What Are Remote Collaboration Best Practices?
What Are Remote Collaboration Best Practices?
When we think of team collaboration, we probably think of a group of people gathered around a desk, sharing ideas. However, the switch to remote work caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has made traditional collaboration much less common.
Teams were forced to devise new, virtual ways to work together, which has not been without its challenges. So, what are the remote collaboration best practices we have learned over the past two years of working from home?
Communicate clearly
Remote work has changed how employees communicate. You can’t just walk over to your colleagues at their desks to hash out the details of a task or project. Any written communication must be as clear and concise as possible — encourage team members to ask questions when they’re unsure about something and hold regular video meetings to catch up.
Establish communication protocols
While it’s important to communicate clearly, there is such thing as too much communication. Establish guidelines for when, where, and how to communicate. Clarify the apps you will use and the hours in which it’s acceptable to contact your colleagues. Just because you can message the Slack channel at 11 pm does not mean you should. Embrace asynchronous communication and allow your team time to disconnect.
Ensure every meeting is productive
Regular virtual meetings keep remote teams connected — however, it’s not enough to pick a general topic and wing it. To keep video calls productive, follow these tips:
- Write down an agenda featuring the main points you’d like to hit and stick with it
- Let team members know ahead of time if you’ll be calling on them to speak up or share information
- Take notes of any important ideas, talking points, or takeaways
- Record the meeting so you or any absent team members can watch it back at a later time
Implement remote collaboration tools
Transitioning to remote collaboration can be difficult, which is where collaborative work management software comes in. Wrike’s remote collaboration tools allow teams to work as effectively from home as they do in the office, with a unified digital workspace, request forms to manage work intake, and reports to visualize progress. Start a two-week free trial today to see how seamless remote collaboration can be.
Celebrate your successes
It can be easy to breeze past big moments when everyone is working from different locations. How can you have an office birthday cake if you’re not in the office? Create new rituals to mark your team’s personal and professional achievements, from virtual events to chilled-out Zoom coffee breaks. How you choose to celebrate is up to you — it’s just important that you do.
By following these remote collaboration best practices, you and your team can work together effectively and efficiently.
