These long-distance communication strategies really work. We tested them.

Before, you could drop a note to your colleague in the morning at the coffee machine. Today, you find yourself alone with your cat meowing for food. And even if we like him a lot, he is much less talkative than his/her former colleague... But don't panic: the communication strategies we are going to talk about really work. 

We start with the definition of remote communication, to put things in context. 

The definition of remote communication is subtle because new. It's about a form of interactivity made possible thanks to communication tools. 

In other words, the distance communication could not exist without NICT: new information and communication technologies.

In fact, this form of communication has long been a part of our lives. In particular thanks to the telephone, e-mails, videoconferencing, online chats, social nandworks... What is new is the impact of remote communication on full remote teams. And yes: the employees of start-ups, SME and large groups are not accustomed to using the remote communication… So how do you make this change does not impact their productivity? Comment communicate remotely without looking cold or indifferent?

Spoiler alert : by following these distance communication strategies.

Here are our famous remote communication strategies...

Already before the pandemic, millennial employees tended to change jobs and/or industries often. But today, the omnipresence of teleworking in companies is once again changing the situation. Many people are looking for new professional opportunities to obtain still more flexibility at work. And according to Sara Sutton Fell, CEO of FlexJobs: "this solution [telecommuting] is viable and it is not going away anytime soon". So, it's time to adapt: here is communication strategies that really work. 

1. Offer a dictionary to newcomers 

You work in your company for how long: 15, 20, 30 years?! You must therefore be perfectly familiar with the jargon, acronyms and abbreviations used in your company. Maybe you even made them up?

So think of Audrey, the new graphic designer who has just joined the team freelance two weeks ago remotely. New, freelance, distance : these are words that should put you on the track… In your opinion, does Audrey know all this terminology ? 

To reduce this language gap, offer a dictionary of acronyms/abbreviations to the new ones! You can even print this dictionary and send it as a gift to newly recruited candidates. A nice attention is the key to a successful onboarding !

2. Sort communication tools on the shutter 

This communication strategy is one of the most important and you should know it now! There are hundreds of communication tools made for communicate effectively remotely. But don't use a hundred! Sort them out.

Slack for instant messages, Trello for project management, Google Sheands for administrative tasks... If you use too many communication tools, they will become your employees' worst nightmare!

Moreover, a large number ofremote communication tools have common features. Slack and Zoom, for example, allow make video calls. So, Slack or Zoom is like drinking or driving: you have to choose!

3. Non-violent remote communication, we adopt it!

Nonviolent Communication or NVC was created by Marshall B. Rosenberg. According to him, everyone should be able to get what they want, without resorting to coercive or manipulative language. To use nonviolent communication, we call on our own life experience, empathy and compassion.

And hop: we turn our sentences a little differently! We think first of what we feel rather than what we think of this or that behavior. Et on squeezes our sentiments.

For example: "When you're late, I feel like I'm wasting my time. I'd appreciate it if you let me know when that happens."

NVC allows us to connect with others and communicate in a more mindful, coherent and sincere way. Who is setting this up today?

4. Lift the veil on the schedules (or time differences) of its employees 

Do you like being disturbed at 4am? Non ? Well, neither do we… And we imagine your employees either. And since teleworking facilitates expatriation, your employees will soon no longer have the same working hours at all. So, to avoid nocturnal awakenings and confusion, we lift the veil on the schedules of our employees!

John works from Hong Kong, Amélie is digital nomade, Anne-Sophie travels between London and Paris… Plan a common calendar on which every talent can enter his working hours and his time difference with France. So everyone will know when to contact whom and can easily distinguish professional life and life ! 

5. Animate team building at tire larigot

The remote team building are excellent communication techniques which allow to fight against loneliness. And fortunately, because according to theassociation Astraea, nearly 8 out of 10 French people are affected by the feeling of loneliness. So we don't skimp on theanimation de team building, we offer it to tire larigot! 

These team building activities can be organized by a communication manager, an HR manager or by the manager. By connecting with each other, employeesare improving their remote communication and develop new skills. What's more, they can also get to know each other. Your new editor intern and your communication assistant will (finally) be able to meet online!

Federate a remote team can be done through different team building:

• Remote escape game; 
• Werewolf online;
• Pictionary virtuel ; 
• Aperitif in videoconference;
• Network video games…

This formative experience can be organized once or twice a month. Announce the next team building to your teams via a mailing and encourage them to register. And tell us in the comments which team building worked best in your team !

6. Don't hesitate to give a call!

In addition to train in digital communication, you also have to get your brain used to distance limits. Dealing with information received by e-mail or orally: it is not the same process. When in doubt, take a step back or make a phone call!

Because we all agree on one point: some emails or messages can sometimes seem abrupt to you. The key is not to antagonize and to find solutions to obtain more information. In this way, you will know if the situation is really critical or if it was just a misunderstanding. 

Remember that there is a human being behind the screen who sent you the email. 

7. Have a drink at the virtual water fountain

In the office, business communications just happened... Around a coffee, on the way in the tram, at noon: all the occasions were good to "talk about work". But the communication orale was also made to talk about personal things, his children, his last purchase on the site Hit… 

Moreover, the favorite place to tell jokes, gossip, anecdotes, was the water fountain! Like the coffee machine in the café camera, the water fountain cannot permanently leave our lives.

In addition, these "desk" discussions are excellent ways to get to know each other and talk about common interests. To replace them, consider create a separate channel on your usual discussion board (like Slack for example). 

Then, encourage the members of your team to use it to slip in jokes, quick recipes to cook, an opinion on Koh Lanta or on Top Chef... You can also create polls such as: 

• Your favorite emoji;
• The thing you miss the most in the office;
• Your favorite music to work with;
• The first country you will visit once the lockdown is over...

Deliberately encourage your collaborators to take part in the debate by being yourself an active participant of this channel. You may need to ask other people to join in at first, until everyone naturally joins in. 

Remote communication is small efforts one after the other...

Define a clear communication strategy will allow your employees to become more efficient and have more self-confidence. Their professional life will be fulfilling and they will (finally) be able to focus on their professional activity rather than on the job. relational. Finally, remote communication, these are only small efforts one after the other… So, celebrate nonviolent communication and have a drink at the water fountain in the turf !