We all know that communication is the number one factor that can make or break a remote work environment.
With more and more of us switching to full or partial remote work, it’s imperative that we work on honing the sorts of communication skills that we’ll need for these situations.
Today we’re bringing you our top 5 tips for improving your remote work communication.

“Concise” and “Complete”

When sharing information with colleagues, you should always keep these two keywords in mind; “concise” and “complete.”
By conveying your thoughts as concisely as possible, you can save yourself time when typing out a message. This also helps the message recipient save time, because it will be easier for them to quickly grasp what it is that you’re trying to convey. Cut down on unnecessary wordiness and keep it simple!
However, we don’t want to cut things down so much that we forget to include relevant details. After writing your concise message, be sure to check if the contents are complete. Otherwise, it will end up costing the team event more time when the recipient asks you for clarification.

Design your text messages

Design is all about conveying information in the most effective way possible. By incorporating more design elements into your messages, you can make them easier for the recipient to understand. This doesn’t mean that you need to change the font sizes or color-code each section! Simply using lists when possible, making titles stand out by encasing them in brackets（For example 【】for a large section and ＜＞ for a subsection), and being more careful about how you divide information with line breaks can make a huge difference.

Develop your emotional intelligence

Emotional intelligence, the ability to read a situation and respond appropriately, is important for creating cordial working relationships with your colleagues. When you’re communicating online, you’re probably talking mostly through text or audio. Unlike speaking face-to-face, you can’t rely on body language (or in the case of text communication, vocal cues) to get the full picture of what your teammate is trying to communicate. Devoting a little extra time to developing your emotional intelligence skills can be very beneficial to your career.

Up the excitement!

In addition to increasing your emotional intelligence and understanding your colleagues, be sure to be aware of how you’re coming across. Communication gets dulled though a screen, and even more so through text messages, so throw in a little extra enthusiasm to make up for it! Don’t be afraid to show your excitement, smile when you thank your coworker in that video conference, and throw in an exclamation point here and there when chatting through text. This is not to say that you need to put on an act, but amplifying your natural enthusiasm a little can help make up for the barriers that remote work creates in our communication.

Don’t rely purely on text

While it’s possible to say anything we need to through emails or text messages, that’s not always the most effective way to communicate in every situation. It’s important to make sure that you’re using the form of communication that’s best suited to your needs at that moment.
Need a quick answer about a task that requires a bit of explaining? Pick up the phone.
Looking to share feedback on a website design and ask for a few revisions? Try a visual feedback tool like MONJI.
Trying to share a list of upcoming meetings? Type up an e-mail or drop a message in the chat.

What did you think of these tips for remote work communication?
Are these things that you’re already putting into practice in your daily work?
Do you have any other communication tips that have made remote work easier for you?
Let us know on social media!
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