Even though many of us have been working remotely full-time for the better part of a year, it’s been a massive adjustment, and one that’s required a lot of tweaking along the way. Plenty of companies are still looking for ways to make working from home work better.
If you haven’t quite achieved the same sense of teamwork you had when everyone was in the office, collaboration tools that include instant messaging and video can make all the difference. This article about successfully managing a remote workforce includes some great advice:
- At a time when we all feel disconnected, the ability to connect and share content in real time is key to maintaining a sense of connection with colleagues, partners, and customers.
- Set up your collaboration tool to show when you’re available – and treat chat requests as if the person were walking up to your desk.
- Schedule meetings as needed, but be open to the digital equivalent of water cooler chat, too.
- Maintain the same professional routines and behavior remotely that you followed in person.
While we don’t entirely agree with that last point – we think it’s okay to dress down a little while you’re working from home, as long as you don’t show up for an important meeting in your bathrobe. We 100% agree that technology to help your team work together in real time no matter where they are builds trust and productivity. It will also help reduce the sense of isolation and dislocation your employees might be feeling after months of remote work with no end yet in sight.
There are lots of real-time communication and collaboration tools on the market. If you aren’t happy with what you’re currently using, looking to manage costs or tired of jumping between different apps that don’t really work together, contact Xantrion. We’ll help you figure out what features and functionality are most important, recommend the solutions that best meet your needs, and help you ensure an efficient, secure deployment.