Remote workers depend on collabs
BY DOUG CLAFFEY, ENERGAGE
Communication and collaboration
are more important
than ever. Many of
us are now working from
home, using technology in
new ways. How can you promote
and strengthen crossdepartmental
collaboration
among a dispersed workforce?
Draw on these six ideas from
Energage research:
Recreate collaboration
using tools and technology:
For folks who are accustomed
to working together face to
face, collaboration includes
both verbal and nonverbal
body language. The ability to
duplicate as much of that as
possible using tools like Zoom
and GoToMeeting is really important
to team collaboration.
Be intentional about interdepartmental
collaboration:
Because you can no
longer rely on impromptu
gatherings, establish more
formal connections between
departments. Be intentional
about it. These liaisons will
help ensure, for example, that
product development is working
with customer success or
sales. At a senior leader level,
ensuring this level of collaboration
is occurring is even
more important in a remote
work environment.
Show appreciation
through communication
and collaboration: Thank
people and acknowledge them
for their contributions. Demonstrate
gratitude in informal
ways. Show appreciation for
their work as well as for the
stress and diffi cult challenges
employees are facing.
Apply company values
in decision making: Values
show up most powerfully in
how they infl uence decision
making. This is especially
true when an organization
is under stress, as many are
right now. The extent to which
values are part of the conversation
and the degree to which
employees refer to your company
values are essential behaviors.
It’s about getting out
there and being explicit about
your company values. Bring
them into decision-making
through discussion and collaboration.
Reinforce them.
Ensure employees are
clued-in to critical decisions:
Remember: communicate,
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is getting out to employees
frequently and through multiple
regular email correspondence,
Employees want to feel cluedin
to be overwhelmed. Use bitesized
frequently, rather than fewer,
more comprehensive updates.
Be sure communications are
confi dent but they not overly
BRONX TIMES REPORTER,42 OCTOBER 9-15, 2020 BTR
confi dent. Be candid around
those topics, and share what
you know.
Encourage social interaction
among employees: You
may have employees who are
alone without the opportunity
to socialize. The inability to
interact with others is a problem
James E. MaQuade, Owner
Family Owned & Operated for over 60 years
3535 East Tremont Avenue
Bronx, New York
718-792-0270
www.schuylerhill.com
communicate, communicate!
Make sure information
channels. Use video chats,
and team conferences.
– but they also don’t want
communications more
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The families of our community so often choose our funeral home. Some come to us to pre-plan
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many in our community have.
for everyone. For people
with mental health challenges
such as depression and
anxiety, isolation can add extra
stress. Check in with people
on topics outside of work.
Zoom happy hours, interest
groups, or virtual breakout
rooms are some examples.
In other words, fi nd creative
and engaging ways for people
to socialize.
Doug Claffey is founder
of Energage, a Philadelphiabased
research and consulting
fi rm that surveyed more
than 2 million employees at
more than 7,000 organizations
in 2019. Nominate your company
as a Top Workplace at
amny.com/nominate.
/www.schuylerhill.com
/www.schuylerhill.com
/nominate