Remote or Office - Years later and the debate still continues, so how are you working these days?
Many businesses have encouraged the remote work model, and others have returned to the office in a hybrid or full time approach. Apps like Teams and Zoom have allowed us to effectively communicate and actually helped businesses expand their reach. Many factors come into play; productivity, efficiency, and of course work-life balance. But for the employer, communication is key.
Our very own Lindsey Corbin shares her top five strategies to effectively communicate in a remote environment:
1.Foster an open door environment.
It’s crucial for your team to know that no matter what they have to say, they can say it. Making sure to actually pencil (or type) in time in your schedule to talk to your team members is extremely important. Your team has to feel comfortable working with you when you’re not physically together and know that you are there to discuss anything that is on their mind. An open door environment applies to both one on one and group meetings.
2. Set boundaries
In order to have effective communication practices with your team, you have to set boundaries. I’m not talking about only setting boundaries in your professional life, but your personal as well. Setting boundaries at home and in the professional space can make or break your efforts of establishing effective communication.
3. You have to trust your team.
If there is one thing I have learned about starting an entirely new business during a pandemic, while 100% working remotely, and only having met 2 of my 13 team members in person, it’s that you have to trust your team and your gut. When you trust your team, they will communicate what is necessary with you following your open door environment. Each employee can choose to be as productive, consistent and dedicated as they want to be. My business is based on delegating work, so trusting my employees is something I am always practicing.
4. Give Feedback
Yes, we may not all be together; however, we ALL are still on the same team. Now, more than ever, it’s important to celebrate the small wins we have not only as a company, but also at an individual level. Taking the time to send your colleague or teammate a message congratulating them on their hard work saying, “Hey ______, I heard how happy the client was with your work! Keep it up.”
5. There will be setbacks
No matter what setback you are facing, you have to keep moving forward as a leader. There are hundreds of different outlets, services and apps you can use to communicate with your team, but you have to find what works best for you specifically.
Everyone has their own problems, obstacles, and challenges that arise- it’s part of life.