In these unprecedented times, staying connected to people has become more important than ever. Remote working has exploded into the limelight of work culture almost overnight, and the switch hasn't been easy. Of course, switching to working from home can be made easier if you've got some ergonomic furniture (like a standing desk), a space to work from, and some peace and quiet, but it's far from being the most comfortable situation.
However, there's a bigger problem with remote working. And that's the loss of company culture, or better still, the lack of communication between colleagues. If you're facing such problems at work, these few tips can help you communicate easier with your colleagues and coworkers.
Use Your Commute Time
Yes, it's true, you now work at home, so you no longer have to spend time on the way to work. But that doesn't mean you should just roll out of your bed and start replying emails. No, use that time to do something with a coworker. It could be through texting, a phone call or video messaging. Those few minutes in the morning spent chatting will help you regain the conversations that are now lost because of remote working.
Make Video Compulsory
A lot of companies already do this, so it may sound like a drag. But you have to make video communication compulsory. This is especially important as there will be no in-person communication for a long time. When communicating through texts and phone calls, important verbal cues are missed. That's why it's important that official meetings are done through video conferencing.
Silent Video Group Chat
In an office setting, you're often working side by side with others, even when you do not communicate with them. You can recreate that ambience and mood by leaving the video chat on, even when you're not communicating. Hearing someone mumble as they work away diligently can be a great morale boost and can do a lot to increase productivity.
Accept The Peculiarities Of Working From Home
If you're lucky to have a private workspace, you need to understand that many others may not have the opportunity. That means that you'll inevitably be seeing pets and children in video conferences. When this happens it's important to not be judgmental. In fact, to show colleagues that this is okay, you can ask for additional information. Questions spiced with compliments like "Is that your cat? she looks so beautiful" will go a long way in making colleagues comfortable.
Make Meetings More Engaging
It's important that colleagues do not see meetings as dreary things that they have to do, but as fun times for engagement. To accomplish this, it would be wise to think of smart and creative ways to make meetings more interesting. One of the ways to give meetings a fun twist is by playing games. Some of these games can include the first and worst game. This is a game where everyone throws out their first and worst ideas. Since great ideas generally come from bad "first" ideas, this is a way to make meetings productive and engaging at the same time.
If you follow these five steps, you're certain to see a marked improvement in the way you communicate with your colleagues. You must note, though, that productivity doesn't only rest on communication. Co-workers, to be at their best, must have healthy remote working habits, and that includes having a proper work station and making sure to exercise properly. Thankfully, a desk bike like the Deskbike V9 from Flexispot will satisfy those two criteria quite easily.
The Deskbike comes with a spacious desktop that allows you to set up quite easily, and it has an easily adjustable seat that means you're never in discomfort. The Deskbike can even double as a standing desk if you want. The great news is that you can put everything together under a minute.
The takeaway, of course, is that constant communication between coworkers is important for productivity. Equally important is having the right tools to make working from home a success.
