How do you handle communication challenges with remote or hybrid teams?

You give your team members a clear picture of what needs to be done and how their contributions fit into the larger project or job by outlining goals, roles, duties, deadlines, and deliverables. Furthermore, setting guidelines for communication channels and procedures ensures that everyone is on the same page when it comes to how and when to communicate. distinct channels perform distinct functions, and it's critical to describe those functions to your staff. Email, for example, may be appropriate for official updates or paperwork, while instant messaging may be appropriate for brief queries or conversations, and video calls may be appropriate for more involved and collaborative sessions.

Making a strategic decision on how to implement the right tools involves numerous considerations. It is crucial to understand the full capabilities of the tools currently available, as well as how to navigate new technologies. Ongoing training on both existing and emerging technologies is essential for the growth of industry professionals. Personally, understanding and selecting the right tools can be one of the most complex tasks to consider when working remotely or otherwise

It is important to connect on a human level in order to build trust. In a remote environment we lose the little interactions we had at the office… whether it be a coffee break, lunch with the team, or even catching up before a meeting starts… these are things that came up naturally in the office, but in a remote environment, your main interactions are in meetings which makes everything about work, work, work and you never get time to connect. For that reason you need to be intentional and make room for these interactions. For me, I like to take the first 5 minutes of every meeting (whether it be a 1 on 1, or a larger team meeting) and dedicate it to talking about anything but work. Take the time to relate with your team.

A lot of gains from passive listening and nonverbal communication in the office environment is not available in a remote work setting. To address this gap, we must actively engage in efforts of empathy and understanding. Ask the hard questions and schedule time just to talk, to help meet that engagement level in the new norm.

Listening actively and with empathy is not something you can do once or simply when you need to have a tough conversation. You need to build relationships with your team by using affective communication all the time. You need to pay attention to them, talk to them, get used to their tone, pitch, mannerisms, and above all truly care about them along with their perspectives. It will open up so many doors, sharing, and opportunities for everyone.

One thing I've found helpful is asking proactively, in the interview, about how people enjoy being communicated with. It's important to note that an incorporate it into their onboarding process. Additionally, communication assessments to understand trends in team members' preferences is also helpful when planning an org. strategy.