Whether digitally, in writing or by phone: communication at a distance offers room for misunderstandings. Therefore, especially in a professional environment, game rules should be set and expectations should be clearly formulated, experts advise.
As a rule of thumb, the more urgent information is to be conveyed and the more personal it is, the more direct the communication. In addition, each channel has its own peculiarities.
– Video calls: According to Melanie Kohl, video calls such as via zoom or Skype are best suited for employee or feedback and target discussions. “I see how my counterpart reacts, I can perceive feelings through facial expressions and gestures, there is more closeness,” says the author and mental coach.
Petra Lienhop says that video calls are also suitable for critical topics such as warnings or even termination. Even if they are done face to face in the best case. “The more I see of people, the better it is for critical discussions,” says the communications expert.
With difficult conversations online even more difficult than offline: endure the breaks. “Not quickly pushing in with impulses or inquiries,” warns Lienhop. Just stay calm.
According to the coaches, everything else that happens on a company’s coffee machine can also be moved to digital. In the virtual coffee corner or at the virtual after-work beer, for example, you can meet with your colleagues via zoom. “This is specifically for social exchange,” says coach Melanie Kohl.
– E-Mails: They are suitable for factual information, e.g. protocols or abstracts that convey knowledge. Here, too, the coaches advise on clear rules. This includes a clear subject line that can be searched for later.
Efficiency expert Jürgen Kurz also recommends emails for specific questions, for example to colleagues or for external communication with customers. The advantage: The recipient can process them whenever he or she wants. An important rule that should be set internally: Who gets a copy when and is it put in «CC»? The following applies here: really only include those for whom information is required.
– Internal messenger: chats can be used to briefly exchange information between employees. Group messages should not be sent to more people than absolutely necessary. If you use emojis, you can express emotions or mark irony. “Emojis don’t help with intelligibility,” says Kurz, “but they can streamline processes or make them more efficient.” Thumbs up then means: “I understand, I will do it.”
– Collaboration software: With applications such as Jira, Asana or Trello, tasks can be assigned to different employees, timings set and progress recorded, says Kohl. “I don’t have to ask an employee when he will deliver his part of the project.”
In principle, the collaboration tools all work similarly. If, for example, the project manager or manager creates a new task, the person to whom the task has been assigned automatically receives a message. “The bigger a team gets, the more the systems have to take over communication,” says Kurz.
© dpa-infocom, dpa: 200626-99-574339 / 2
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