6 Best Communication Strategies for Remote Work

By Kailey Walters on October 30, 2020

For many people, working remotely can still take some getting used to. Not being in the office can make it a lot more difficult to communicate with colleagues sometimes, which is why it’s more important now than ever to be aware of how you communicate with your employees. Read on for a few tips on how to improve your communication strategy.

via Pexels

1. Listen to your employees.

Half of communicating effectively is listening effectively. Whether you’re in a meeting with ten other people or one of your colleagues or employees comes to you for an individual chat, make sure to always be an attentive, active listener. That means processing everything they’re saying and coming up with some sort of response or feedback that shows you are taking them seriously. Doing so will show that you are willing to pay attention to what they have to say and that you have a response — a solution, a question to prod them further, a bit of advice — to help them out.

2. Make use of email.

In this world of constant video conference calls, it’s all too easy to get overwhelmed by a crazy busy schedule. While you and your employees probably get tons and tons of emails every day, it may be a good idea to send out some emails to remind employees of upcoming meetings and other news that you want to provide updates on. Of course, you don’t want to end up sending too many emails because that will just have the opposite effect and inundate them with unnecessary messages. Instead, be conscious of what you are saying in the email: Are you being concise? Are you only saying what is necessary? Make sure that you are respecting your employees’ time by sending out emails that contain important information.

3. Stick with a set schedule.

When it comes to working remotely, it’s important to maintain a consistent schedule every day of the workweek so that your employees know what to expect from you. Firstly, you should schedule daily huddles with your employees, preferably first thing in the morning, to communicate with everyone on the priorities for the day and resolve anything that needs immediate attention. Having these daily meetings will not only keep everyone on the same page for the day and the rest of the week, but it will also help to build or maintain a sense of community among your employees.

Sticking with a consistent schedule is important for you as well. You’ll want to work consistent hours most days so that others will know when to reach you and when you’ll be available. This way, you’ll be able to show your employees that you are reliable, responsive, and accessible on a regular basis, leaving the channels of communication wide open for them. Having a set schedule is also a good thing to do for yourself so that you can balance your social life and work life successfully.

4. Offer encouragement and feedback.

When engaging in conversations with your employees, it’s important that you offer helpful encouragement and feedback when they have something to say. Doing so will show that you are invested and care about their thoughts and ideas, which will make them feel appreciated and listened to.

5. Ask how your employees prefer to communicate.

Part of being a good manager (and a good listener) is taking time to gauge how your employees feel. To that end, you should always ask them what their preferred mode of communication is. While some may prefer communicating with you over email, some might rather talk over a video call. This depends on the employees, so make sure to check in with each of them individually to see what they want to do.

6. Avoid or resolve conflicts.

Conflicts, whether in person or remote, are never fun to deal with in a work environment. Sometimes miscommunication can lead to conflicts among employees and even between you and one of your employees or colleagues. To avoid this, you should make sure to employ the above-mentioned communication strategies so that everyone is on the same page with any given topic. If a conflict does happen to arise, make sure to listen attentively so that, as mentioned earlier, you can show you are invested and care about the other person’s situation.

Communicating effectively doesn’t have to be overly complicated, even if your company is working entirely remotely. Take advantage of the opportunities you have to communicate even more effectively with your employees than before; make use of email, video calls, and any other means available to stay in touch with others appropriately.

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