3 Tortious Communication Problems Killing Remote Teams Sanity
Ironically, the tools designed to bring us closer in a virtual world are pushing team members more into silos and frustration.
When the pandemic turned the world upside down in 2020, I jumped on the hybrid work model bandwagon. The idea? Leverage technology to keep an international team connected and productive.
Fast forward, and what did we get?
It became a chaotic circus of notifications, messages, and technology-induced passive-aggressiveness.
Remote work has been a powerful tactic, but as we added more technology, it created a monumental communication bottleneck.
People didn't understand how to communicate effectively through writing. Burnout spread as people navigated our software stack.
The tools we brought to solve our problems created another set of problems.
The Art of Effective Team Communication
Communication isn't just about talking; it's about talking right.
It's an art form. When your team is distributed across different regions and home office setups, the importance of effective communication amplifies tenfold.
But, while remote, you also lose the personal touch—the human connection. Even with video calling tools, there's still a massive disconnect.
The only way to dig yourself out of the communication hole is to find ways to fix it.
Here are the mistakes I've made.
Problem 1: No Company-Wide Communication Guidelines
Communication chaos starts when there are no ground rules.
You've got Joe sending critical project updates through Slack emojis, while Sarah prefers burying the team in lengthy email threads. Then you have Johnny, who loves to send blocks of text for updates, confusing everyone.
How the hell are we supposed to make sense of all this?
If your company doesn't have communication guidelines, you're playing Russian Roulette with your projects and priorities.
The Solution: Create a Communication Guideline that defines how and where your team will communicate with crucial communication best practices.
Problem 2: Too Many Commenting Features, Not Enough Clarity
Slack, Google, Teams, Asana, Notion, shall I continue?
Each one promises a nirvana of smooth collaboration but delivers a labyrinth of comment threads. It's not just counterproductive; it's confusing. I've had employees tell me they dread opening their project management software.
That's a red flag, don't you think?
There are too many pings, dings, and buzzers all over the place, draining mental energy.
The Solution: Limit yourself to a few mediums to communicate in. For me, that would be email, Google Chat, Salesforce, and Asana—I'm trying to get to three.
Problem 3: Written Communication is for Updates and FYIs Only, Not Complex Conversations
Written communication is ideal for short updates or sharing quick information.
You'll read articles about the glory of asynchronous communication, and it has some benefits, but the day-long back and forth drives people crazy.
Let's not kid ourselves—complex issues or important topics need more than text on a screen. That's what video calls are for. Suppose you're trying to navigate a challenging conversation through text. In that case, you're setting yourself up for misunderstanding and, yes, the dreaded passive-aggressiveness.
The Solution: Cut 50% of your back-and-forth communication. For complex conversations, schedule a video call, invite only people who will contribute, and recap the call in an email.
Let's not fool ourselves; technology alone won't make your remote team efficient.
It's how you implement that technology that counts. So, cut the clutter and be purposeful in your communication choices.
Align your team with a streamlined communication protocol.
Be explicit about which tools to use for what. And, when in doubt, jump on a call. Clarity and peace of mind have immeasurable ROI.
Remember, if you're not solving problems, you're probably creating new ones.
