Effective communication within a remote team hinges on two fundamental principles: careful planning and adjustments for the virtual environment. As more teams transition to remote work, it's crucial to recognize that the subtle forms of communication present in a physical office don't always transfer seamlessly to an online setting. Establishing clear guidelines for team communication is essential for maintaining productivity and ensuring team satisfaction.
Understanding context is crucial when working remotely. When communicating digitally, you can't always know what the other person is doing at that moment. They might be at their desk like you, or they could be rushing to a sales meeting, responding briefly with a "Yes" because they don't have time to elaborate.
Without knowing the other person's situation, you might mistakenly think they don't care about the issue you raised when, in reality, they're just trying to catch a cab in San Francisco (which is no easy feat).
With context, those brief responses suddenly make sense: it's not that your coworker is uninterested, but they're simply busy at that moment.
Providing context before communicating can help prevent misunderstandings. Let team members know when you're focused on a project and can't respond immediately. It's always better to over-communicate than to make assumptions.
Remember, tools can obscure the intentions and humanity of the people involved.
Tools are crucial in remote work because they form the basis for communication. Unlike in a physical office where you can simply walk up to someone's desk, you need to rely on tools to create your "virtual office." Without today's advanced technology, remote work wouldn't be feasible.
When you need to see progress, at-a-glance status updates, and all relevant resources related to a project or team’s work, Artavolo is your virtual office. All the information updates in real-time and is accessible 24/7, allowing team members to pick up the context, communications, and status of any request, project, meeting agenda, or other items at their convenience.
Artavolo also supports Chat for collaboration and integrates seamlessly with Slack, providing versatile communication options. Additionally, Artavolo offers Notes functionality similar to Google Keep, making it easy to organize and share ideas.
By the way, Artavolo benefits from constant use and feedback from its remote team, ensuring it remains a user-friendly and effective product.
Check out our templates for remote work: remote work templates and more details about Artavolo as a solution for remote work.
