The pandemic has forced many businesses into an unplanned pivot to remote work. For some companies, the remote work experiment has gone very well, and, indeed, some are making it permanent. Others have floundered.
If you are running a remote team for the first time and struggling, then you are likely to face problems that include lack of engagement, frustration, and even burnout. While remote work holds a lot of promise for the future, it works only when business leaders recognize the fundamental differences between remote work and in-person work. Central to these is communication. Lack of communication inevitably leads to a lack of engagement and motivation. So, how can we identify and address these communication issues? Here are some of the biggest problems and how to fix them.
Lack of Non-Verbal Communication
We don't realize just how much we communicate non-verbally until we are reduced to doing most of our communication via voice and text. Non-verbal communication is extremely important for picking up on subtle cues and understanding the meaning of what people say.
Losing those cues is a known problem. Text-based communication such as email is even worse as it removes tone of voice, which can help you determine somebody's intent when they speak. This can cause misunderstandings that result in short or even long-term interpersonal conflict and loss of productivity and engagement.
The fix? Use more video calls for communication. Choose video calling over audio-only conference calls when possible. However, don't schedule so many video meetings that you give your employees "Zoom fatigue."
Lack of Social Communication
Socialization at work improves engagement and is particularly important for some people. Those people are likely to be suffering from an overall lack of social contact. Socialization develops company culture and gives employees a sense of collaboration, which helps keep them satisfied and connected to the larger purpose of the company. It helps prevent employees from trying to solve problems on their own. A lack of socialization can also cause a stratification, where employees are less comfortable talking to managers and supervisors about their issues and personal lives.
The fix? Creating dedicated "water cooler" communications on Slack or other tools can help. So can virtual lunches and after-work gatherings. Private communication between employees who typically work closely together is important to help sustain those relationships. Don't forget to include managers and supervisors, who need socialization as much as others.
Lack of Check-Ins
In the office, business leaders can take a quick walk around and literally see who is doing well and who is struggling. They can determine when they have one employee who is overworked while another twiddles their thumbs. Depending on the office layout, they can even do this as they leave for, or come back from, a lunch break or meeting.
While everyone is remote, managers, and supervisors are left blind. Employees may or may not be willing to come forward with their problems without prompting, and managers may also be left in the dark about interpersonal issues until they become a real problem.
The fix? Check-in with each employee more often than you otherwise would. Scheduling one-on-ones regularly can really help. Also, make sure that employees know your virtual door is always open and try to respond to employee emails promptly during office hours. Make check-ins about giving support, not critiquing or giving new tasks. Don't be afraid to talk to employees about things other than work. This improves relationships and helps you continue to stay engaged with the employee.
Lack of Collaboration
Spontaneous collaboration is vital in many offices. When somebody needs to talk to another person, they can just walk over to their office and talk to them, request a task, or ask questions. In some offices, it's not uncommon to find employees in another worker's office almost as much as they are in their own, especially if they are working on a project together.
Remote work interferes with this natural process and makes collaborating with another person something which has to be scheduled and arranged. Spontaneous communication goes away and scheduled calls make everything stiff and formal. People are more likely to try and finish tasks themselves, even when they are struggling, which lowers productivity and can lead to situations where somebody has to redo another employee's work. This can cause resentment and conflict on both sides.
The fix? Encourage more communication about projects and goals, and encourage proactive communication. Hold check-in meetings when everyone talks about what they are working on, allowing for more offers of help. Continue to encourage direct communication between employees on the same project and in the same department.
Success in remote work very much comes down to communication. With spontaneous communication harder, it's important to keep more formal communication channels open and at the same time seek tools and opportunities to support the same kind of communication that happens in the office.
Having the right tools and techniques to communicate with your remote team can make the difference between failure and success. It can be the difference that determines whether you continue with remote work or rush back into the office as soon as it is safe.
