Tips for Improving Communication in Remote Work Environments

Mastering Remote Workforce Meetings: Best Practices and Etiquette Bottleneck Distant Assistant has been meeting remotely since 2018 and they've learned a lot about remote-based workforce meetings. Here are some best practices and etiquette guidelines to ensure your remote workforce meetings are productive, engaging, and respectful: 1. Set Clear Objectives: Start every meeting with a clear agenda outlining the purpose, goals, and expected outcomes. This helps participants understand the importance of their attendance and ensures everyone stays focused. 2. Choose the Right Tools: Select reliable video conferencing and collaboration tools that suit your team's needs. Ensure everyone has access and is familiar with the chosen platform to avoid technical hiccups. 3. Establish Meeting Norms: Define ground rules for participation, such as muting microphones when not speaking, using the chat feature for questions, and raising virtual hands to indicate a desire to speak. This fosters an organized and respectful environment. 4. Mindful Timing: Be mindful of time zones when scheduling meetings to accommodate participants from different regions. If unavoidable, rotate meeting times to ensure fairness and inclusivity. 5. Prepare in Advance: Share relevant materials, documents, or pre-reads ahead of time to allow participants to come prepared. This promotes meaningful discussions and efficient use of meeting time. 6. Encourage Participation: Actively engage all participants by inviting their input, encouraging questions, and acknowledging contributions. Use icebreakers or check-ins to foster camaraderie and connection among team members. 7. Facilitate Smooth Transitions: Transition between agenda items smoothly and effectively. Use visual cues or a designated facilitator to guide the flow of the meeting and ensure everyone has an opportunity to speak. 8. Manage Discussion Dynamics: Monitor participation levels and ensure quieter voices are heard. Encourage balanced contributions and intervene if necessary to prevent dominating behaviors. 9. Respectful Communication: Foster a culture of respect and professionalism by refraining from interrupting, speaking over others, or engaging in inappropriate behavior. Emphasize active listening and empathy in all interactions. 10. Follow Up and Follow Through: Summarize key takeaways, action items, and next steps at the end of the meeting. Send out meeting minutes promptly and ensure accountability by following through on commitments made during the meeting. By adhering to these best practices and etiquette guidelines, you can elevate the quality of your remote workforce meetings, foster collaboration, and drive meaningful outcomes in a virtual setting. Remember, effective communication lies at the heart of successful remote teamwork. #remoteworkforce #hireavirtualassistant #hireadedicatedassistant #remotework #videoconference

I wasn’t always a fully-remote CEO... But when I launched Squad App, I wanted it to be 100% remote from the start. I’ve been working in tech my entire life— With international teams across different time zones my entire career. Here’s how I leverage my experience to build a world-class culture with no office 👇 1. Flexibility as a rule You can’t lead an international team without being flexible. I built my daily schedule from the ground up to accommodate different time zones— Starting early with our European teams, focusing on American activities during the day, and wrapping up with our teams and partners in Asia. 2. Proactive communication Working remotely exposes any flaws in your communication style. Remote teams don’t get the exposure of in-person conversation— You MUST learn to express ideas clearly over Slack, Zoom, and Loom, and get it right the first time. Otherwise? People will carry on with misunderstandings, and you’ll find out hours later they did something completely wrong because of poor communication. 3. Fully embracing technology for connectivity Coming from a tech background, leveraging Notion, Workspace, Slack, and other async-friendly tools for collaboration came naturally to me. Simply put, the right tech stack will 10x your productivity. Even if you’re not a remote leader, get serious about the tools you use. They say great photographers aren’t people with the best cameras — it’s those who understand how to take full advantage of what they have. It’s the same for remote teams. They understand how to leverage collaboration platforms to their full potential, no matter which they’re using. 4. Fostering a culture of flexibility and trust You can’t build a remote team without placing your full trust in them. Why? Because you can’t hover over people’s shoulders, or force everyone into a meeting room to hash things out in-person. You need people who can turn around quality work without you controlling the process. Remote teams are self-starters working together toward a common goal— Trust matters here more than ever. 5. Prioritizing employee well-being Not seeing your team in-person makes it harder to pick up on struggles they might be facing that you’d notice in the office. You don’t see anyone sad, happy, frustrated, or anything else. You see them for a few minutes on Zoom calls, and that’s it. That’s why it’s crucial for remote leaders to be proactive about team health — because they won’t share it otherwise. Ask them how they’re doing. Ensure they’re using their time off. And most importantly, emphasize an open-door culture. All this is the backbone of Squad App’s success in remote work, and why we’ve been so effective — despite being 1000s of miles apart — from day one.

