Communication is Essential, Especially in the World of Remote Work

As leaders, communication is central to our success and the success of our organizations. The Covid-19 pandemic, which sent most of the workforce home to complete their jobs from kitchen tables, home offices and closets, put a magnifying glass on any flaws in our communication styles. No longer able to rely on face-to-face conversations, leaders had to re-evaluate if they were actually as good at communicating as they thought. 

While the crisis of Covid-19 has receded (Thank The Lord!) and much of the world is returning to a semblance of normal, work from home situations are far from a thing of the past. Much of the workforce is still working from home some if not all of the time, and many employers still allow some sort of flexible schedule in which staff spend some work hours at home. 

The communication challenges leaders are experiencing in the virtual work world are not going away any time soon. When communication is limited to apps like Zoom, Skype, Teams, and email, the essentials become even more important. Now is a good time to solidify the basics of good communication so you can continue leading your team no matter what the future holds. 

Establish Expectations

A new work environment is a challenge no matter who you are. Seasoned employees with 30 years of experience and recent college grads alike need guidance and clear expectations on how your team will operate. Set guidelines for your team on how often you need to touch base and through what channel to ensure you continue operating smoothly. Do you want a daily check in phone call, or is hearing from your team members once a week by enough for you? Do you want status updates on projects, or do you prefer just to receive the final product at the deadline? Make sure you’ve communicated this in advance to your team so they know your expectation and can avoid frustration or confusion.

Be Specific 

Experts agree that 70 to 93 percent of communication is non-verbal, so leaders are at a huge deficit in the virtual working world. Cues your team might pick up on, such as the importance of certain deadlines, structure of the organization, how often humor is used, etc., are likely lost in email. This is especially true if you’ve onboarded a new team member who doesn’t have the benefit of history with the company or your communication style and preferences.

When communicating with your team members, be extra specific to ensure nothing is lost. State whether the deadline is a soft deadline or whether it’s a drop dead date. Make sure each team member knows what the mission is and how they can contribute to the team’s success.

If you’re giving feedback on a project, take the extra step of picking up the phone to go over your criticisms or areas to improve so you can ensure they understand. Most importantly, give your team members the opportunity to ask questions. One easy strategy is to use the phrase, “What questions do you have?” or “How can I be helpful to you?” instead of just “Do you have any questions?” This sets the expectation that they will have questions and you are ready to answer them and give your support to your team members. 

Offer Encouragement 

For some of your team members who are still working from home, you need to remember that they may feel a bit disconnected from you and your team. Not only have they lost the feeling of team camaraderie, their own insecurities may be plaguing them when they don’t have the reassurance of team feedback. Take time to offer encouragement to your employees and reassure them of their gifts and contributions to the company and ensure they know they are a valued member of the team, even if they are working remotely. This takes extra effort on your part, as you must now be more intentional about picking up the phone or sending a warm email. 

Be proactive and mindful of how communication can improve the workplace culture and continue to foster a sense of teamwork. While most companies have required employees to return to the office, there are some people who are still working from home part if not all of the time. By demonstrating strong leadership and your commitment to your team members, you can continue leading your team to success no matter what changes come your way.  

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