From Chaos to Cohesion: How to Improve Remote Team Collaboration

Shall we kick things off with a stat? 

In the fourth quarter of 2022, 53 percent of U.S. workers reported working remotely some of the time. 

Remote teams are clearly nothing new—we’re all very used to the concept now. 

Remote team collaboration, however, still needs work. 

From ineffective resource management to communication barriers, time zone differences, and lack of face-to-face interaction, it’s easy to see why remote teams can descend into chaos. 

To overcome these challenges and improve remote collaboration, companies must adopt new strategies and technologies that facilitate effective communication and teamwork. 

But what does this look like? It’s slightly different for all businesses.

For yours, it may mean investing in collaboration software that allows team members to share files in real-time or scheduling regular virtual meetings to ensure everyone is on the same page.

This article helps your business recognize that although remote team collaboration is an ongoing process, there’s plenty you can do now that will significantly improve the way your remote teams work. 

First up, though, what are the challenges of remote team collaboration?

Remote team collaboration challenges

1. Boundaries basics

Working from home can be hard for everyone at times—and certainly when you don't have a defined workspace separate from the rest of the household. 

Boundaries basics 101: when your remote team is off the clock, leave them be. 

Encourage your remote team to be strict with themselves, and create a company-wide policy not to reply to out-of-hours emails and calls (this applies to workations too), no matter how tempting it may be. 

This approach will significantly improve the mental health of your team, which means that when they are working, they won’t be as susceptible to burnout.  

2. Trust issues

In a remote team environment, it can be difficult to establish trust between team members who’ve never met face-to-face. This can make it challenging to collaborate effectively and can lead to misunderstandings or conflicts.

3. Unreliable technology

Technology can be unreliable at times, and technical issues such as internet connectivity problems or software glitches can interrupt collaboration and lead to delays or missed deadlines.

4. Communication barriers

Without face-to-face interaction, it’s harder to convey tone, body language, and other nonverbal cues that are essential to effective communication. In addition, working with team members across different time zones can make scheduling meetings and collaboration sessions more difficult.

Remote teamwork dictates that your team adapts their expectations around how quickly chats can happen and how fast to expect responses.

5. Different work styles

Remote team members may have different work styles and preferences, which can negatively impact collaboration and productivity.

Now, let’s move on and remind ourselves of the benefits of improving your remote teams’ collaboration skills.

4. Communication barriers

Without face-to-face interaction, it’s harder to convey tone, body language, and other nonverbal cues that are essential to effective communication. In addition, working with team members across different time zones can make scheduling meetings and collaboration sessions more difficult.

Remote teamwork dictates that your team adapts their expectations around how quickly chats can happen and how fast to expect responses.

5. Different work styles

Remote team members may have different work styles and preferences, which can negatively impact collaboration and productivity.

Now, let’s move on and remind ourselves of the benefits of improving your remote teams’ collaboration skills.

Benefits of improving your business’s remote team collaboration

Working together as a remote team—sounds like a bit of a contradiction, doesn’t it? 

But the traditional notion of having to be physically present to work together is long gone. The evolution of  seriously clever technology and changing work dynamics have made remote team collaboration not only possible but normal. 

Here’s what’s great about improved remote team collaboration:

1. Better organization

A team that adapts to changes quickly is a team that’s more organized. You don’t need us to tell you that better organization leads to an upward spike in productivity levels. 

2. Efficient problem-solving

When people from different backgrounds come together to work remotely, it can lead to meaningful collaborations. By bringing together a diverse range of skills and experiences, remote teams can generate some great ideas that help your business to scale.

Plus when you work with a diverse group, you get fresh perspectives on how to deal with challenges, which is always an advantage.

3. Healthier teams

Embracing remote working is effectively embracing flexibility and a values-based company culture. When collaboration works well in geographically distributed teams, it promotes a sense of satisfaction for everyone. Your remote team then feels valued and trusted. 