Over the last year, I've worked remotely more than I have worked in an office. If you asked me 10 years ago how I thought I would be working, this is definitely not how I envisioned it! This has been amazing for personal time management and work-life balance, but it also comes with a set of unique challenges that I was not actively concerned about when I was working in the office. Some issues that you may experience creeping up on you (which I definitely have!) unless you combat them include fading team connectivity, less knowledge sharing and management, lower cross-departmental collaboration, etc. Here are some things that I've implemented on my team to combat this disconnection and keep strong relationships with those I work with the most: 1. Implement Bi-Weekly Knowledge Sharing Sessions: Give a platform for everyone to stretch their speaking skills and grant exposure (preferably on a Zoom or video call) to experts within the company on their product or program. This can spark more conversations and improve visibility of achievements towards company objectives. 2. Increase Time for Documentation & Discovery: When I was in the office, I would hold white boarding sessions at the start of projects where we would collaborate and brain map all aspects of the projects, where we need more information, etc. It is possible to do this on Zoom, but frankly, it's not as easy. I've built in more time for this phase for projects to emulate what we used to have with white boarding. 3. Actively Discuss Ideas: Team meetings give you and your team a chance to talk about ideas for projects, improvements we could make, questions about future goals, etc. It encourages connection within the team and inspires confidence in others to share their thoughts. 4. Schedule 1:1's with Collaborators: With less "water cooler talks" we have to actively make an effort to meet with our closest collaborators to talk about their work, their current problems, what they are inspired by and excited about, and generally keep up with how they're doing. 5. Have Fun and Enjoy the Process: This is huge for me. As our style of working continues to evolve, showing that you love the work and are inspired by the goals and what you're working on, it can have a huge impact on others around you. #remote #knowledgesharing #people

Successfully Managing a Remote Startup Team as a Founder 🚀 Effective management goes beyond delegation; it's about fostering communication, collaboration, and culture across time zones. Here are some strategies to lead a remote team successfully that have helped me: 1. Establish Robust Communication Channels Communication is key, but keep in mind everyone has their own preferences. Tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams are essential for daily interactions. In our setup at Dextego, we use Slack for engineering/product discussions and Teams for operations/sales/marketing to align with team preferences. 2. Optimize Project and Document Management Notion and Coda are invaluable for keeping everyone on the same page. We primarily use them to plan our marketing efforts, streamlining collaboration and ensuring everyone is up-to-date. 3. Implement Regular Check-ins Daily standups via video calls (ideally) help share goals and address challenges, maintaining a sense of community. I try to always send agendas beforehand to ensure productive discussions and only involve essential personnel to respect everyone's time. Tip 💡: checks ins aren't only for to-dos but also to celebrate the small wins! 4. Schedule Weekly Calls for In-Depth Review Weekly calls delve deeper into project progress and strategic planning. These discussions aim to reinforce KPIs and timelines, fostering a deeper connection and alignment with long-term objectives (explain the why). 5. Maintain an Organized System for Tracking Progress While tools like monday.com and Asana are great, Excel remains a budget-friendly option for tracking tasks and metrics on a budget. It’s vital for keeping the team informed and adaptable to changing priorities. 6. Foster a Strong Remote Culture Building a strong company culture remotely requires extra effort. I organize virtual coffee breaks, team-building activities, and even in-person meetups a few times a year to strengthen our team dynamics. (i.e. these could be conferences, get together etc.) 7. Provide Clear Goals and Expectations Clear communication about roles and expectations helps prevent misunderstandings and aligns efforts with our company's goals. Don't be afraid to reiterate your company's positioning, and mission, especially at the beginning when it is being developed as you go. Managing a remote startup team demands thoughtful communication, rigorous organization, and a strong focus on culture. By effectively using the right tools and establishing clear processes, we can lead our teams to success, no matter where they are located. If you want to look for an example of a company with a strong remote culture, check out Chili Piper. 👋 Hi, I’m Ioanna, co-founder and CEO of Dextego. I'm sharing my Gen Z founder insights, so fellow underrepresented founders can accelerate their entrepreneurial journeys. 🔗 #RemoteWork #StartupLife #TeamManagement #Leadership #ProductivityTools #StartupCulture

