How to master remote team communication
Work is a form of project management where we manage a project through communication and collaboration and track the results of our work.
It is the very same in the case of distributed teams and businesses but with some special situations where you need to manage, track and collaborate through time zones with multiple locations. Thanks to the modern internet, we have all the tools we need to pull this off.
Communication as a top priority
People stick to their communication habits. There are two dimensions to this: asynchronous and synchronous communication.
Asynchronous communication is the relay of information with a time lag. Email, chat, or shared docs are good examples of how asynchronous communication is employed in a remote setting. Synchronous means: working together at the same time. Phone calls, video conferences, or meetings can be listed here. The rule of thumb that we follow is that the more emotional the topic is, the more synchronous the channel should be.
Specific channels make sense, no matter if you like them or not. It helps everyone on the team to spread the work more efficiently throughout the different channels. So, how do you know whether or not a video meeting is necessary? The answer is simple: if you can’t say it in a few sentences, then it’s probably time to hop on a video call.
So, you have a big virtual team where the members are spread in different locations all around the world. So you somehow have to find a way of working together harmoniously and productively. Now, this can be very difficult especially when you’re working in a team where most members don’t meet very often. As a leader, you have to find a way of making the team here, making sure that when you have your meetings, everybody speaks, everybody gets involved, and that you build the sense of team identity. Of course, it’s not easy even when you are face-to-face with people.
What you’ve got to do in these situations is make communication your top priority. So if we’re thinking about communication, it’s how you structure your messages, it’s how you stick to the main point, it’s how you speak concisely, clearly, energetically, it’s how to keep the team engaged, and it’s thinking about your different audience members as well. Finally, throw the vast subject of cultural difference into the mix.
One of the challenges of working with a virtual global team is that you might have people coming from completely different directions but working on the same thing. So sometimes those differences are harder to spot and harder to appreciate. However, during a video call, it is easier to see the differences. They are visible.
One thing to keep in mind is that written text lacks the subtle cues of in-person conversation. With chat, you do need to be careful about how your words might be interpreted and possibly misunderstood. That’s why there’s an abundance of emoticons and gifs in our everyday chats — they’re useful in conveying the right nuances.
How to have efficient video calls
You want to have everyone being productive from any location they want. That’s the idea. It’s all about focusing on the collaborative infrastructure of the company, like how people work together, or how they collaborate.
If you want to ensure maximum impact and efficiency during your video calls, I reckon these few tips will get you to a good start:
A rock-solid internet connection. The faster, the better. However, the connections speed is only a part of the whole picture. Connection stability can be even more critical. However, keep in mind that many remote employees like to travel to places where fast internet isn’t always guaranteed, and Wi-Fi might be spotty and unpredictable.
Mind your background. Remember that the camera is not just focused on your face but shows parts of the room you’re in. Pre-check the frame before starting the video call and if your kids are at home, make sure they know when they can’t disturb you.
The perfect angle. Another piece of the puzzle would be to adjust the positioning of your webcam. Weird camera angles can be very distracting. Keep it along the same line of sight as your eye level. It is generally the best possible angle that feels the most natural––and looks the best.
Look into the lens. It is also essential to make sure that you are looking into the camera lens directly and not on your computer screen. When your eyes are off access with the webcam, it is much less compelling.
Out of the dark. When using a webcam, remember that the human eye sees a lot more than a video camera. Just because you can see everything clearly with a little bit of natural light, doesn’t mean that on video it will look good. It is why you should always try to add additional light when using a webcam. You’ll be surprised at how much eliminating shadows can add to your video’s overall look and feel.
Make yourself heard. If you are using a webcam, you need to pay attention to how you capture audio. The first step is to avoid having your speakers on when talking or your audio will come through with an echo and a harsh reverb tone to your voice that makes you hard to understand. I recommend you to use some external microphone connected to your computer or laptop, and be sure to place that microphone as close to your mouth as possible. By moving the mic close, you lose much environmental noise and get a crisp, clear audio track that helps to keep people listening.
