Maintaining a transparent and disruption-free line of communication between your teams is arguably the single most important factor for success.
Sharing ideas, raising weaknesses and collaborating allows for a better quality of work produced at a faster pace. But how easily can this be maintained whilst we’re all working remotely?
Today, Concorde Technology Group would like to explore the essentials to consider when setting up communication systems between staff, and how these can support your teams during an otherwise difficult working environment.
Chat Apps
The first line of communication commonly setup and one that Concorde agrees is essential, is a chat messaging platform. Messaging platforms enable quick responses to easy questions and queries. They often also allow files to be shared to large groups of people at once.
There are many on the market, all with different pros and cons, but we've broken down our top choices and what makes them suitable for teamwork:
Google Hangouts & Google Chat
Google offers two options when it comes to chatting via message. Google Hangouts is a free platform marketed at the private social sector rather than commercial - but this doesn't necessarily make it a poor option.
Google Hangouts is easy to set up, requiring no additional accounts or logins if you have a Gmail, and has file sharing, video chat and can host groups of up to 100 people. It’s streamlined and has a user-friendly interface with many integrations with existing Google products.
Google Chat, on the other hand, is a commercial application exclusive to G Suite basic, business and enterprise members. G Suite is a ‘suit’ of cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools built for businesses - Google Chats is one such tool. With integrated meeting scheduler, threaded conversations and ‘virtual rooms’, Google offers a whole host of utilities perfect for operating a remote business.
Skype (soon to be “Teams”)
Next on the list is a platform that we’ve recently explored in our Goodbye Skype: What You Need to Know About Teams blog.
In July 2021, Microsoft will be discontinuing Skype, so for the purpose of this blog, we’ll discuss their new product, Teams.
Teams’ core messaging function is called Chat and has a lot to offer in the way of business collaboration. Whether chatting one-to-one or in groups of up to 100, Teams allows you to share your screen, share multiple files and utilise cool features like virtual whiteboards.
With its user-friendly interface and clean design, Teams is popular with businesses and has both free and paid-for versions available.
Slack
Marketed at business and corporate collaboration, Slack has proved particularly popular in recent years for its approach to instant messaging and international capabilities.
Like many other platforms, Slack offers both free and paid versions of its tool and offers a lot of flexibility within chats as users can create channels to move in and out of discussions and projects as necessary.
Additionally, Slack keeps all media and communication so the ‘search’ feature allows you to search for any shared files or communications easily.
Slack is highly interoperable, with over 1,000 integrations available like Dropbox and GoToMeeting.
VoIP Telephony
VoIP Telephony is a method of telephone communication via the internet. This is invaluable for businesses who rely on internal phone hotlines as VoIP will allow you to bring these home.
This can also allow you to easily host meetings via web and video conferencing platforms and requires very little setup.
This is a great option for teams concerned about switching to a different technology, as this means your staff can remain productive with the software they’re familiar with.
Write Concisely
For a lot of us, writing and reading emails makes up a lot of our working days, and even more now that we aren’t able to see our colleagues and clients face to face.
With it now composing the majority of our communication, it’s important to set a standard of ‘email register’ within the business so that your staff can communicate efficiently.
It’s also important to consider the tone of voice over email to clients and individuals outside your organisation.
The tone of voice in written communication can be tricky when trying to strike a balance between professional and friendly, so practise with your colleagues and ask for feedback to improve your writing.
You should also try to write as concisely as possible. We all know how easy it is to read and forget important emails, so make sure that you’re prioritising your email straight away in the subject and first line. This will allow the receiver to focus on your request and produce the most efficient response.
Weekly Team Meetings, Creating Channels Between Staff and Management
Lastly, it’s critical that you establish clear calls of support to staff from team leaders and line managers. Working from home is a stressful move for many people, so help your staff adapt by assuring them that they have support.
Weekly team meetings from managers and department heads negate team members from feeling left in the dark and can be a great way to collate all of the work and success from the week. Book your meeting in everyone’s calendar and improve the way you communicate with your remote teams.
For more information regarding remote communication, and how Concorde Technology Group can support your company’s technology infrastructure, contact a member of our expert team today on 03331 300600 or email us at enquiries@tctg.co.uk