One way to compensate for the lack of context in remote communication is to be more forward and open than you normally would. But doing so you're more likely to misread and bug people because you lack otherwise obvious physical signs that would let you adjust your behavior tactfully.To reduce that issue it’s necessary to share that context explicitly with each other. An alternative is to set up rules for common issues ahead of time so everyone is more likely to be open about what they need and friction is reduced.

Asserting Yourself When Needed

To better build rapport and counter isolation do the following:<ul><li>smile, tilt your chin lower so you're not looking down on them, and slow down your speech during your video calls, so you come across as being more credible.</li><li>set a finish time before starting a conversation with someone new to reduce the initial wariness.</li><li>Be more likable and validate others by listening to them and suspending your ego. Put aside your wish to contribute to the conversation and ask short, open questions like how, when, and why.</li></ul>

Building Rapport Remotely

Remote workers can feel overwhelmed by the amount of text they have to process. So finding ways to keep on top of what's going on is imperative for communicating efficiently with others.Create archive lists and CC irrelevant emails to them, so you can save and share them without flooding non-involved people.

Staying Up To Date

Voice and video calls can help you feel more in touch with your team and avoid the issues of asynchronous communication like time lags or misunderstandings.However, you'll likely spend a lot of your day communicating via text as it’s a good way to interact without interrupting their work. So you need to be able to get your point across clearly and simply, show empathy and understanding, and be efficient to avoid wasted time.

Relying On Text The Right Way

Hanlon's razor refers to the idea that we should always assume ignorance before malice. This is especially important in situations where you're missing context. If you're communicating via text with co-workers who are multiple time zones away, try to always assume ignorance before malice if you have a misunderstanding.

Remember Hanlon's Razor

We've compiled some hacks to help you embrace flexible work arrangements (and ace them)

leadershipandmanagement

Leadership & Management

productivity

Productivity

communication

Communication

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

timemanagement

Time Management

Making Remote Work, Work

If you work in a remote team, one of the aspects you quickly notice is the importance of communication. Finding the best ways to communicate with your team is imperative when you're not working face-to-face, because you're missing most-if not all-of the context of each person's situation.