Communication is a powerful tool that can help guarantee that employees continue to be engaged, happy about their career advancement, and see a future with their current employer.
Businesses risk losing their best employees to competitors who are more equipped to communicate effectively in today’s hybrid workplace. So, how do you get everyone on the same page when you can’t all be in the same room at once?
Here are some quick wins you can implement right away to improve your hybrid workplace, whether you’re new to the concept or want to improve your communication methods:
- Define How the Team Will Communicate
CEOs, managers, and workers need to be on the same page regarding the most appropriate channels for various forms of communication.
What happens when there are no established communication mechanisms in a remote team is demonstrated here:
Peter and Susan are two remote workers on the same team. Peter often gets up before dawn to finish work and sends Susan progress reports via email. When working on a group project, Susan prefers to tackle tasks in the morning and then jump on Skype calls in the afternoon.
Since their company has not set defined boundaries and communication best practices, employees are free to rely on their work and communication methods.
Since Peter and Susan have different ideas about how the project should be carried out, they could end up arguing with one another over the situation. The project comes to a halt as their disconnectedness deepens.
To avoid such miscommunication, your employees must know which communication channel to use for different kinds of messages. Video calls, messaging apps, and other internal communication software are essential for team member communication.
- Get The Right Mix of Synchronous and Asynchronous
In an ordinary workplace, people tend to talk to one another at the same time – a stop by at your desk, a talk around the office on a Monday, the sessions that take place every week in the conference room. These synchronous interactions bring everyone in the team closer and help them feel more at home in their work environment.
Synchronous communication is preferable in emergencies or sensitive, complex situations where uncertainty is unacceptable.
Hybrid teams can only sometimes communicate synchronously, however. Remote workers may have different schedules or time zones. Expecting remote workers to reply immediately can be counterproductive.
Asynchronous interactions are every day in hybrid communication. It can be an email, a note on a shared online workspace like Asana or Office 365, or collaboration software. When communicating asynchronously, it’s optional to reply right away.
Asynchronous communication gives hybrid teams more control and time to organize their day by reducing work interruptions and allowing for thoughtful comments. Asynchronous communication, however, can cause gaps in contact on hybrid teams. Projects benefit from immediate action or spontaneous brainstorming. Lack of human interaction might increase feelings of isolation.
Hybrid teams can take advantage of both asynchronous and synchronous modes of communication by switching between them as needed.
- Mind Your Tone When Writing
Digital communication makes recognizing a person’s tone and emotional state tough. When the group isn’t physically together, this becomes even more challenging. It would help if you took as much care as possible with your written communication to avoid misunderstandings.
Avoid negative language. You can say, ‘Let’s make sure this financial report is ready by Thursday.’ instead of ‘This report isn’t complete.’
Know that your statements may be misunderstood because of the absence of in-person non-verbal signs like facial expressions and body language when working remotely. Before sending anything, recheck the message and keep in mind that it’s preferable to err on the side of friendliness than criticism.
- Encourage Feedback
The loss of constant contact in the workplace makes providing the necessary validation, confirmation, and instruction more challenging. A hybrid system requires different procedures like messaging, calling, or tagging to complete a task.
To ensure everyone is on the same page, implement a system of forms, regular one-on-ones, and team meetings to encourage feedback. If you did this before transitioning to hybrid work, it’s essential to keep doing it. Numerous resources exist to facilitate collecting input, organizing it, and generating reports to track developments over time.
When establishing a company-wide policy, it’s crucial to consider the diversity of team members’ experiences to guarantee that all employees, no matter where they’re located, feel valued.
The need for reliable feedback mechanisms has become apparent. More is needed for teams to be able to talk to one another; communication also includes giving employees a voice in organizational decisions. Whenever possible, make sure your employees have a chance to voice their opinions.
Conclusion
While the hybrid model may present specific communication difficulties, it also offers new possibilities for growing numerous information streams that were underrepresented in conventional workplaces. Using these methods and getting your teams used to them will increase the likelihood of creating a cohesive team where everyone is in the know.