A tactic in time management for remote teams One root cause for why you're not getting more done: internal team communications. With the advent of Slack and Teams, the barrier to entry to initiate a conversation with a team member is lower than ever. Exacerbated by remote work—it's become prolific in work environments as an "async" tool. Why are teams communicating internally? One area to look: questions. You know, things like: 💬 Would you look at this and let me know what you think? 💬 What do you need me to do next? 💬 Where is that strategy document we've been working on? When such a question is asked, a few things are occurring in parallel: ➡️ Complexity flows from the question asker to the question receiver (you). ➡️ The question asker is asking for help—the question receiver likely wants to (and has an incentive to) give them that help. ➡️ The path of least resistance to answering the question is likely fastest through the question receiver (again, you). I'm unsure exactly how much time a team leader spends answering team questions, but I believe it's a significant source of why leadership spends much of their time in reactive firefighting (instead of proactive strategy). Here's one thing to help: increase the barrier with a release valve. The barrier: answer the question with a question 💬 Would you look at this and let me know what you think? -> "What type of feedback specifically are you looking for? Where do you feel most unconfident here?" 💬 What do you need me to do next? -> "Take a moment to review the work we've done so far. What do you think is the right next step to reach our goal?" 💬 Where is that strategy document we've been working on? -> "What have you tried so far to find it?" 👉 Then, you can follow up and say, "If you have more questions, join my office hours later today, and I'll help you." The release valve: end-of-day daily office hours Proactively plan 15-30 minutes, at the end of the day, where any team member can "walk in your office" and come talk to you. Use this time for feedback, questions, and unblocking your team. It's also a way to end your day in service to your team. Here's what will happen: 🧞♂️ Like magic, your team will get many questions answered on their own. Why? You are no longer on the path of least resistance to get help. You've also let them know that they are responsible for discovering the answer autonomously. 📈 You will learn from the office hours. Who shows up? What types of questions do they ask? Understand this. You'll discover where to deploy more team support. One thing I want to make clear: this isn't to say we want our teams floundering and struggling. Nor am I inferring teams are lazy or incapable. It's about identifying the root cause behind what's holding our team back from greater performance. It's about learning what empowerment really means. Have you tried a tactic like this? How did it go? #leadership #management #remotework

I've spent over half of my career working remotely with distributed teams. Here's what I've learned about being a supportive teammate (and leader). 💬 Async communication Your team lives in different time zones and works different hours. Send your message and move on. Don't wait for them to reply. Let them respond when they're available. 📅 Meeting etiquette Face-to-face time is priceless when it comes to remote work. Use a meeting agenda to maximize your time together. Show up on time and respect your co-workers' schedules. Save the last few minutes of the meeting to align on next steps and action items. 📖 Documentation You can't walk over to a colleague and ask them a question when you're distributed. So the need for documentation is critical. Avoid knowledge silos by sharing processes, best practices, and how-tos in team documents. What are your tips for remote work? Let me know in the comments.

Thriving as a Remote Manager: Introvert Edition 🌐💼 😊 Today, introverted managers are on my mind. As an introverted remote manager, I get it—building a culture of engagement and trust can be a unique challenge. But fear not, fellow introverts - there is a way! 🤓 Here are some bite-sized tips to foster connection and trust in our digital realms: ✅ Thoughtful Messaging 📬: Leverage the power of written communication. Craft thoughtful emails or messages that showcase your personality and commitment to your team's success. ✅ Virtual Coffee Chats ☕: Yes, even introverts can rock virtual coffee breaks! Schedule one-on-one or small group meetings for casual, agenda-free conversations. It's a low-pressure way to connect. (Check out Donut: https://lnkd.in/gzzq4Grn) ✅ Written Brilliance🗨️: Harness the power of written communication. Use emails, chats, or collaborative documents to express thoughts clearly and thoughtfully. ✅ Strategic Speaking🎙️: Leverage scheduled team meetings or one-on-ones to ensure your voice is heard. Plan ahead to share insights, ensuring everyone feels included. ✅ Empathetic Listening🤝: Introverts excel at active listening. Use this strength to truly understand your team's concerns, ideas, and needs. Show that you're genuinely invested in their success. ✅ Virtual Engagement Puzzles 🧩: Piece together creative ways to engage your team virtually. From themed virtual meetups to online brainstorming sessions, find interactive ways to connect. ✅ Shared Experiences 🌐👥: Foster engagement through shared experiences. Recommend a book, podcast, or show that resonates with you, and invite your team to join in. It's like a virtual water cooler chat! ✅ Feedback Loop 🔄: Establish an open feedback loop. Regularly ask for input on projects, processes, and team dynamics. This not only shows you value their opinions but also builds a culture of trust. ✅ Tech-Savvy Collaboration 🛠️: Embrace collaboration tools. Platforms like Slack, Microsoft Teams, or Asana can streamline communication and project management, creating a virtual space for teamwork. ✅ Video Check-Ins 🎥👋: Sometimes, face-to-face (or screen-to-screen) is the way to go. Schedule video check-ins to add a personal touch, fostering a deeper connection with your team. Being an introverted remote manager is a superpower! 💪 Embrace your pace. Building trust takes time, and that's okay. Consistency in your communication style will solidify trust over time. Share your own tips or tell me which one resonates with you most. Let's build a community of engaged and trusted remote leaders! 🌐💙 (pst: share with your introverted friends - they'll appreciate you!) #RemoteLeadership #IntrovertManager #EngagementTips

