital platforms)
People largely derive confidence through their interactions with their teammates. Working in teams and interacting across the company provides them with daily feedback on their contribution, even if they don’t notice. Their ideas are reinforced in conversations and team interactions, they often see an output connected to their contribution, and they can more tangibly see the value they bring. Remote working decreases feedback loops.
Confidence Tips
Increase our affirmative feedback
Recognize small milestones & individual’s contribution to team goals
Acknowledge what our people do well, even the small things
Make them understand that you notice their contribution
Tenacity Tips
Help them maintain the big picture
Remind them of enduring purpose and your team’s long term goals
Coach them to identify solutions when they feel overcome by the challenges they are facing or the uncertainty they need to navigate
Discuss with them even if you don’t have the answer in everything. Talking about feelings and uncertainty helps to cope with them
Recovery Tips
Help our team members working remotely to find ways to take breaks and recharge through connection with family members and/or co-workers
Work from home does not mean availability 24/7
Set up digital as many forms of social connection as possible
Reinforce our people's one on one communication with other team members
Agility Tips
Encourage them to transform challenges to opportunities
Enhance their agility to handle the new reality
Empower them to develop a growth mindset
Brainstorm together new ways of handling your everyday or long term challenges
Our practical guide recaps to the following:
We bring the office daily life in remote working
We stay close to our teams and peers
We standardize the methods of communication i.e team morning coffee daily at 11 am for ½ hour
3. How Leaders Can Show Empathy During Uncertain Times, Alissa Carpenter
