What are the best practices for using chat and video platforms in remote teams?

Best practices for using chat and video platforms in remote teams include establishing clear communication guidelines and scheduling regular check-ins to maintain team cohesion. Use chat for quick updates and video calls for more complex discussions to foster personal connections. Ensure all team members have the necessary tools and training, and respect time zones and work-life balance. Additionally, encourage an open and inclusive communication culture where everyone feels comfortable sharing their ideas and feedback.

Start by addressing the team's concerns and ability to use the tools. Secondly, remote team members are often concerned if they are getting as much time with leaders to influence them and whether or not it affects their relationships and career path. Thus, leaders should also include time at the beginning of meetings to build connect, develop trust and relationships with all team members before jumping in to the tasks. Also, if hybrid, everyone should sign in remotely (use video conferencing) so that each member has equal voice. It is difficult to have some people in a room collaborating and others on a video platform. Also use chat to quickly gather ideas and to capture them and use the recording feature for minutes.

Tips and tricks for online meetings: Keep eye contact and talk to each other. Look into the camera when you speak. Mention each other´s names when you speak. This makes it more personal and present. The duration of an online meeting should generally be shorter than an offline meeting. This makes it easier to maintain focus. Follow-up – in offline environments this is easier when we meet in informal situations at the coffee machine or by chance at the office. Ensure a proper follow-up system such as a rolling excel sheet (or a project management tool) with clear responsibility mentioning subject, deadlines, and status of the action.

Avoid assumptions and establish clarity from the start. Let the team know when to turn on the camera and when it's acceptable not to. Before each meeting, share the agenda, so everyone knows what to expect. Post-meeting, prioritise transparency and send a written meeting recap which details next steps, owners, and expected timelines.

Always send an agenda out in advance, for any meeting, regardless of format. If you plan on requiring cameras on, give the team advanced notice. Employees hate being asked to turn on a camera mid-meeting. Always end a meeting with a recap, planned actions and expected completion date.

Online meetings need a stricter structure than offsite meetings. Before you adjourn your session, ask each person for their next steps to ensure everyone is aware of their responsibilities. Allow time for this “checking out” in the preparations. While communicating online can be convenient, it doesn’t come as naturally as speaking in-person and face-to-face. Our brains are working overtime to figure out what’s happening. When it comes to online meetings the leader of the meeting has become (even more) responsible for an even better (and stricter) structure and framework of the meeting”. The communication and interaction do not happen “automatically” – the participants risk of ending up as “passive.

Imagine if you could save 30-50% of the time of your meetings? Imagine if you could skip some of the recurring meetings due to higher efficiency? Imagine if you could increase the energy and participation? Doing this will give you more time to spend on important stuff and areas which matter to you. It will also allow more time for social interaction with your team. I recommend you and your team to create a protocol on how you wish to manage (and discipline) meetings. The protocol could look like this: When requesting time on the agenda, please include the following items: Meeting Title Meeting Purpose Meeting Objective Success Criteria Length of time requested Participants Needed

Employees spouse, partners, families and friends often hear what's on your video calls (they're lying if they say the dont). Managers need to be sensitive to this. Tone, attitude and frustration can easily be misinterpreted as a toxic work environment without context, and your friends will let you know. Always assume someone is listening in, and behave accordingly.

Consider how well the various team members can interact with each other and the chosen medium. If doing a video meeting for example, turn on the automatically generated captions. This can help everyone keep up with the conversation. Use the "raised hand" or chatbox to make sure everyone has a chance to have their comments considered.

This is critical: If you're a manager, and you're not telling your team where/how/when to contact you, you're setting them up for failure. Always be clear on when a video call is necessary. Provide reminders what qualifies for a text, email or phone call. Especially for new team member additions. When managing up, it's different. You have to adapt to your managers preferences. Know the difference.

In the agenda for the meeting (you ARE sending an agenda aren't you?), include presentations or pre-work that people can review BEFORE the meeting. This way the synchrous time you spend together can be focused on discussions and decisions rather than reading PowerPoint slides!

Agreeing on how you want to communicate and interact as a remote team is key. Not everyone has the same needs or preferences for communication so discussing these with each other and agreeing on team norms that will support the team members and objectives is fundamental. It can be valuable to workshop this as a team and to build a team canvas that captures agreed team values, communication platforms and norms.

Pro tip: if you are hosting an important meeting online or are the facilitator, don't just trust wi-fi. Use a hardline LAN connection to ensure a reliable experience. Always have a back-up plan in case of wide-spread issues. Will you switch to a phone call or just re-schedule?

Using chat and video platforms can be exhausting, leading to burnout if you're constantly online. To stay effective, take regular breaks to recharge your energy and creativity. For instance, during my time at White Internet Consulting, I found scheduling breaks, turning off notifications, and engaging in physical activity or hobbies helpful. Clear communication of availability and boundaries with your team is essential. Respecting these boundaries helps everyone stay focused and productive. This approach ensures that the team remains energized and avoids the pitfalls of constant connectivity.