Template 1: Weekly Priorities & Async Updates In a remote-first work environment, it is critically important to be PROACTIVE about communication. It is WAY too easy for things to fly under the radar, problems to go unnoticed, and to only find out about things during bi-weekly or monthly team meetings. 😬 To make sure everyone's focused on what matters most and "rowing in the same direction", I've found it helpful to establish asynchronous communication protocols. For my team, this looks like a Monday morning email highlighting their top priorities & action items for the week. This follows the Big Rocks methodology (see link in comments). It also looks like a mid-week recap of those things. We do this on Thursday, since sometimes people are OOO on Friday, and it also gives me time to update leadership, answer questions, and remove blockers before the week is up. This weekly visibility into what people are working on allows me to understand what's getting worked on (or not) and ask questions: Why is this getting held up? Is there something else you want to add here? What came up that derailed these action items? There is so much that happens on Slack or other channels of communication that we don't always see as managers. This can help you align with your team members, create greater visibility, and coach on priorities and process. #Management #Leadership #MarketingManagement

Someone recently asked me if there are any internal phrases/mantras we lean on at Doist. I thought this was a great question, so wanted to share my responses here (and I’d love to hear any you have as well!)… 1️⃣ Async not asap. We value thoughtful, well-considered work over speedy, one-line-at-a-time communication. By embracing asynchronous communication, we empower our team members to collaborate effectively without the constant pressure of immediacy. 2️⃣ Disagree and commit. Diverse perspectives are our strength. We encourage healthy debates, but once a decision is made, we commit as a team. It's about unity in action, even when we hold differing views. 3️⃣ Remote first, not remote only. Flexibility is key! We prioritize remote work but maintain the option for intentionally curated in-person interactions a few times per year. 4️⃣ If it’s not a hell yea, it’s a no. There are a lot of good ideas, but if everything is a priority, then nothing is a priority. We believe in focusing on what truly matters, so if a project or idea doesn't align perfectly with our goals, we owe it to everyone on the team to pass, even if the potential outcome is positive. 5️⃣ Decisions drive action. We don't dwell in analysis paralysis. Once we make a decision, we act on it promptly, ensuring our ideas turn into impactful outcomes. 6️⃣ Radical Candor. Honest and caring feedback can be especially difficult to elicit in a predominantly async-first environment since non-verbal communication represents 80% of how we express ourselves (and we lose a lot of that in the virtual world). So it’s imperative we foster an environment where open, direct communication is valued, and where constructive criticism leads to personal and professional development. 7️⃣ Deep work. We champion deep, focused work, and we value creating dedicated time for meaningful tasks, while minimizing distractions and interruptions, to maximize productivity. Chatting isn't working, being present doesn't equate to output. 8️⃣ Document it. Knowledge sharing is key in a remote environment, so we make it a point to document our processes, decisions, and insights so that everyone can access and benefit from our collective wisdom. When something is mentioned in passing, we’ll often say “document it”, to ensure it is hardcoded into our handbook. Very few days go by where I don’t hear/read one of these phrases mentioned, so they truly are core to our company culture, and baking them into how we communicate has a real impact on how we make work, work. I hope this is helpful for you, and if you have any similar mantras your team leans on, I’d really love to hear them 👇

Remote work isn't just about where you work—it's about how you work. You can be 10x more effective on a remote team if you master a few key habits: ✅ Over-communicate, but be concise Clarity matters more than frequency. Say what’s needed, and say it clearly. ✅ Align before you act Check for shared understanding before diving into big tasks. Nothing wastes time like misaligned assumptions. ✅ Make your work visible Use docs, updates, or async tools to show progress—even when no one’s asking. ✅ Respect time zones (and your own time) Be flexible, but not a doormat. Set boundaries and honor others’ schedules, too. ✅ Own the outcome, not just the task Remote teams thrive when people think beyond checklists and focus on impact. ✅ Build trust through reliability Be the teammate who always follows through. Remote or not, trust is everything. ✅ Don’t forget to be human Drop a gif. Ask how someone's weekend was. Show up with personality. Culture still matters—maybe more than ever. Remote work isn't an excuse to fade into the background. It’s your opportunity to shine without ever stepping into a meeting room. What’s helped you be more effective remotely? #RemoteWork #AsyncWork #TeamCulture #WorkFromAnywhere #Productivity #LeadershipTips