Nothing is more crucial right now than staying connected. Learn why communication is currently so crucial and how you can keep teams connected.
Learn why in order to stay productive, companies need the right tools in order to communicate.
· Two Approaches to Communication
· The Future Is Working from Home
· Stefanini Enables Your Team to Stay in Touch
Nothing is more crucial than staying connected right now. Many of us have been ordered to stay home unless leaving is absolutely necessary and for good reason – self-quarantine is one of the best ways to slow the spread of the coronavirus. Yet, staying at home can be frustrating, especially when it comes to the way we work. Many people were not prepared to work remotely – and their companies weren’t prepared to support them either.
As a result, one of the main components of daily business operations that is suffering is communication. Due to quarantine, we no longer have the option to pop into each other’s offices or stop by colleagues’ desks to touch base. Instead, we must rely on tools like videoconferencing platforms, emails, chat applications and more to exchange files, give updates on important projects, and communicate project statuses.
Want updates on COVID-19? Chat with Sophie!
Why Connection Matters
Obviously, one of the main reasons we need to stay connected is to keep the business world running. Yet, there’s another, deeper reason behind the need for communication. Humans, at our core, are social creatures. And one of the ways we can remain positive in the face of adversity is through social interaction – and that includes the interactions we exchange at work. Be it a simple “hello” or an update about an important meeting, work serves as more than work – it gives us purpose, allows us to be creative and effectively problem solve while making human connections.
And we’ve seen humans reach for connection in a variety of ways since the outbreak of coronavirus. According to The New Yorker, humans have adapted to new ways of finding connections even while they’re physically apart from one another. For instance, in China, while nearly eight hundred million people are experiencing some kind of lockdown, night clubs have started up “cloud clubbing,” during which viewers watch d.j. sets on streaming platforms. People have also started taking gym classes online or on WeChat. In Iran, doctors and nurses are partaking in a coronavirus dance challenge, posting videos of themselves dancing in hazmat suits. All of this material and more is distributed via social media, showing how essential having access to the internet is crucial during the COVID-19 crisis.
While the internet is necessary to have social connections, there are also ways it can provide business connections.
Want to advance your company, but not sure where to start? We can help.
Two Approaches to Communication
In these times of remote work, don’t just consider how you’ll communicate – think to whom you are communicating as well. In fact, it can be helpful to think about communication in two parts:
Support Staff Members – Check in with your staff each day to get an idea as to where everyone is at. If you need to, schedule regular phone conference or online check-ins. This way, you’re not just assuming that everyone knows what they should be working on at this time and can provide necessary guidance. In that same token, you can afford to be a little more flexible now. With schools closed, your staff likely are juggling child-rearing duties with work, so see if you can schedule meetings during nap times, or whenever kids might be occupied. Above all, stress that worker safety comes first and that you are there to provide support.
Connect with Customers – if you haven’t already, there’s no time like the present to send out information via email detailing what services you’re able to maintain and how you can deliver those services. An even better option is to speak with customers by phone and reassure them that you’re there for any and all of their needs. Further, you can instruct your clients on best practices during this difficult time.
The Future is Working from Home
It’s very likely that once coronavirus has gone, working remotely will be here to stay. According to Business News Daily, the preferred form of communication will remain mobile work tools and virtual reality conferencing over face-to-face meetings. Surprisingly, AI will also play a major role in managing remote staff. With the right tech on hand, companies will seamlessly transition to working from home.
And if they didn’t before, after the coronavirus, many employees will expect remote work opportunities. According to Buffer, 99 percent of current remote workers would like to work remotely some of the time for the rest of their careers. Furthermore, according to Global Workplace Analytics, 37% of remote employees would take a 10% pay cut to continue working from home. Because of this increasingly popular trend, some refuse to accept an onsite position, knowing they can find a more convenient and flexible gig elsewhere.
There’s no better time to improve your remote work policies and capabilities. If you’re concerned about productivity and performance issues, it might be best to put in place key performance indicators for your management and employees. This way, remote team members are aware their performance is monitored and what the expectations of them might be.
How can you ensure your team is working from home securely? Read our Trends blog for tips!
Stefanini Enables Your Team to Stay In Touch
Your team needs to stay connected. We provide access to a full-fledged suite of products that allows your team to communicate anytime and from anywhere, accessing remote connectivity tools that allow for video conference calls, the completion of tasks online, and the ability to share data securely. We use:
· AWS: Chime
· Microsoft Azure: Teams
· Microsoft Office 365
Interested in getting connected with your team members and watching productivity levels soar? Give us a call today!