As you can see, virtual meetings don’t have to be labeled as a waste of time. They can be more valuable than traditional face-to-face meetings. These video calls are the best way to create concrete weekly goals for workers and set your business up for success. However, avoid constant emergency or ad-hoc meetings, as these can break flow during an employee’s regular day.
When setting up your meeting, you need to keep in mind that not everyone can make the time that suits you. No one likes having a meeting at 6 am or 10 pm when they have commitments to family or other interests outside of work – like sleeping.
Also, after your meeting, you’ll want to follow-up to ensure that everyone is on the same page. Considering that it is more difficult to communicate as a remote team in comparison with in-person groups, your follow-up note should be as clear and actionable as possible to avoid time-consuming email threads that are inevitable if there’s a misunderstanding.
As I’ve already mentioned, communication is the backbone of a well-functioning distributed business model. Remote teams must have excellent communication strategies to survive and thrive. Just as there are different types of groups, there are several different reasons for groups to engage in video calls. Let me show you the most popular formats for meetings.
How to master distributed meetings
There are several types of meetings you can have with your distributed team. Here is a handful of these and how to master them.
The daily stand-up. Running virtual daily stand-up meetings is a great way to make sure your entire team is communicating and on the same page. Each person spends a very brief amount of time (5-10 minutes max) saying what they did yesterday, what they’re doing today and what’s in their way. These meetings can help you identify roadblocks or obstacles that are preventing a team member from doing their optimal work.
The regularly scheduled one-to-one meeting is one of the most powerful tools that any manager can use to improve team productivity. A one-to-one session is a regular meeting that occurs at the same time each week (or less frequently, depending on your preference). It’s the place where you and one of your employees meet and no one else. It’s the place where you can communicate with each other and follow-up with each other on the things unique to your working relationship. The one-to-one meeting is a place where both parties should feel respected and valued, and it’s the place where you can ask each other questions openly. I don't say you won't have occasional emergencies or problems that need to be dealt with outside of this meeting. However, when you have a recurring schedule, you’ll find that you can wait to ask those questions until the recurring meeting – freeing both of your time, increasing your productivity, and reducing the stress of workdays.
Pairing is the practice of giving two teammates the opportunity to work together on solving a problem. Qualitative and quantitative evidence suggests that when employees work in pairs, they work much faster and make fewer mistakes. Additionally, when people are paired up, they learn to communicate more efficiently and often, and to share (rather than hide) problems and solutions — all of which increases overall information flow and team alignment. As a leader, one of your tasks is to help your team create a shared vision, build team identity, and bring your employees closer together. Virtual teams with a strong character are more capable of coordinating, performing and overcoming conflicts, irrespective of locational, cultural, or individual challenges.
Weekly sessions are the form of a meeting where you generate ideas and solve problems. However, sometimes the extroverts dominate, and shier team members can have trouble being heard. Some people also have difficulty staying focused, maintaining their enthusiasm or confused why they’re in the session. To overcome these barriers and run an excellent brainstorming meeting, always make sure to send out the brief 24 hours beforehand so that everyone can prepare. The brief should outline what the challenge is, why it is crucial, and why each person has been asked to take part in the brainstorming. Ask everyone to come along with three ideas: one general idea, one idea that is different, and a radical one. If your distributed team is diverse enough, you can count on a range of perspectives and experiences. Encourage your employees to be bold and imaginative.
You can hold a weekly group chat session with your distributed team to reflect on the progress, issues, and actions. These meetings should have an agenda communicated in advance. A standard agenda for regular team meetings also helps set consistent expectations for types of information the session will cover. The goal should be a meeting of no longer than one hour to quickly review where the project is, highlight issues, look ahead to looming milestones, and make sure everyone has what they need. Meeting frequency depends on several factors: the size of the team, the priority of the project in question, an.
You are free to use many tools or platforms, but I suggest you give each communication channel a specific purpose. For example, use Zoom for live calls or crucial conversations, and Slack for messages that aren’t pressing, with a designated water cooler channel for fun or informal conversations. When your employees have a plan for how to best get in touch with teammates for each situation, everyone can avoid wasted time, frustration, and missed connections.
