7 Tips for Effective Communication in Remote Teams

Effective communication is an important aspect of our organization. Written communication is our preferred form of communication. Words transcend mere text and weave a tapestry of ideas that cultivate creativity and ingenuity. Written communication bolsters our team and destroys the pitfalls that plague many teams with remote team players.

Here are 7 tips we follow to enhance remote communication in our remote team.

1. Think Twice

We encourage autonomous problem-solving and innovative thinking of smart ways to solve a problem. This is where thinking twice comes in. You’ll encounter problems from time to time. Take time to think through them before opting for consulting. More often than not, you’ll end up figuring out the solution to the problem yourself. This type of independent thinking and problem-solving is what we nurture in our team members. Challenge yourself to come up with a great solution to the problem you’re dealing with. This improves the efficiency with which tasks are handled and improves overall motivation and productivity.

2. Ask with solutions

This tip saves both parties time and energy. Some tasks can be solved in more ways than one. This can pose a challenge when deciding which solution is best. Consult your manager or colleague, offering both established solutions and easing their workload in the process. It’s easier for your colleague or manager to choose the best solution from the choices you’ve provided them with. This method of thinking often makes one solution obvious as the right one, making consultation unnecessary. Consulting without possible solutions requires brainstorming for multiple solutions to the said problem. This consumes a lot of time and energy, which is inefficient for achieving any form of desired excellence.

3. Default to Asynchronous

This is a communication and work approach where teams prioritize methods that don't require immediate or real-time interaction. We prioritize asynchronous communication as it avoids context-switching and allows for staggered message viewing every two hours. This approach increases productivity and flexibility as it decreases the need for everyone to be available simultaneously. We acknowledge that people have different schedules, and time zones and promote more focused and thoughtful communication.

4. Clarity

Messages need to be accurate, clear, and concise. They should be focused on the subject matter at hand and contain only relevant information. You can guarantee this by writing the message and reading it out loud. Remove any parts that aren’t necessary, and edit sections that compromise the clarity of the message. This simple process takes a few minutes to accomplish but drastically improves the productivity of all team members.

5. Ownership

We encourage our team members to work on their tasks autonomously without the need for permission or consultations. This aspect saves time, opens doorways for creativity and ingenuity, while improving motivation and productivity. We take inspiration from an American military strategy that answers the what and why behind this approach. We use the principle of a Commander’s Intent that provides a why. Read more about that here "The Art of Military Commands Applied to Software Development" to learn more.

6. Evaluate and Improve

We contemplate the aspects that work and don’t work for us. We experiment with potential ideas and strategies to figure out what works well for us and what does not. We recently decided to experiment with ten-minute morning synchronous meetings. These meetings need the commitment to make work. These meetings have been beneficial in the running of our remote team. We discuss important tasks and go over progress reports of various departments in our organizations. They are a staple in the daily running of our organization. This has been made possible by evaluating our organization and improving it. Take time to evaluate your remote team and see where you can improve.

7. Have meetings when Asynchronous communication is not possible

Constant and open communication is key when running a team. Sometimes asynchronous communication is not feasible. Short live meetings (whether face-to-face or online) should be held to keep the exchange of data and information open. We keep these meetings short and direct to the point. These meetings have a clear objective to be handled. These meetings are held between select individuals and not the entire team, thus making them an important stable in our communication system.

Conclusion

We value open and reliable communication. It facilitates how well we exchange information, thus enhancing our team’s efficiency. Open communication saves us a lot of time, resources, and troubles that communication hitches cause. This type of communication could be what’s missing in your organization. You can join us on this innovative journey and learn how we develop software. It is a unique approach to developing software that blends creativity with precision and curiosity with mastery. We do this through this piece created just for you. How We Do Software