What are the best practices for using technology to enhance remote communication?

One of the easiest and overlooked tools for communication is being organised. In most working environments channels and tools of collaboration grow as rabbits without an oversight and before you know it has become overwhelming to keep track of all that is happening. Ensuring there is apt filtering applied so that as a professional that is expected to bring value to the table is able to actually ensure that important and relevant discussion are reaching your virtual table at the top of the file. After that while responding also at times due to lack of time most would just intend on getting a respond out and that is detrimental. The communication should be about clearly displaying value, decluttering and resolution.

I found that understanding your audience's technology comfort level is essential. It's like knowing whether they’re cool with a quick text or would rather catch up over a video chat. This way, you're not just picking a tool out of the blue; you're choosing the one that'll make your chats as smooth and engaging as possible.

Nowdays we have access to lots of technology. I usually use Google Meet, Zoom or Teams, to communicate with my teams. A conference should be previously scheduled and have a purpose and specific time. Therefore, the tool to be used depends on whom is needed to participate in the meeting. Not all team members have access to the same tools.

Some examples of tools that can be used for remote communication are video conferencing (such as Zoom, Teams, or Google Meet), instant messaging (such as Slack, WhatsApp, or Telegram), email (such as Outlook, Gmail, or Yahoo), project management software (such as Asana, Trello, or Jira), and cloud storage (such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive). Each tool has its own advantages and disadvantages, depending on the type, frequency, and purpose of your communication.

Using the right tools can go a long way in communicating with a remote team. Microsoft TEAMS and Outlook are some of the best tools out there because you can: - Instant message with Teams - See who’s online, who’s in a meeting, who’s out of office, and who’s just away from their desk - With outlook you can also see their status if they’re in your organization when you send them an email. - You can set virtual meetings and access the meeting chat via Teams when the meeting is over - In meetings you can interact with different emotes and raise your hand to ask a question without disrupting the person speaking

Herd mentality (how people can be influenced by the majority) is a challenge in digital communication, especially on company messaging platforms. My three top tips to tackle this: ? Set the tone for communications from the start, ensuring a thriving, collaborative, open digital forum. ? Have key members of the organisation be responsible for actively reacting to and commenting on chats to set the ongoing tone. ? Check in with team members who aren't communicating on the platform to see if they're having any challenges and what you can do to encourage their participation.

When we think about how to maximize the use of a meeting, we’ll find the same tools. Just because it won’t be in person, it does not mean one gets to skip having a clear and concise agenda, or needing to send a follow-up email! The tools exist to shorten distances and improve communication and not to encourage bad practices that will do the opposite.

Clean Energy and Clean Tech ????Eco Lifestyles and Eco Habitats ????Go Green ???? ???????????????????? Energy Systems Enterprise (ESE) for Clean Energy and Clean Tech Products & Services Worldwide ??????? AI Artworks and Visionary Leadership ????????

Due to the high number of possibilities of tools available for remote communication, I understand that not everyone will be familiar with the available features. Therefore, I believe it is advisable to provide an overview of the tool with the key features that will be used. This will ensure that everyone is aware of the features and how to use them, avoiding interruptions caused by the use of the tool.