At the beginning

A month ago, I was at the office preparing for my normal week ahead. In a matter of days, we rescheduled all in-person meetings and started working remotely until further notice. As a consulting company, we are used to engaging with a remote workforce, but in person collaboration is still at the core of how we operate. During these unprecedented times, organizations and teams have been forced to quickly adapt to 100% remote and figure out a way to keep things rolling.

Making a transition like this one isn’t easy. I’ve realized it’s one thing to occasionally work from home or call into a meeting but collaborating remotely every single day requires a different type of intentionality, energy and approach.

For teams who are still adjusting to remote collaboration, here are 5 tips:

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Do a reset

Someone’s working style at the office may be very different than their work and communication style when remote. Do a quick reset with the team by sharing preferred communication methods, working styles and any new expectations.

Standardize collaboration tools

LVirtual collaboration tools that were nice-to-haves are now essential for many teams. If your team hasn’t used collaboration tools on a regular basis, determine which ones work best and keep it consistent to avoid unnecessary noise.

Be deliberate with communication

Since teams don’t have the luxury of impromptu meetings or hallway conversations right now, be deliberate with communication. Schedule quick check in’s, post your status update or share when you’re signing off during the day. Even if it feels like over communication at times, taking those extra steps will help keep your team on the same page.

Maintain team practices (as much as you can)

Although it may not feel like it has the same impact, maintaining team practices like daily stand ups or weekly shout outs is good for productivity and morale. It also helps create a sense of normalcy during a very uncertain time. If you can’t keep old practices going, this is a great opportunity to get creative and start new traditions.

Have empathy

This has been drastic shift in a very short period. People are not only adjusting to work; they’re navigating home and family circumstances as well. So, it’s more important than ever to offer empathy and compassion and remember we’re all in this together.

With any major change, it will continue to take time to find a rhythm. Embrace the change as much as you can and hopefully, we’ll come out better, stronger, more resilient teams on the other side.

Images courtesy of Unsplash