3 Mistakes You’re Making While Working Remotely That Are Hurting Your Communication

Discover the top 3 missteps in remote communication and how to fix them for better collaboration!

I have been working remotely for 2 years now; my communication always fell short of compelling.

I often work with colleagues in my timezone +/- 3. I find myself working longer hours and perpetually waiting for others to be free. Remote work is here to stay, so I decided to dive into the best remote teams' best practices. I learned about my mistakes and ways to improve.

Save yourself the time and learn from my research.

Effective asynchronous written communication is Key.

Communicate without a need for an immediate response, and you will be in business.

Remote communication is built on 2 pillars: writing and transparency. You indulge in async communication whenever you use email, Slack, docs, or slides.

These are the highest ROI activities to be good at async communication.

#1. Adopt low-context messaging with a crisp writing style.

The reader might not have all the context they need to act on your message.

When in the office, we grab a lot of non-written signals by watching our surroundings and coincidence. This does not exist in a remote setting. So use a message which assumes the reader has no context and provides them with all the relevant details.

#2. Remove time zone bias and be aware of emotional opaqueness

When your colleagues are a plane ride away, they may have different day and emotional states than you.

Promote sharing of calendars with personal time blocked. This helps the teamwork around your schedule. Also, learn to write messages that do not assume a timezone setting. Writing can be read much later than it was conceived.

#3. Know when NOT to use Async communication

Text can be limiting in some cases.

Learn to pause before communicating to question: if asynchronous communication is the best tool, would a meeting be better? Some good examples of when to rely on video calls instead are Socialising, Hard conversations, and Emergencies. During these meetings, don't do a presentation but maximize facetime with others.

With all this wisdom to support us, I am confident we can do a better job in our remote communications. All the best!