Out of necessity or not, many of the world’s remote workers have had a crash course in the trials and tribulations of the virtual workplace over the last few years.
While remote working certainly has its many benefits, it is not without a unique set of challenges and hurdles to overcome, one of which being a potential communication breakdown.
Collaboration is extremely important in the workplace, particularly in the virtual capacity when the human element of business so often tends to suffer.
It is worth remembering that there are some great online tools out there designed specifically for aiding businesses in their remote collaborative efforts, so if you needed some help reaching the perfect level of company-wide digital communication prowess, you might be in luck.
What exactly does good online communication and collaboration look like? Why is it so valuable to the infrastructure and integrity of a business and the remote staff it needs to support?
Here are some important points to consider regarding the virtual workplace – you may find you need to get digitally organized in time for the future.
Increased Organization
Managing digital assets can be extremely difficult for a business of any size, particularly those that need to rely on the collaborative ability of various departments on any given project or process.
Getting organized is, therefore, a must, yet this can be monstrously difficult to do if communication and accessibility levels throughout the virtual office are at an all-time low.
There are some exceptional DAM (digital asset management) software solutions to select from online, and this may be the best way to go for anyone trying to streamline not only their storage and data handling efforts but also their ability to virtually communicate.
A platform that lets you edit and share documents in real-time can negate the need for consistent video calls, emails, instant messages, and other time-consuming, low-impact communicative endeavors.
Better collaboration means better organization, and it is a perpetual cycle, too; one needs to be nourished if it is to grow and sustain itself.
Better Problem-Solving Skills
Two heads might be better than one, and a whole team collaborating effortlessly on a project is likely even better than that.
If you run into a problem throughout your virtual working day, it can be difficult to know who to turn to and how to ask for help in the first place. Problems still need to get solved, and without the backing of a team behind you, it may get left to fester and slow down the rest of the operation.
A weak link in the chain can damage production across the board, which may be particularly dangerous if you need to work toward strict deadlines.
Collaboration is a superb way to maximize the value of your workforce and implement their collective knowledge and experience into every working day.
Problems are easily solved when a cohesive team works in unison using their individual skillsets to get the job done.
- Tip – All the online tools in the world will still struggle to fix a team whose members do not ever see eye to eye, so it is worth thinking about the composition of the team itself in this area.
Togetherness
It can be easy to get caught up in the lonely solitude of remote work. Sometimes, remote working can make you feel like there is no one around to reach out to for support, no team member to ask for advice, have a laugh with, or even just smile too.
This is a depressing thought, one that needs to be addressed by companies wishing to put their staff’s wellbeing first.
Collaboration can help greatly with this, and it reminds people that on the other end of an email, there is, in fact, a human being, a coworker that cares and wants to help.
Communication and collaboration are intrinsically linked in the realm of remote business, and you could start to encourage more communication by:
- Setting up an informal virtual hangout every now and then for employees to get together and shoot the breeze.
- Creating an environment that thrives on peer assessment and constructive feedback.
- Training your employees in communication using online courses.
- Setting an example.
- Leave documents open for the rest of the team to edit together.
Feeling (rather ironically) disconnected in a digital world is not a nice position to be in, so taking steps to make sure your team are not left out or isolated is vital.
Togetherness can lead to the evolution of a positive and enjoyable company cultured when guided in the right direction, preferably by a savvy manager who recognizes the value of a digital corporation.
A great company culture can be created online, and it should be if everyone aims to carry out their responsibilities with a strong support network to back them up.
Better Rates of Productivity
High productivity rates are what many a forward-thinking business owner/manager strives to achieve, but it is not always easy, especially when making the transition to a digital-centric working day.
Nevertheless, this is the reality for many businesses, and it may very well continue to be for the foreseeable future.
When your teams are working together, they can effectively disperse the workload and tackle their responsibilities as a unit.
Some people very much enjoy working alone, which is fine too, but this does not mean they can’t collaborate with other teams. In fact, for these people, the virtual working day might be somewhat of a saving grace.
Kindling Innovation
It can be hard to bounce ideas around a room when there is no one to bounce them to in the first place.
Innovation often thrives on high-energy environments in which everyone has their say, ideas are listened to, thoughts are extrapolated on, and the seeds of progression are sewn.
This is a totally achievable concept in the virtual realm, it just requires a little extra time to master, and in many ways, it needs to be spearheaded by a well-rounded, empathic, and forward-thinking manager.
