We have all been there - in a meeting where they are discussing the impact of some communication that we have missed, frantically searching our emails during the meeting to figure out what the heck is being discussed, or was it in a group chat, where is this damn meeting agenda: maybe that will give me some clue, perhaps, I was left off the email recipients? When we finally summon up the courage to clarify, generally, when we have been asked to weigh in, we are told that it was in paragraph 6 or some organisation wide communication, the title of which was so ambiguous that we didn’t think it to be as important as the other 50 emails we had received over night! "Honestly, why didn’t someone just call me," you think exasperated. "This is going to have a massive impact on my project. If I were in the office, I would have no doubt heard about this." The variety of communication methods are seemingly endless, text, instant messenger, Whatsapp, Zoom, MS Teams, Skype, email, phone and, dare I say it, “face to face conversation." When there are so many ways to communicate with your colleagues, it is helpful to remember that some methods are of greater value in terms of creating connection and conveying a message. Often, the more personal methods, when evaluated, work out to have a lower cost to the organisation and a better outcome to all concerned. According to Leading Virtual Teams a book from the Harvard Business review 20 minute Manager series: “…..when there are no impromptu updates the sheer volume of messages you receive can be overwhelming. In general face to face is always best followed by video and phone which are better at capturing emotional information than a written format. But no matter which tool you are using you will save time and build good will by helping your people find the right channels and develop a shared etiquette for using them.” The cadence and method of communication are more important when the team is geographically dispersed. Give some thought to your colleague's time, deliver messages in an easy and practical manner being considerate of the recipient. I do not advocate the use of read receipts as, in my opinion, it gives a message of distrust. However, if you send out an email, which did not receive any replies, a follow up in a meeting or chat might be a good idea. The shared etiquette that is mentioned above could include things like:
If an email requires action within 24 hours, a team chat or phone call should accompany it.
Request video is enabled for weekly team meetings
Requirement to shut down emails and put phone away during meetings to remain present
Detailing appropriate use of the ! High Importance option in emails
Implement “No meeting Monday”
If a call will be longer than 15 minutes, it is preferred to schedule a time
An observation in the above mentioned book is: “…strong communication skills are a must in a good virtual team, members know how to be precise and concise in multiple mediums and they err on the side of over communication” To show consideration, you could take the time to learn the hours your colleagues are getting paid for and do your best to honour them. If someone has made the decision to work part time, just because they are online checking that there is nothing urgent, does not mean that they are available to attend to your request at that time. In addition, if you know that a colleague logs off at noon on a Friday, try not to send them something urgent at 11.45am because you were not organised enough to get it to them earlier. A considerate colleague thinks about the impact on others as well as the desired outcome. Taking a little time to see the potential pitfalls of communication will benefit everyone. When working remote and flexibly, the method of communication becomes more important.
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