Yet, collaboration is key for enhanced productivity levels and increased efficiency. As the next normal emerges, many companies are keeping remote work policies or options in place, meaning distant collaboration is something that can and should continue to improve. Here, BairesDev Press examines the strategies businesses are using to continue to excel at remote collaboration.
Solving Problems
One of the first things remote teams are doing to be more effective at collaboration is solving some of the pitfalls that come with it. Some of them include:
- Ineffective communication. Successful country email list collaboration starts with effective communication, but communication can be challenging outside of a shared physical space. Several factors can affect remote communication, including different time zones, technical issues, and a lack of body language in many online communication methods.
- Ineffective processes. Collaboration often requires effective processes like mutually understood steps, productive team meetings, and review and revision rounds. A lack of agreement on how collaboration will take place can prevent its smooth implementation.
- Diminished workplace culture. When teams collaborate, it’s important that they speak the same language. Not just English, Spanish, or other world languages, but also industry terminology and a backdrop of the company’s goals and vision. Without these factors, trust can decline, and collaboration can suffer.
- Ineffective information sharing. What happens when everyone on a team isn’t able to view the same document because there’s no centralized location to put it or come together in a conference call due to technology issues? Collaboration suffers, team members become frustrated and workflow slows.
The sections below describe solutions that can help address these issues.
Using the Right Technology
The right software can help tremendously risk management teams can deeply benefit from with effective remote communication and collaboration. For example, video conferencing can enable team members to talk as they would on a phone call, but with the added benefit of being able to see each other’s facial expressions and body language. This element alone can improve collaboration considerably and make distance communication feel more immediate.
Mimicking the office environment in other ways is helpful too. For instance, virtual whiteboards can help team members visualize ideas and relationships between different parts of a project. File-sharing software, cloud storage, project management tools, automation tools, and others are also important for effective remote collaboration.
It’s important to remember that some team members may need to be trained on certain aspects of technology. Some examples are proper video conferencing etiquette such as looking into the camera when speaking, social technology that enables each participant to respond to each comment, and asynchronous communication methods that enable teams to have virtual meetings without having to be available at the same time.
Improving Communication
As powerful as it might be, technology chile business directory can’t help you collaborate more effectively if you don’t combine it with effective communication skills. Team leaders should set an example by starting every project with well-defined expectations, goals, and deadlines. Each team member should have a clear understanding of their role in the project and of how they can help fellow team members be successful.