5 Tips for Better Remote Team Collaboration

As a smart, modern-day entrepreneur, you’ve probably embraced outsourcing as a part of doing business. And while there are numerous benefits to remote staffing, it also brings various challenges.

Are you familiar with these situations?

• Hesitating to send an SMS to your assistant because you’re wondering if there’s a protocol for after-work messages
• Breaking your policy to respond to messages on your personal time because you accidentally opened your instant messenger
• Not receiving a prompt reply for an urgent matter because your team members live in different time zones
• Wondering if delayed answers in team conferences or late logins are indeed due to technical errors or negligence

As more and more people make money from home through online work, the need for better remote collaboration and communication also arose.

It’s time to learn these 5 tips for better remote team collaboration:

Establish standardized communication norms.

One of the biggest challenges of working with a virtual staff is not being able to get swift replies and follow-throughs. If an associate submits a vague report, you can’t summon them to your office for clarification. If your assistant lives on another part of the globe, they can’t help you right away if an urgent matter comes up.

That is why you need to set up standardized communication norms. Create labels for emails that need immediate attention, Instant Messenger groups for different teams, and acronyms to signal people if they need to respond right away or not at all. Systematized norms of communication remove ambiguity and ensures clear calls-to-action

Avoid bombarding your team with messages.

Some entrepreneurs feel the need to constantly follow up on assignments or use different platforms to verify a single issue.

If you’re this type of business owner, it’s time to step back and ease up on how you use your different lines of communication. Abusing your access points to contact your virtual assistant can be a form of digital dominance. Plus, people find it hard to work effectively if someone is constantly breathing down their neck – even if only virtually.

Encourage diversity and growth opportunities in virtual communication.

Virtual communication doesn’t put much weight on your team’s interpersonal skills. In traditional office setups, people gravitate towards their colleagues who are on the same age bracket or gender. People who belong to a bigger circle tend to be more confident and speak up more openly in meetings.

Remote teams don’t have this issue. When people work behind a screen, they are more emboldened to speak up, share their ideas, and work freely. As a team manager, you can leverage this to encourage diverse ideas and output that will help your company grow.

Verify if your existing tools are helpful and effective.

There are different tools for different tasks. As your team and company expand, your tools for different business operations also increase and become more crucial.

It’s only fitting to consult your team about the efficiency of these tools or systems. Do these software or apps help them get the job done quickly? Do these programs help them produce inspired work? If they’re not up to scratch, you can find alternatives that will make remote team-working much more effective.

Set Firm Goals but be Flexible with the Process

It’s important to set clear objectives and deadlines for projects. However, it’s also vital to be open to the different ideas your team brings to the table.

Enjoy the privilege of working with a diverse group of talents. You’ll be surprised by the incredible outcomes if you give people the chance to do what they do best.

More accomplishments, better communication, and smoother workflow – expect this from your staff when you practice these 5 tips for better remote team collaboration.

 

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20Four7VA recognizes the challenge of effectively managing an online business – and we are very eager to help. Our company specializes in eCommerce VIRTUAL STAFFING SOLUTIONS, providing customizable and scalable solutions to small, medium, and large enterprise business owners so they can focus on growing their business.

Ready to have access to incredible people with incredible skills in the most cost-effective way? Give us a call at our toll free number 1 (443) 856-4882 today!