Covid-19: Communication Crisis

The Covid-19 pandemic caused a major shift in workplace communications. With many businesses having to shut down physical locations and switch to virtual communications, "working from home" became the societal norm. While many businesses relied heavily on the use of virtual communication apps, such as Zoom, workplace communications were inevitably stunted to due to a lack of social interactions and increased barriers of noise. With no in-person communication options available, how can you ensure that your employees are not suffering from this communication crisis?

Working from home no doubt has its benefits, and according to Pew Research, more than half of Americans want to continue working from home even if their workplace physically reopens. On the contrary, Pew Research states that 36% of employees working from home feel that it's "very/somewhat difficult feeling motivated to do their work." If motivation is low, then their performance is probably not doing well either. So why is employee motivation so low? Consider the fact that most employees working from home are working in isolation with little to no social interaction amongst their colleagues. How have you been engaging with your employees throughout the pandemic? Do you regularly check-in with your employees? Are you making sure that your employees are participating in workplace communication? What are you doing to motivate your employees? 

Because virtual communication is the latest trend in the workplace, let's focus on virtual meetings and conferences and how you can use them to cultivate a healthy remote team culture.

Are you regularly scheduling team meetings to discuss projects, roles, expectations, and deadlines? Employees need structure and routines to perform their best and meet your expectations, so if your meetings are too sporadic or unorganized, you're opening the door for miscommunication. Set regular meeting times, plan the direction of your meetings beforehand, ensure your team is participating, set clear project goals and deadlines, and record all meetings for accountability and reference purposes. Every team member's roles and expectations should be clear and understood by everyone at the end of the meeting. 

Are you allowing time within your meetings for socialization amongst employees? 

Socialization is an extremely important addition to all virtual meetings. Consider dedicating a beginning portion of your company meetings for team socializing. Make sure everyone is participating by creating an inclusive atmosphere and inviting each team member to speak. Get creative and have all team members answer a question as an icebreaker.

Are you meeting with your employees in 1-on-1 settings? 

It's important that you, as a boss, are regularly checking in with your employees. Perhaps you have a new team member, or a shy team member, and you've noticed that they aren't participating as much in your team meetings. Maybe there's a lack of communication amongst your team and you're looking for the root of this miscommunication. Whatever the case, meeting with each team member individually allows them the space to discuss workplace issues with you (their boss) that they may be uncomfortable addressing in a team setting. Be sure to actively listen to your employees by approaching these 1-on-1 meetings with a learner mindset. Be prepared to come up with solutions for employee grievances in an effort to improve each employee's experience and overall contribute to your team's success. 

Establishing effective virtual communication procedures is essential for your business to survive and thrive in remote atmospheres. Better Boss Bureau hopes you utilize these tips in your next team meeting and continue on your path to becoming a better boss!