Ahhh…communication (sigh). Why is it that nearly every conversation I have about something gone wrong includes the word “communication” as a key focal point? We’ve been practicing human communication since our Neanderthal days and studying it as an academic field as early on as Ancient Greece (to my knowledge, possibly prior), but we just can’t seem to get it right.

Termed by many as a “soft skill” (argh!), communication is hard – very hard. Add on the growing existence of virtual teams in today’s workforce, and you probably feel like just hanging up your hat when it comes to perfecting communications.

BUT (here’s where this somber story takes a turn in the protagonist’s favor), you CAN enhance communications amongst your virtual team. How, you ask? I’ve rounded up a few tips in this blog post.

Create a Game Plan

Communicate about your communications. Don’t just assume that everyone has the same practices when it comes to text vs. email vs. conference calls vs. IM vs. [insert any number of virtual comms platforms here]. Because there are so many channels out there at your disposal, it’s important that you create a game plan and make sure everyone is on the same page.

What channels do we use to communicate what?

For example, you might determine as a group to use:

· Group chat for brief back-and-forth throughout the day (preventing a mess in your inbox)

· Email for lengthier messages; communication with clients; communicating across time zones that prohibit real-time chat; etc.

· Phone when something is more efficient to discuss during a quick 5-10 minute call versus lots of back and forth on chat or email

· Google Drive for file sharing and collaboration

· Shared calendar for out-of-office schedules

· Weekly digital newsletter for sales success stories and industry trends/thought leadership

· Private team Facebook page for leisure and social content

· Weekly webcam calls for team touch points /updates

What’s appropriate and what’s not?

Once you’ve determined what each channel should be used for, you might want to consider crafting general behavioral guidelines. Have your team develop these “rules of thumb” themselves. For example:

Email DO’s and DONT’S

DO’S

  • Acknowledge via a reply within a 24-hr period
  • Be as brief as possible and use bullets/lists
  • Use the red flag sparingly – only in true cases of urgency
  • Avoid after-hours and weekend emails to respect personal time and wellness

DONT’S

  • Include people who don’t need to know or take action
  • Use ALL CAPS
  • Reply All unless everyone needs to see your response
  • Use email to address a sensitive topic that deserves a more personal delivery

Virtual Meeting Do’s and Don’ts

DO 

  • Have a clear purpose and agenda. You might want to add a quick and fun “round robin” at the beginning to help build relationships amongst a virtual team – such as asking everyone to share the yummiest meal they’ve had all week.
  • Start and end on time, and if you are the host, arrive 10 minutes early to set up the virtual environment. If you are a participant, arrive a few minutes early to be ready to “go” at start time.
  • Turn your webcam on so that everyone can communicate non-verbally (and also often helps avoid people talking over each other and keeps everyone more engaged in the discussion)
  • Mute your phone when not speaking to minimize background noise (and unmute before you speak!)
  • Be aware of all time zones when scheduling your meeting
  • As with any meeting, conclude by recapping discussion and summarizing next steps

DONT’S

  • Schedule on Monday mornings or Friday afternoons (team members need this time to adequately prepare for their week ahead and tie up any loose ends)
  • Send call-in details right before it starts (include them in original appt)
  • Invite unnecessary participants who are not needed to advance the topic forward
  • Fail to address the details of who is responsible for what (be specific!)
  • Interrupt/announce yourself if you log in late; the Host will be able to see that you have joined
  • Turn beeping notifications on for attendees entering and leaving the meeting space
  • Have your email notifications on when sharing your screen