5 Ways to Improve Communication with Your Coworkers While Working Remotely

As a result of the 2020 COVID-19 pandemic, working from home has gone from being an option to being mandatory. For some people, having to work from home is a drastic and unfamiliar change, and adjusting to this new situation may prove a challenge. Thankfully, with burgeoning technology and combined efforts of people all over the world, communicating with your coworkers remotely has gotten easier than ever. Since you and your coworkers are all in the same situation together, doing what is right for one another is a common interest for all of you. This list contains five ways to improve communication with your fellow employees while working remotely.

Use the Right Organization Tools

Since this situation has affected everybody, the demand for proper tools to communicate effectively from home has grown more than ever. Thankfully, there are many tools at your disposal for facilitating work from home communication, as well as for organizing your schedule. This includes group notification technology like a slackbot, as well as organization tools like Microsoft Excel and Google Drive, which you can use to create spreadsheets for your team to use together to keep each other organized.

In addition, use communication programs such as Zoom and Skype, and schedule meetings at specific times to make sure your team is on track and communicating effectively. With the right tools, you can keep your goals organized and your coworkers all on task at the same time.

Set a Schedule

With the use of aforementioned tools, creating a schedule for you and your team of coworkers is a necessity for improving communication and keeping everybody focused on the task. Setting a schedule in which you lay out your goals for each week is imperative to effective communication and accomplishing your tasks. In your scheduled Skype or Zoom meetings, set expectations accordingly and focus on your goals. By keeping everyone focused and organized, you will get each day’s work done effectively.

Stay Calm and Relaxed

This world situation is stressful for everybody, and your coworkers are just as uncertain as you are. With this in mind, keep a calm and relaxed demeanor in your group meetings to ensure both you and your coworkers are happy and healthy. While you should focus on your goals, also make sure to keep a lighthearted mood going to ensure morale is high. This will keep the mood less dire and will keep everyone relaxed and focused on effective communication and accomplishing tasks.

Engage Your Coworkers

To help keep everyone on track when dealing with group projects and getting work done, keep up with regular communication among all of your coworkers while working. Engage in friendly, focused discussion, ask questions or allow your coworkers to ask you questions, and stay focused. Let them know you care about their situation as well as getting work done. Take efforts to ensure that you are all on the same page and do not close off anyone from asking you for help if they are lost or unsure of what to do next. You are all in this together, and by maintaining regular communication, the job will get done much easier.

Work Within the Limits of One Another

Since this is a stressful and uncertain time, making sure everybody is comfortable is key to effectively working with a group. It is important to set limitations for yourself as well as to be aware of the limitations of your fellow employees. Since working from home is a different atmosphere than working in an office environment, some of your coworkers might have trouble adjusting to this new situation. Understand everyone’s limitations and allow some leeway for each person as you all get accustomed to the new work environment. By being respectful and understanding, you will raise confidence and respect among your group.

This situation is new territory for everybody. Thankfully, with the combination of the right tech and cooperation, you can ensure healthy communication among your staff.