Remote working is here to stay as per a 2021 BCG survey of almost 209,000 people; less than a third worked from home before the pandemic. In 2020, over 50 percent were working from home sometimes, and now 89 percent say they will continue to work remotely after the pandemic ends.
Remote work allows employees to log in from any location, saving them the time and costs needed to commute. They can be productive while spending quality time outside the office and finding employment opportunities no matter where they live. However, one of the downsides of remote work (at least initially) can be collaboration. It isn’t easy to recreate the same real-time intimacy and immediacy of in-person interactions outside the office. Employees must rely on virtual collaboration platforms and tools to stay connected with their coworkers and maintain transparency in front of team leaders, so that remote work remains sustainable.
Here are ten tips for virtual collaboration that can simplify daily tasks for remote workers and prevent bottlenecks:
1. Take a visual approach
When working remotely, a lot of the communication that would happen face-to-face now takes place via chat and email. It is essential to bring in visual elements wherever possible, as coworkers are more likely to remember and respond when information is conveyed visually. Set up a digital whiteboard for distributed teams, where they can log in at different times and jot down their ideas.
2. Track time
Remote work will inevitably increase the amount of time one spends on collaboration, which could take away from our ability and focus for independent work. A Michigan State University study found that an interruption of 3 seconds to check email or glance at a notification can double a person’s error rate. A 4.5-second interruption triples the error rate, making it essential to track how much time one spends on collaboration. Ideally, there should be a balance between collaborative and solo work – use a tool like Microsoft Viva to track these metrics.
3. Set boundaries
It is easy to blur the lines between work and personal time when one does not commute to and from a physical office. That is why it is so important to set boundaries, define quiet hours, and make sure to disconnect beyond the period of expected availability. Group meetings together so that there are consecutive blocks of meetings, long stretches of uninterrupted focus hours, and mute notifications after work hours end.
4. Centralize information
When remote workers rely on multiple online tools, information gets fragmented, and it can be difficult to find what you need on time. Centralize information on one platform through integrations and interoperability. For instance, if documents are stored across Dropbox, OneDrive, and Google Drive, create a centralized repository with links to all the related documents spread across platforms. It is also good to have a single chat communication tool so that all file sharing happens in one place.
5. Have non-work calls
Interpersonal relationships in the workplace are a significant driver of retention and employee happiness. A 2014 survey by Globoforce found that two-thirds of employees who had 6-25 workplace friends said they loved their company. In contrast, less than a quarter with no workplace friends said they love where they work. These relationships have been eroded due to the pandemic and remote work, with 65 percent of employees now feeling less connected to their coworkers, as per a 2020 Pew Research report. Participate in non-work calls and meetings like Zoom Happy Hours, informal check-ins, and virtual engagement events to address this proactively.
6. Conduct retrospectives
A retrospective meeting is a component of agile project management, where the team meets at the end of every sprint to assess everything that happened. Retrospectives are helpful in any project, from marketing campaigns to product design or sales. Schedule weekly retrospectives to reflect how you and your coworkers collaborated across the week. Identify bottlenecks and use anonymized surveys to share feedback.
7. Define meeting protocols
Like a physical workplace with behavioral norms, etiquette, and protocols, virtual collaboration also requires a few standing guidelines. This allows new employees to get used to the company culture faster, even if they do not visit a physical office. It also ensures that meetings and virtual collaboration sessions are inclusive and respectful so that everyone feels confident enough to participate.
8. Use recognition tools
By integrating recognition into collaboration workflows, you can appreciate a coworker for their efforts in real-time. Tools like Kudos, Bonusly, Engagedly, TapMyBack, and others drive peer-to-peer recognition so that everyone’s contributions are highlighted. Most of these tools integrate with collaboration software, clearly associating the work done with the credit received.
9. Communicate frequently
It is typically advisable to avoid too many emails or chat messages in a physical workplace and simply communicate face-to-face. But for remote workers, over-communication can be helpful. Even if a chat message, a comment on a document, or a quick thumbs-up does not seem necessary, it can strengthen team bonds. Frequent communication also makes sure that everyone is on the same page.
10. Be respectful
Bring the same respect to virtual collaboration as one would to a physical workplace. This includes simple steps such as going on mute so that the background noise does not disturb others, or inviting every meeting participant to contribute to a session actively. Be mindful of coworkers’ time zones and quiet hours, and pay attention to email/chat etiquette to create a remote work environment conducive to productivity.
Effective virtual collaboration is as much about human behavior as using the right software and tools. Remote work has fundamentally changed how employees connect and complete daily tasks and their expectations from the workplace. These ten tips will help make the most of the virtual collaboration tools available to you and ensure that work practices are sustainable for the long term.