Not only will they want to stick around, but they’ll work better too. Just remember to follow best practices for remote teams and review the toxic workplace checklist regularly to make sure none of it applies to you! 

4. Improved customer service 

When remote teams collaborate effectively, they provide better customer service by responding to customer needs more quickly and efficiently. Remote teams can also work together to develop and implement strategies for improving customer service. 

By analyzing customer feedback and identifying areas for improvement, remote teams can collaboratively develop solutions and implement changes that lead to better customer experiences.

So, we’ve covered the why; let’s now turn to the how.

Steps to improve remote team collaboration

1. Use the right tools 

Collaboration via web conferencing tools is one way to improve communication and reduce misunderstandings. Video chat is a powerful and effective mode of team communication, surpassing written or phone alternatives. 

Offering a more personal touch to interactions among your team, video allows them to see and feel more connected to each other. Additionally, it conveys important body language cues in a way that’s not possible with other methods. Video thus facilitates more productive discussions.

That being said, consider exploring other communication channels too, like chat and messaging apps, to help facilitate quick and easy communications and reduce delays in response times.

2. Encourage team bonding

Foster a sense of team spirit and collaboration by encouraging members to participate in team-building activities, such as virtual happy hours, online games, and group fitness challenges.

Tactics such as virtual coffee breaks are ideal for encouraging team members to take a break together, especially in large companies where not everyone knows each other well. This can be an opportunity for them to chat about non-work related topics and become more familiar with each other.

Establishing an employee recognition program that acknowledges team members' accomplishments, such as reaching project milestones or going above and beyond in their work, also helps to create a positive and supportive culture.

3. Clarify roles 

Clarify roles to ensure each team member understands their specific responsibilities and deadlines. This will reduce confusion and ensure everyone is on the same page.

Also, set expectations around communication, collaboration, and work style preferences. For example, some team members may prefer to work asynchronously, while others like to have frequent check-ins.

4. Create recurring meetings

Finding meeting times that work for everyone is a challenge. To tackle this, a helpful tip is to schedule a recurring meeting at an early stage, which accommodates as many team members as possible. Don’t forget to provide remote access for those unable to participate. 

If people know about the meeting in advance, it’s easier for them to arrange their work schedules and personal lives accordingly.

Some ideas for effective recurring meetings include:

• Daily standups. Designed to be short and focused, daily standup meetings are used to discuss roadblocks and collaborate on solutions. 
• Weekly sprints. Held on a weekly basis, these are an opportunity for the whole team to discuss ongoing projects, share updates, and collaborate on upcoming tasks.
• Strategy meetings. These are great for discussing long-term strategy, reviewing progress against goals, and making adjustments as needed.
• Weekly demos. These are ideal for having your team come together to showcase their work and progress to the wider team. Typically held at the end of the week, they can be used to highlight achievements and receive useful feedback. 

Regardless of type, remember to establish a clear and concise agenda for each recurring meeting. This helps keep the discussion on track and ensures everyone is on the same page. You can utilize collaboration tools to share meeting notes, agendas, and action items.

At the end of each meeting, review these action items and assign tasks to team members. This helps everyone know what they need to do and by when. 

By implementing these strategies, you make certain your recurring meetings are effective and productive, leading to better collaboration and teamwork.

En route to cohesion

While there are challenges involved in remote collaboration, there are also many benefits from striving to improve this way of working, from tapping into a global talent pool and hiring the best candidates to offering employees greater flexibility and work-life balance. Ergo, healthy and communicative remote teams result in increased job satisfaction and productivity.

To make remote team collaboration work, it's important to establish clear goals and expectations in your virtual working environment, as well as a set of guidelines for communication and collaboration. It's also vital to recognize and address any barriers to this that arise and to remain flexible and adaptable as your remote team grows and evolves.

By setting clear expectations, using the right tools, and embracing diversity, remote teams can transform from chaos to cohesion. With a little effort and dedication, your business can overcome these obstacles and your team members can work together to achieve success.