One of the challenges that have emerged with remote work is radio silence. When managers don’t hear from team members days on end, worry and apprehension can set in. In remote work, no longer can you glance over at your colleague and have impromptu conversations on how work is going. As such, stakeholder management needs new systems and processes to stay up to date with their staff’s work.
How’s the Work Going?
In conventional warfare, radio silence was a signal that either a battalion had lost a battle or had been captured by the enemy. Radio silence in the modern workplace might indicate poor stakeholder management, lack of staff engagement, or unclear expectations about responding to work-related messages.
In a remote-first world, management is keen not to micromanage and check in on staff too often. Even so, leaders want to know that key business objectives are on track and they get to be informed of bad news early.
Hey, What’s Happening?
There are times you feel going to work is like entering a war zone with conflicts and miscommunication in the way. Work might almost turn into a battlefield! With better communication and communication tools, conflicts can be diffused.
On the battlefield, soldiers use walkie-talkies for quick back-and-forth communication. They also utilize binoculars for real-time analysis of the terrain and updates on the situation on the battlefield. However, it is a challenge to get real-time updates in remote work because it is not as concurrent as the battlefield where most soldiers are present in a single place at the same time.
In a hybrid workplace, not everyone is simultaneously present online, let alone in the same physical space. In a remote work setting, asynchronous communication becomes the means to inform stakeholders of work progress. For example, you can use voice notes to quickly give status updates or ask questions. You can also show your work progress through screencasts.
But whether it’s a battlefield or workplace, constant communication works well to make sure teams are aligned and overall strategies are being executed.
Let’s Stay Connected
Some people prefer getting their projects done in a setting as silent as a library, while others miss the buzz of the office. But sometimes, working from home not hearing the chatter of people’s voices in the background can become lonely. Recreating a tolerable “office noise” at home can provide better support and wellbeing to staff.
When we are not on a video call, our work environment is like a library where you can hear a pin drop. If you want to add some background noise, you can do so through asynchronous communication tools such as videos, screencasts, and voice notes.
Asynchronous work with video and voice messaging can bring about empathy and a feeling of closeness among teammates. Watching video messages and listening to voice notes not only fills the silence but also brings about a greater sense of belonging. This way, your home office can feel more like a bustling cafe rather than a library.