We’ve likely all had to get used to a new way of working recently, and for good reason. Many of us have had to adapt a lot about our working habits, especially when it comes to communication and collaboration. We’ve seen a lot of the common mishaps that have arisen from remote working and we want to help.
We’ve put together some of our top tips for remote working, in terms of how you can adapt to this situation, but also how your technology can help. We know how great implementing effective remote work can be for businesses and have designed this guide to help you make the most of it.
Collaborate Regularly
Staying in touch with your colleagues is vital in any working environment, let alone when you can’t make it to the office. Collaboration can be facilitated by a whole variety of technology. We think Microsoft Teams is one of the best platforms for this.
Teams lets you keep in touch with your co-workers through its simple instant messaging and video conferencing tools. Checking in with everyone in your business helps people to feel included and boosts productivity. Nobody wants to feel isolated right now, so it’s important that everyone stays up to date.
Communicate in a variety of ways
As in normal work, sometimes when working remotely different approaches are needed in different circumstances. This is where having a comprehensive communication suite can come in handy. If you just need to get in touch with colleagues quickly, then an instant message could be the way to go. But if you have to explain a product or brief a whole group of people, then video conferencing is the way forward.
This sounds really simple, and it is, but many businesses don’t have their whole team equipped with the right tools for the job in terms of their communications. We’ve found the best way to do this is through adopting a Unified Communications system.
Maintain a reliable connection
One thing that can make a big difference as to how different team members operate when working from home is their broadband. We all know how frustrating it can be when you can’t access a consistent internet connection, doubly so when you have important work to do.
A business broadband connection could be your saviour here. No matter if you need to connect multiple offices with a leased line connection or just need a new WiFi network for when you’re at home. We can find a superfast broadband connection for you with a guaranteed high level of service.
Maintain Presence
One of the main drawbacks to working from home is the fact that your team often doesn’t know when you’re available to communicate. If your colleagues have no idea if you are away from your desk, on a call or busy at home then they are unlikely to get in contact. This can stifle collaboration and leads to people feeling even more isolated.
The solution to this lies once again in a Unified Communications system. UC comes with an advanced presence system which allows you to display your status to your colleagues; whether you are away, on a call or available to communicate. This can go a long way to making sure everyone stays in touch.
Make the most out of your mobile
Our mobile phones are one of the most versatile tools for business that we have at our disposal, and this fact is sometimes forgotten. Your mobile can let you keep in touch with customers and colleagues if you are working from home or on the go, so it’s important to know how to make the most of them.
Many UC services offer a great mobile app that allows you to access calls, video and messaging solutions from your smartphone. Similarly, many VoIP phone systems allow you to reroute calls from your office phone system to your mobile, essentially turning it into your single stop for all of your business communications.
Adopt Flexible Processes
Being adaptable is the key to success when working remotely. This applies to both ourselves and the technology we use. Whilst we have to be turning our homes into offices and taking up more flexible hours, our devices have to be just as adaptable.
An example of this is our phone systems. Cloud phone systems have seen a massive boost in popularity recently because they are ideal for remote workers. A cloud system only needs an internet connection and a handset to run at its best. You can plug in a handset anywhere and work at your best immediately.
We hope this has helped to give you a few more ideas on how to better embrace a flexible way to work in your business. If you have any questions about how our systems can help your remote working processes, then get in touch! Our team are always happy to help.
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