Working remotely has become increasingly common, with many teams fully or partially distributed across different locations. While remote work provides many benefits, like flexibility and tapping into a global talent pool, it can pose some communication challenges for teams. Clear and effective communication becomes even more essential when coworkers are not physically together.
Here are some tips to help improve communication when your team is working remotely:
Schedule Regular Video Calls
When remote, people miss out on the face-to-face interactions and non-verbal cues that come with being in an office. Video calls help recreate some of this in-person experience. Have regular team video conferences, not just audio calls. Seeing each other’s faces and reactions helps communication feel more natural. For larger groups, use technology that shows the speaker prominently on screen.
Create Opportunities for Informal Communication
Impromptu conversations at the water cooler or cafeteria often build team bonds. Recreate this remotely with tools like Slack or Teams, where people can have informal chats in their channels. Have a virtual water cooler channel for non-work conversations. Schedule regular virtual coffee breaks or virtual lunch dates. The more people interact informally, the more comfortable they feel reaching out for work issues.
Overcommunicate with Context
When working remotely, follow the rule of overcommunicating by providing background details and context that may seem obvious if you were in the exact location. For example, please explain why the task is essential when sending a request and how it fits into the bigger picture. Providing context helps create clarity and get everyone aligned.
Communicate in Multiple Ways
More than email alone is needed for remote teams. Use a mix of communication channels—email for formal information sharing, chat tools for quick questions, and video conferencing for discussions. Having multiple avenues avoids teams defaulting to long email chains when a short video call could clarify things faster. Provide guidelines on which channel to use for different scenarios.
Document Discussions and Decisions
When you don’t have the opportunity for quick in-person follow-ups, ensure meaningful conversations are documented. Have someone take notes in meetings and share them afterward. Follow up any verbal decisions with a written summary over email to confirm. Tools like Confluence provide places to store meeting notes and project information accessible to the team.
Create a Team Directory with Contact Info
Make it easy for people to connect with colleagues by creating a team directory with crucial information like job titles, locations, phone numbers, email addresses, and time zones. Include photos and bios to help team members put faces to names. Having quick access to this information facilitates reaching out to the right person.
Define Availability Expectations
Remote work allows flexibility but establishes some norms around availability to avoid frustration. Discuss expected message response times, acceptable meeting times, and general online hours. Also, clarify if being constantly connected is encouraging or discouraging—respect when others mark their status as busy or offline.
Send Status Updates
When you don’t see each other regularly, it can be hard to gauge what everyone is working on. Send regular status updates on projects, priorities, and any blocks. Managers can schedule weekly or bi-weekly 1:1 video calls with direct reports to discuss. Teams can have members provide updates at recurring meetings. Knowing what’s going on across the team improves collaboration.
Overinvest in relationship-building
Don’t underestimate the value of investing time in building relationships, even if people don’t work together regularly. When team members try to connect personally, communication becomes more accessible—schedule video chats purely for non-work talk. Recognize important events. Encourage virtual water cooler conversations. The personal connections will translate to smooth professional interactions.
Clarify Decision Makers
Confusion can arise around who is empowered to make certain decisions when working remotely across locations. Establish guidelines around decision-making authority—who needs to be consulted on what types of decisions and who has the final call. Ensure everyone is aligned on the decision-making process to avoid frustration.
Train Managers for Remote Management
Managing a remote team requires different skills than in-person management. Train managers on emotional intelligence, motivating remote teams, scheduling effective virtual meetings, communicating virtually, and developing trust. Equip managers to lead dispersed teams productively and keep people engaged.
Leverage Collaboration Technology
Technology makes remote communication and collaboration possible. Take advantage of the full suite of features offered by workplace tools. Use videoconferencing apps with screen sharing and digital whiteboards. Enable file sharing and cloud storage solutions. Centralize information in team sites. Set up private and public groups. When everyone utilizes the technology effectively, coordination becomes easier.
Measure Team Connectedness
Regularly measure team connectedness and satisfaction through surveys to ensure your communication efforts work. Ask questions like: Do you feel informed? Can you access the people and information needed to do your work? Do you feel connected with your coworkers? The responses will reveal any issues to be addressed.
Working remotely has communication challenges, but being thoughtful about your approach can help. You can have an engaged and aligned distributed team using video calls, collaboration tools, and management strategies. By prioritizing communication, remote teams can bond more strongly than co-located ones.
