Prior to 2020, companies had begun to experiment with hybrid work models, with some employees working on-site while others worked remotely part- or full-time. The pandemic switched this into overdrive, as huge numbers began to work from home in what TIME Magazine referred to as “the world’s largest work-from-home experiment.”
Business leaders were required to formulate effective remote work communication strategies that clearly defined roles and responsibilities, and the working strategies necessary for success. Remote working posed a series of challenges to how employees connect with one another, with new tools and mechanisms emerging to help facilitate this drastic overhaul of the digital workplace.
A study from Berkeley University summarized some of the core challenges to effective communication as a result of remote working. These challenges include:
- Disconnecting workers’ collaboration networks so they become more siloed
- A reduction in communication by phone or video conferencing, with an emphasis on emails and messaging platforms
- A decrease in meeting times and collective problem solving
- A reduction in engagement
Fortunately, businesses have since been able to foster a range of communications tools to help remote workers overcome these obstacles. Such tools help create continuous feedback mechanisms that are essential for personal and professional development, including tools that facilitate ongoing coaching and mentoring.
Why is communication important in the workplace?
Effective communication in the workplace is critical for successful business outcomes. It clarifies expectations, enhances relationships between employees and clients, and improves the overall effectiveness of teams and departments.
Great communication can:
Increase innovation
The foundation of effective brainstorming comes through open communication. When employees are able to share their ideas for innovation openly, others are more likely to take them on board.
Strengthen team building
Teamwork is all about collaboration, and in order for this to be optimal, there needs to be a system of ongoing communication. This is especially important for businesses dealing with remote workers, where digital platforms can play a fundamental role in keeping geographically disconnected workers in touch with one another.
Improve productivity
Poor communication creates a drop in productivity, as the information required for employees to complete their objectives isn’t delivered in a timely manner. In contrast, when communication channels are clear, productivity increases, while managers gain insights into each employee’s strengths and weaknesses so they know who to assign tasks to for the best results.
Reduce conflict
Conflict between employees in the workplace is often a consequence of poor communication. When communication breaks down, expectations become misunderstood and employees can fail to perform as expected. Concise communication helps overcome conflict by delivering expectations with clarity.
How communication has changed with technology?
A report from the American University in Washington, DC, outlined the vital role technology has come to play in how organizations communicate. This technological impact has been felt throughout all sectors and driven by an increase in the use of smartphones and the widespread adoption of social media applications.
Perhaps the most significant changes in the business world have arisen from the development of new multi-channel communications platforms, which gives business leaders a diverse array of technological avenues through which to communicate with employees.
In addition to the traditional modes of communication such as email, collaboration tools, video conferencing software, and online learning resources and tools have reshaped the nature of communication.
Are remote workers less engaged?
Keeping employees engaged with both their work and one another is a challenge any company that employs remote workers must overcome. The Forbes article, Emerging Data Suggests Remote Employees Are Less Engaged, observes how remote workers report feeling 182% less engaged than those who work directly alongside their colleagues. This is in part due to “time scarcity”, which accounts for a 49% increase in non-engagement.
An effective method to mitigate the negative aspect of remote working and engagement is through coaching and learning. Employees who participate in training modules are more motivated and engaged than those who aren’t since studies have demonstrated the process of learning new and challenging information enhances cell growth in the brain.
Remote work communication challenges – and how to overcome them
Remote work communication challenges can have serious consequences on business outcomes if they aren’t addressed in a timely manner. The article from MIT Sloan Management Review, Overcoming Remote Work Challenges, sums up several key challenges, including “low-bandwidth communication, unnecessary meetings, and loss of passive knowledge sharing.”
Fortunately, there are ways to overcome these challenges and create effective communications channels so that remote workers can perform to the best of their ability. Here are a few methods to consider:
Failure to prioritize work
Without supervisors and managers on hand to keep remote working employees on track, it can be a challenge to prioritize work effectively.
Remote workers can overcome this by using tools to limit distractions, keeping your main goals in mind, and starting the day by tackling the most important item on their to-do list.
Working in different time zones
Time zone differences present a challenge that only remote workers will understand. They can sometimes feel left out of important meetings or miss out on discussions that could help them deliver better results.
By setting a more flexible schedule that factors in the working times of colleagues in other time zones, remote workers can rise up to the challenge of cooperating with disconnected teams.
Being out of the loop
While some conversations are conducted through shared communication channels that remote workers are able to participate in, other “water cooler” style chats happen without their knowledge or participation.
In order to overcome this, remote workers should strive towards over communication, keeping regular conversations going so they can clarify any potential misunderstandings. There are also tools available that facilitate casual conversations such as channels in Microsoft Teams, which companies can place at the disposal of their remote workforce.
Impro Can Help
Using the power of data science and AI, Impro can help your organization develop an ongoing learning framework to boost engagement in a remote work environment. Impro has years of experience in helping people to reach their goals and achieve success. We can help you to think through your priorities and be creative about how you reach your goals.
Learn more about Impro on our website today. We’d love to hear what you think.
