What do you do if your remote team struggles with digital communication tools?

Internal communications are easier than ever thanks to technological advancements in hardware and software systems. Platforms integrate widely available programs and display company information in a centralized hub that presents pertinent news in a clear manner. This saves each user from having to check multiple applications or web servers and decipher what pertains to them. Furthermore, these platforms can place departments or groups of employees into special categories that receive targeted data. Since less of their time is devoted to mindless busywork or sifting through data, your employees’ productivity and engagement increases.

To address your team's struggles with digital communication tools, start by assessing their specific needs and challenges. Conduct a survey or hold one-on-one meetings to gather feedback on what's working and what isn't. This will help you identify if the problem lies in tool complexity, lack of training, or simply the wrong tool for your team's requirements. Understanding these needs is the first step in crafting a solution that will help your team communicate more effectively.

Provide Training: Offer comprehensive training on digital communication tools. Choose User-Friendly Tools: Select tools that are intuitive and easy to use. Set Clear Guidelines: Establish clear protocols for communication to ensure consistency. Encourage Open Feedback: Regularly seek feedback to identify and address issues. Offer Support: Provide ongoing technical support and resources. Foster a Collaborative Culture: Promote a culture of collaboration and patience as the team adjusts. Lead by Example: Use the tools effectively yourself to set a standard for the team.

To address your team's struggles with digital communication tools, start by assessing their specific needs and challenges. Conduct a survey or hold one-on-one meetings to gather feedback on what's working and what isn't. This will help you identify if the problem lies in tool complexity, lack of training, or simply the wrong tool for your team's requirements. Understanding these needs is the first step in crafting a solution that will help your team communicate more effectively.

I believe communication is a huge peace of clarification. So long as my team and I are always on the same page, we will be able to tackle any of the issues at hand. Without becoming a micromanager, I would empower my team to find solutions and when they're not able to, they will feel comfortable bringing the issues to the drawing board during our weekly check ins. Working with a remote team requires more communication, so cultivating a safe environment where all team members feel valued and appreciated, will be key to bringing more solutions to life.

sure that the platform you pick can meet your company’s specific needs. Your solution of choice should be a comprehensive employee communications tool that prioritizes the employee experience. It incorporates popular social media functionality into an elegant, understandable user interface. Users are able to network and collaborate seamlessly while managers process feedback and analyze back-end data.

1. **Assessment**: Start by understanding your team's specific challenges and needs through surveys or one-on-one discussions. 2. **Simplify Tools**: Opt for user-friendly platforms that integrate well with each other to minimize confusion and improve efficiency. 3. **Training and Support**: Provide adequate training and ongoing support to ensure everyone can effectively use the chosen tools. 4. **Feedback Loop**: Establish a feedback mechanism to continuously improve and adapt your digital communication strategy based on team input. These steps should help in addressing your team's digital communication challenges effectively.

Once you've pinpointed the issues, consider simplifying the digital tools your team uses. Too many platforms or overly complex systems can overwhelm and lead to communication breakdowns. Opt for user-friendly tools that integrate well with each other to minimize confusion and streamline the communication process. Simplification also involves decluttering digital workspaces by removing unnecessary features or applications that may distract or hinder productivity.

Navigating digital communication tools can be challenging for remote teams. If your team is struggling, start by assessing their comfort level with the tools in use. Provide training sessions and create a comprehensive guide. Encourage open feedback to understand their needs and preferences. Implement a blend of synchronous and asynchronous communication to accommodate different working styles. Finally, foster a culture of patience and continuous improvement. Effective communication is the backbone of a successful remote team

The best way to make a training program that fits the needs of your company is to ensure your new platform is well-documented and supported. Your training team needs to fully understand its capabilities. That’s why it’s so important that your vendor of choice provides detailed guides on every aspect of the social intranet. For any question not covered, you should be able to speak to a qualified customer service professional to provide your training team with the info necessary to formulate a great training course.

Effective use of digital tools often hinges on proper training. Organize comprehensive training sessions tailored to your team's proficiency levels. These should cover not only the basic functions of the tools but also best practices for digital communication. Ensure that everyone understands how to use the tools to collaborate effectively and address any questions or concerns they may have. Continuous learning opportunities will keep your team adept at using digital tools.

Digital communication etiquette is vital for remote teams to interact respectfully and efficiently. Clearly outline expectations for response times, message clarity, and appropriate use of different communication channels. Encourage your team to be mindful of their tone and to consider time zones when scheduling meetings or sending messages. Fostering a culture of good digital etiquette will help reduce misunderstandings and maintain a positive team dynamic.

Granted that regular monitoring on tools to be used is very important. It is all the more important to setup a comfortable monitoring strategy that create self sufficiency and self empowerment for finding and using the right tools in case initial setup isn't working.

Workers spend an average of 209 minutes every day checking their emails. In fact, according to a recent report from Workfront, 53% of employees say that “excessive emails” are a major issue that reduces productivity. Before sending out a digital communication, consider whether it is necessary. Look through your scheduled daily communications and see if any reports can be consolidated or even eliminated.

I agree with Monika. In my experience, it goes back to a clear working agreement/plan between teams on choice of tools, frequency of sync meetings, etc. Moreover the plan should be constantly iterated and updated to suit the needs of the teams.

After implementing changes, it's important to monitor progress and gather feedback regularly. This will help you understand if the solutions are effective or if further adjustments are needed. Keep an open line of communication with your team about their experiences with the digital tools and be ready to iterate on your strategy as necessary. Monitoring progress ensures that your team continues to improve their digital communication skills over time.

I work on an exclusively remote team, and the adoption of digital tools varies. We use email, Slack, Teams, WhatsApp, Zoom, and text, among others. Syncing everyone on the same platforms can be challenging. Every Monday morning, we start with a 1.5-hour team call. The first hour is dedicated solely to fueling connection. We discuss weekends, favorite TV shows, exciting life events—anything that helps us bond. Regardless of the platforms used during the week, our Monday morning Zoom call ensures everyone syncs up and stays connected. Sacrificing one hour per week to connect isn't always easy, but the trust gained and relationships forged are invaluable. Building connections is never time wasted.

Assign projects to groups of employees rather than individuals when practical. When projects are completed, have employees present them to others. Whichever platform you ultimately choose should provide a fun, social media-inspired framework where people can comment and show appreciation for others’ efforts.

Encourage everyone to be open and honest with their struggles. Create a safe envirnment for people to share. Then you can turn this into a team challenge and ask everyone to work together for a new solution. Other things that will help is to ensure everyone uses the camera feature, try not to have side conversations if some people are in the same room while others are online - people feel like they are missing out. Give everyone equal time to contribute.

Managers who regularly send out emails after working hours may be doing their employees more harm than good. Even if the manager doesn’t expect a response until the next day, workers could feel pressured to respond immediately anyway – especially now with so many of us spending much of our day online to help cope with isolation. This increases stress and anxiety levels during a crisis that is already challenging enough. Plan your communications accordingly.