Working Remotely: Communication, Communication, Communication

As we settle into remote working and more companies think about keeping it as an option for employees in the future, leadership should consider the impact on their leadership styles and practices.

What are some best practices for productivity, motivation, engagement and performance?

Communication. Maybe what feels like over-communicating for some. The questions are how, when, what.

Rules of Engagement

Managers should set the rules of engagement and communicate expectations. Give thought to the cadence of meetings, modes of communication for various types of work, expected response times, and hours expected to be “at your desk”. Don’t let the expectations or inevitable practice become 24-7.

Let your team know the best time and way to reach you. You should be accessible. They should feel as comfortable reaching out as they would swinging by your office. A quick end of day check-in, do you need me for anything?

Regular and Predictable

Sounds boring I know. In this case, a schedule and regular touchpoints are key to productivity and motivation. Each organization will be different and when and how often will be based on the size of teams, workflow, types of tasks or projects.

Does your team have many daily tasks? Maybe a morning all-hands meeting is best to confirm what everyone is doing and any impediments to that happening. Are you working on longer-term projects – once a week, bi-weekly? Have you asked your team what’s the best time to meet, maybe they have more energy in the morning to tackle bigger projects or have homeschooling to do. Timing can impact the quality of the communications. 5pm on a Friday never a good idea if you can avoid it. 

Take the Time

Team meetings and town halls are great but it is important to have one-on-ones with each member of your team (to the extent practical), at a minimum your direct reports.

This is not to keep tabs but to check-in. Block off an hour. Ask questions that will help you to know if something is wrong or not working. Do you feel included in team decisions? What would make your job easier? Are you happy with the tools we are using? You could ask questions to get at team dynamics, maybe they are having a hard time connecting with a team member. Everyone responds differently to remote work and has their own stuff going on around them – just because it was seamless at the office, it may not be now. 

Then, you answer their questions.

At the end of a meeting, take a minute (if it’s now a fire drill or urgent to-do) to engage in a little small talk. How’s the family? Hobbies or interests? Built trust and a rapport.

Tools (obvious one I think!)

Technology continues to fuel communication and information sharing. Today, we have Zoom, Slack, Dropbox, Google documents, Microsoft Teams, Asana, Trello, to name a few.

Match your technology with the type of communication. Match your workflow and information sharing to the right software. 

Slack channels may be a great way for quick collaboration for small teams and projects. IM if it’s urgent.

Video for checking in, whiteboarding, or strategy. For more robust discussions and collective decision-making. Virtual is key. 93% of human communication is non-verbal. Visual cues are important for the more complex and sensitive issues. We all have misread the tone of a text message which led to unnecessary tension and assumptions.

Of course, there is email just be careful it doesn’t start to create bottlenecks. You cannot go knock on someone’s door or stand outside and stalk (we have all done it!) and we have to appreciate that people have additional responsibilities and distractions right now.

Thoughtful Transparency

Being transparent and sharing information is so important to keeping team members engaged, workflow efficient, and maintaining trust between you and your team.

Hold AMAs once a week. Or, I read about a Founder that calls it AMTA - ask me or tell me anything. Now, not everyone is going to feel secure enough to speak out and tell you something – good or bad. And, you want to know the bad. Maybe use something like Officevibe for anonymous feedback.

Hold office hours - set aside an hour a week. I understand you can have it so people can login and first come, first serve. When it someone’s turn you lock the meeting for those 10 mins, everyone else can come back or queue up.

As an executive team, share news – the wins, the losses, the numbers, the struggles (with limits obviously). Maybe, each week share one department’s OKRs and current projects. What used to get around the office about what everyone is working on outside your own bubble isn’t happening as easily. 

What about how other people are experiencing remote working or the pandemic. One of the best I read, Sudheesh Nair of ThoughtSpot uses some company-wide meetings to spotlight a particular group in the office. For example, he had women leaders present on the extra pressure women may be feeling juggling it all. What about the administrative staff?

We all have to step up our games, challenge ourselves to think outside the box, be sensitive to the downsides of remote work, and foster personal growth and teamwork if we want to be successful in whatever the future of work looks like in the new normal.