Communication is something all teams have to work on. It’s an essential skill that’s crucial to business success. Before the world turned remote, businesses may have had weekly meetings or team check-ins to make sure that communication was constantly flowing among team members. The good news is that effective team communication can still happen online.
Communicating as a Leader
When you’re leading a team, you want to build trust and a sense of mutual respect. That happens with clear team communication. Set team objectives, prioritize and assign tasks, and let your team members know how they can help to contribute to the overall business goals.
It’s also important to be accountable as a leader by providing consistent feedback to your team. It’s okay to let your team members know that you want and expect to hear from them on a consistent basis. Keep those lines of communication open with them. And even though an “open door policy” may not be realistic while working remotely, the principle still holds up.
Let your team members know when they can have “office hours” or weekly check-ins with you via a video call. By doing so, you set an expectation and are communicating effectively. Doing this helps you to create a culture of openness, transparency, and feedback, which helps you to build trust among your team. And all of this can happen remotely.
Inspiring Team Collaboration
Not only is it important for you, as a leader, to have effective team communication - it’s also crucial for your team members to communicate with one another.
In an office setting, you can get up, take breaks, and talk to your co-workers. What used to be called “water cooler talk” is still relevant today. Employees need that break to step away from their work and connect with others. This is important for mental health and productivity.
So how do you foster a sense of connection in an often disconnected remote world?
As a leader, you can encourage your team to connect with each other during the day, through a video call or with whichever online communication tool your business uses. Set weekly team meetings or standups, even remotely, so that the team can stay accountable with one another. You can continue to foster a sense of community and connection among your team by getting creative. Suggest ideas to your team and see what they’d like to try. Some ideas include knowledge shares, an accountability group, creating a work playlist, sharing favorite podcasts, starting a virtual book club, or continuing with happy hours (just remotely).
Team communication shouldn’t stop because businesses are working remotely. If anything, it should encourage you to come up with new creative ways to communicate with your team. In fact, there’s never been a better time to create efficient, productive, and cohesive teams.
Need some help figuring out how to increase your team communication and engagement? Let us know - we can help.
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