Optimizing communication needs to be a priority to make remote work successful. You can achieve this by making your tools and processes used for a workforce separated by distance.
As remote and hybrid workplaces become the norm, communication and collaboration tools like email, messaging apps, and project management platforms are increasingly used. These asynchronous communication systems are excellent ways to increase the efficiency of remote work.
But, in real-time communication, you can’t see your team members face-to-face and deal with employees who could live in entirely different time zones.
Keep reading to learn some ways to improve communication on your remote team.
Photo by Scott Graham on Unsplash
What is real-time communication?
Any kind of telecommunication in which participants may send and receive data near-real time with little or no delays is considered real-time communication (RTC).
RTC always finds the shortest and most efficient route for every given set of inputs and outputs. Even though the connection may have numerous intermediary nodes, data isn’t kept in between.
How To Optimize Remote Work With Real-Time Communication
1. Utilize Asynchronous Communication Techniques
Asynchronous solutions allow remote teams to communicate across regions and time zones. Here are a few ways used for Asynchronous Communication;
- The first one is Video calling systems, which enable distant team members to participate in meetings that would typically take place in person.
- Workplace communication tools serve as centers for all internal communications, including public communications, corporate updates, private messaging, and client interactions.
- With a distance training tool, you may develop course materials inside the platform to teach recruits remotely.
2. Create a Listening Culture
If an organization values its workers, it will take the time to hear them out on issues like career aspirations, workplace complaints, and areas in need of development. Developing a culture of listening optimizes remote communication by allowing employees to feel heard even when they are thousands of miles away, thereby increasing their productivity and engagement.
A UKG poll reveals that 92% of highly engaged employees feel heard at work, compared to 30% of disengaged workers. Another 74% of workers say that being listened to increases their productivity.
3. Conduct Virtual Team-Building meetings
Remote workers may benefit from face-to-face meetings, even if only virtually since you can learn more about their aspirations and the obstacles in their way and help them formulate a strategy to get where they want to go. Implementing async work strategies in between these meetings can ensure continual progress and collaborative efforts, maintaining momentum and fostering a sense of unity among remote team members.
In spite of the physical distance, showing your remote workers that you value their professional development by engaging in open dialogue about their professional aspirations and actively listening to their feedback is essential.
You should schedule regular, virtual one-on-one sessions with your remote staff. Appointments should be scheduled every two to three weeks so you can monitor their development.
4. Provide Specific Directions and Instructions
Consider the significance of giving clear, comprehensive directions. These may include guidelines for interpersonal interaction, such as
- Which words and phrases are suitable for business communication?
- Sharing information efficiently across team members
- Group chats app protocol.
This way, employees can take comfort in knowing that everyone on the team is on the same page about expectations and can focus on getting work done. They will be less anxious that the team will make a mistake now that they have delegated the job amongst themselves.
5. Promote a Healthy Work-Life Balance
As a manager, you should urge your team members to maintain a healthy work-life balance and refrain from requiring them to work extra. As for us all, we should be careful to distinguish between work time and leisure time.
Several methods to do this are:
- Restricting screen time outside the workplace,
- Disabling notifications,
- Taking the time to unwind and rest,
- Find strategies to enclose your spare time and prevent it from being swallowed by work-related concerns.
6. Normalize Communication And Promote Feedback
It should be clear that you should be honest about internal procedures and promote employee input. They are particularly relevant to real-time communication and remote teams, as the former may help break through the isolation that can arise when team members are not physically connected. You could, for instance, utilize a team messaging software to:
- Schedule weekly or even daily updates-sharing meetings.
- Encourage employee input
- Encourage open intellectual discourse.
7. Optimize Your Videoconferencing Productivity
Online meetings are crucial for distant communication. By doing so, you ensure that each meeting has a defined goal and does not hinder your team’s productivity. Here’s how to make a virtual meeting with your team:
- Having a prepared agenda ensures that all attendees are on the same page with the meeting’s purpose and subjects of discussion and helps keep the group from wandering off track.
- Since video calling works best when everyone on the team knows what they’re supposed to be doing, you must give them specific tasks.
- Too many remote team meetings might clog their schedules and overwhelm them with unneeded communication.
Conclusion
The performance of remote businesses may be substantially attributed to real-time communication systems. Even if distant teams may have difficulties with this mode of communication, most of its benefits are still available to them.
As more and more businesses are switching to virtual systems, Quickblox is one of the secure real-time communication apps which helps colleagues to communicate irrespective of time and region.
You can start, maintain, and enhance your remote team’s real-time communication and cooperation if you take the appropriate approach and use our ideas.
