In the realm of remote work, effective communication stands as the linchpin for success. Clear and frequent communication channels are essential to bridge the physical gap between team members, ensuring alignment on tasks, goals, and expectations. Regular check-ins, virtual meetings, and transparent updates contribute to a cohesive and informed workforce. Timely responses to emails and messages, coupled with the use of collaborative tools, not only streamline workflows but also foster a sense of connection and unity among remote colleagues. Emphasizing communication skills in a virtual setting is key to maintaining productivity, preventing misunderstandings, and cultivating a positive remote work culture.
Virtual Tools
Tips & Resources
How to Collaborate Effectively When Your Team is Remote
Staying Connected and Communicating as a Team
Zoom Scheduling Meetings and Enabling Features 9 minutes, UC Davis
Joining Zoom Meetings as an Attendee 11 minutes, UC Davis
Digital Transformation in Practice: Virtual Collaboration Tools 19.25 hours, LinkedIn Learning
Zoom Intro and Host Tools UC Davis PowerPoint
This toolkit is being updated. Please check back for new resources soon!
Communication Tools & Resources
Determine with your manager and colleagues on the best ways to stay in touch. What communication ‘channel’ should be used for which situations? Does the team prefer real-time chat or asynchronous email? What is the expected reply/ turn-around time for email? How about Slack? Google Chat? What are the rules for @all emails? Review the resources below to help you think about what team norms already exist and how they could be improved or made clear.
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How to Collaborate Effectively When Your Team is Remote, article from Harvard Business Review (HBR)
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Choosing Your Communication Tools, 3 Minute video, UC Learning Center
- Communication Channel Map, Copy and make this Google Sheet your own!
- Zoom Phone
- Zoom Meetings
- Google Messaging
- Google Meet
- Slack
- WebEx (not common for UCSB, but other groups/vendors may use)
*Tip: Change your "default meeting" time to "speedy meeting" in Google Calendar settings to shorten hour long meetings to 50 minutes, or 25 minutes instead of 30.
10-minute breaks between meetings allow the brain to “reset,” reducing a cumulative buildup of stress across meetings. Taking time out between zoom calls prevents stress from building up.
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When2meet
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doodle
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Sharing Google Calendars & Creating appointment slots
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Zoom Scheduling Meetings and Enabling Features 9 minutes, UC Davis
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Joining Zoom Meetings as an Attendee 11 minutes, UC Davis
- Google Workspace
- Box
- Docusign
- Trello
- Jira
- Monday
- Google sheet
- Set up time with your manager to align on your communication norms and cadence.
- Ask at least one person for feedback this week on your communication with them.
Tips for Communicating in a Hybrid Workspace
- Staying Connected and Communicating as a Team 4 minutes, UC Learning Center
- Communication Norms: Set up time with your manager to align on your communication norms and cadence.
- Collaboration: Create a google chat, zoom team chat, or slack group, to share with your team what you're doing or get help.
- Make Work Visible: To avoid confusion when collaborating with colleagues, decide on a shared team norm for communicating one another’s availability… Take it one step further and edit your google calendar settings to note office, home or hybrid! You can also note flex schedule hours with this newest feature! This will undoubtedly help allowing for transparency with collaborating and scheduling sessions.
- Ask at least one person for feedback this week on your communication with them.