communication while working from home

As a consulting firm, we are accustomed to working remotely. We want to support you by sharing what we have learned along the way. Our Senior Consultant, Aaron Russell shares his tips on how to communicate effectively with clients, supervisors, and co-workers. 

​While you are working from home during the COVID-19 pandemic, there is an increased need for accurate and effective communication strategies throughout the workforce. We are all developing a level of reliance and trust in this new remote working arrangement. Three main interactions while working from home need to be mastered to build trust. They are the communication you have with clients, co-workers, and supervisors.


Communication with clients

Clients are what drives a business. When supporting your client while working from home, there are three main ways to deliver a positive message with clear communication.

• Emails are good when you need to share very specific information that may be useful later, or there is a multi-step process that needs to be documented. Make sure you proofread your email and try to communicate a positive tone in the email, but do not sacrifice space for being clear and concise. Email communication is a good method to provide step-by-step instructions that can be revisited or referenced at a later date.  

• Virtual meetings through either Zoom! or Go-To-Meeting can be a very effective way to screen share or to present on a topic. Since we are all practicing social distancing, the virtual meeting is becoming even more important. We can use the virtual meeting to have a screen share session to clarify any questions from the guide or documentation and to walk the client through the process.

• The good old-fashioned phone call. Calls can be useful when visual material is not required, and there is just a need for discussion or clarification. To continue the example from above: The client has the step-by-step instruction guide and wants to clarify a step or would like to elaborate on a step in the process. A phone call would be useful here as both parties already know the material, and there needs to be some slight clarification on a piece of the process.

Some items to think about as you prepare for communicating with a client:
1.     Be very clear in the message you are sending.
2.     Stick to the message you are trying to communicate.
3.     Always communicate what you expect the outcome to be


Communication with co-workers

Interacting with co-workers inside a work environment feels normal, but it can be a bit more challenging when working from home. Here are two examples where technology can help in that communication.

• Instant Messengers like Google Hangouts or Skype are a good way to keep in contact with your co-workers while working from home. The “instant” communication allows for quick notes back and forth to keep the project moving forward. The use of instant messaging would be similar to walking down to your colleague’s office. This would help communicate when a dependency is completed and the co-worker can begin their process. Be aware that these conversations can be distracting and ultimately lead to less productivity, but they do keep you feeling connected.  

• Emails are most useful when you need to share very specific information about a project where your co-worker may need to reference the data later or a portion of a document that will need to be sent to the client. From the example provided in communicating with a client, if there are several people working on the step-by-step guide and there is one person designated as the collector of information, then an email with your exact portion would be better sent via email, so the data stays consistent.

As a side note, there are multiple project tracker software available such as Projectplace and Asana that can be used to collaborate on project tasks and goals. Anyone, including a client, can access these trackers should you decide to add them, and can be very useful in tracking progress.
 
Communication with a supervisor

Communicating with your supervisor, especially from home, is very important. This is where the employee can gain trust and open the possibility of working from home after this health issue is over if that is something you would like to continue. Communication while working from home will also let your supervisor know that you are still producing at a high level and can be depended on even when away from the office.

Utilizing all of the above methods is a great way to communicate with your supervisor; copy him or her on emails, ask questions via instant message, and set-up a weekly virtual meeting or phone call to check-in. Do not be afraid to ask if there is anything you can help with and ask for more responsibility. These are things you should be doing anyway but are even more important to communicate when you are working from home. 

With the shift in workplace office to home office during the COVID-19 pandemic there is an increased need for accurate and effective communication. Whether you return to the workplace or work from home fulltime, the interactions and communication strategies must be mastered to provide effective progress and to build trust. Whether it be with clients, co-workers, or supervisors, you must communicate, communicate, communicate.
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For other considerations while working from home, please see this article from Kerry Wekelo, the COO at Actualize Consulting: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/your-team-ready-work-from-home-kerry-wekelo/