While COVID-19 presents many dangers to the general public, a difficult truth to face is that the suspension of work does the same. For those who are still lucky enough to have a job, there are a plethora of challenges that any team needs to overcome in order to work effectively. We all know the value of effective communication and how it enables teams to orchestrate their efforts to create meaningful results.

Unfortunately, the present conditions forced upon us by the pandemic severely hinder our ability to operate optimally, thus, it’s important for us to adapt to these conditions without losing our ability to produce results. So, how exactly should we manage our remote teams in order to ensure that they are able to communicate effectively?

Organize Your Channels

Copious amounts of information can easily overwhelm any communication channel and cause disarray in a project. To prevent this from happening, it’s important to organize the information being shared. Topic strands work well in this regard, and you can even create separate forums as needed.

Set Expectations

Your team needs to agree on what is expected from each member, be it regular reports, feedback, interaction points, schedules, etc. It’s important to communicate what is expected of a member in order to establish a standard routine. This allows your members to raise points timely and through the correct channels.

Celebrate Group Milestones

It’s important to celebrate milestones, not just as a means to determine how far along your team has come on a project, but also as a way to reward good work. Motivation and encouragement can go a long way in keeping spirits up, especially during difficult times such as this pandemic.

Create Contingencies

Things are bound to go wrong once in a while. One difficulty that we all have to contend with in remote work is if a member’s workspace is unable to provide the conditions that are conducive for productivity. Things such as power interruptions, security risks, and even personal matters can affect a member’s ability to work. For this reason, it’s important that teams have a secondary place to meet and work. Co-working spaces, like those provided by Novel Coworking, are great for situations when you need a secure, conducive place to work. This is especially important for times when projects need to be accomplished within strict time constraints.

Use the Same Tools

Inform your team members of the tools and programs that you’re going to use for the duration of the project. Avoid using redundant tools, as these will only serve to clutter your comms and drain company funds. Communication tools such as Google Hangouts, Slack, and Skype are good examples of useful conferencing tools.

When working with a remote team, the importance of proper communication cannot be overstated. Without the ability to personally supervise your team, it’s going to be more difficult to correct mistakes quickly without timely updates. Use this information to help keep your team on the same page.