Effectively Communicating Through COVID-19
It appears that, at least, our home state of Florida is taking the proper steps to a reopening. Today, actually most retail stores and restaurants can now operate at 25% capacity and our stay-at-home order has been officially lifted. We’re on the right track back to hopeful normalcy. With that being said though, many places are unable to return to normal - especially many offices with workers of 10+ as social distancing rules still apply. So with that being said, as we begin the transition back to our lives as we knew them, it’s important to continue to communicate in a way that is sincere and effective for the sake of our teams. Here are some ways in which you can effectively communicate through COVID-19.
Set Aside the Time - Depending on whether or not you’re in office or at home, intentions matter. Being able to set aside the time to plan meetings, relay messages, and updates and anything else that is relevant is so important. Whether you set aside time at the beginning of everyday or at the end of the day - it’s crucial that your team is on the same page and that everyone’s included in any necessary communications.
Check-Ins are Important - A lot of times large team meetings can seem isolating for the quieter employees, especially on those Zoom meetings where it’s easy to ‘mute’ and listen. Which is why it’s so important to take the time to check-in with individuals periodically. And not as a way to make sure they’re performing - you should trust that they are - but as a way to make sure they’re doing alright and if there’s anything that you can do to help them.
Don’t Over-Do It! - Yes, there is such a thing as ‘over-communicating’! Don’t do it. When you over communicate and schedule meeting after meeting, you then lead your team to resentment. They won’t take the meetings seriously and may not be as eager to engage. THe whole point is to be effective, right? If that’s the case, then think about limiting the meetings to once a week or even three times a week. Daily meetings can become monotonous and especially in a time like this, many businesses are experiencing slower seasons and there truly may not be enough to report on every single day.
Be Available - If you lead a team or even if you’re a team member, you need to be available for those around you! Here at ApplicantOne, a major way that we communicate is through the messaging app called Slack. There we’re able to instant message anyone in the company at anytime during the day. However, the only way that our Slack is efficient is when we are all active and online. So, whether you use something like Slack or you depend on emails and cell phones, make sure that during working hours you’re available to communicate or respond if and when someone needs you!
Have an Agenda! - This is huge for effective communication. When you are the meeting organizer or conversation initiator, be sure you have some sort of agenda or plan for what you need/want to cover during the conversation. There is no other time waster like winging a meeting. Be intentional, be reasonable, and consider how YOU would want a meeting to be when you schedule them. Basically, this means - BE PREPARED!
Be Present - If you’re invited to a call or a meeting and there’s a discussion to be had, make sure you interact! If you have an idea, problem, or a solution, speak up! Your perspective is valuable as it is but in situations like these it’s critical. Be present, be engaged, be communicative! Especially if it’s a two person meeting - 50% of that call is dependent on YOU! So, if you have that much control over a meeting then you have the power to make it an efficient communicative effort. Just sayin’!
How have you made the effort for a more communicative and efficient conversation? Has intentional communication made a difference in your team’s success and overall productivity? Let us know!