5 ways to be an effective communicator in a remote job

Intro to 5 ways to be an effective communicator in a remote job.

When I started my career in aviation, communication took a different meaning to me.

To sum it up, this is how important the role comms played in aviation is: you either communicate properly or regret it later. 

Because not communicating properly meant you could potentially have a horrible medical case later or that a terribly intoxicated passenger would make your life impossible.

I learned so many things on my job as a flight attendant that I still use today as a remote business owner. So naturally, when I switched over to remote work, I knew communication would be important and would come with its challenges, too. 

 I’d need to adjust a few things for communication to be effective in a remote environment.

You may think it’s “only writing,” but it’s so much more!

After lots of trial and error, here are 5 ways to be an effective communicator in a remote job.

Keep the language simple. 

There are 3 things to keep in mind when using “plain language”:

• Being clear.
• Arrange the text, so it’s logical and easy to follow.
• Only add information that is relevant to the reader.

Applying all three is simpler if you use “plain language” principles.

There’s a Plain Language Act of 2010, which was created to avoid legal jargon so that everyone can understand local laws and legal documents in general. Not using crazy synonyms and writing in short sentences are part of this act. Sounds better than reading a super long document, doesn’t it?

But before you start editing, short online courses will teach you how to write in plain language. 

Taking part in them shows great initiative and will make you feel more confident in your comms skills. Here’s a LinkedIn course you can try. Give it a shot!

Write for a global audience.

This doesn’t mean: “be cosmopolitan and adapt to the culture of every person you work with.” 

That can be exhausting in a company that works with people from all over the world. What I mean is: be aware of your audience.

Here are three things to especially be aware of:

• How you write a date: June 5th or 5th of June it’s easier to recognize than 6/5 or 5/6. So keep that in mind to avoid confusion!
• Time zones: “Tomorrow” in Bali may not be the same as tomorrow in California, depending on the time of the day. So stick to clear dates to make it easier!
• Seasonal references: Summer in Australia isn’t the same as summer in Spain, so use months to make sure people know what you’re referring to!

Formatting is your BFF.

I’m a huge fan of using emojis during written communication. 

I use them as bullet points because they’re colorful and allow me to visually separate subjects and tasks.

But if emojis are not your thing, use good old bullet points!

Also, use bold. It’ll make the important words stand out, and your colleagues will thank you for it because it’s so much easier to read information this way!

Just like in school: revise.

Remember when your teacher asked you to go back and read before handing in that test? Your teacher was right.

Sometimes we write the first thing that pops into our head, and after reading, we realize it makes no sense.

Here’s my technique: I write what I want to say on a note on my laptop. Then I reread it, edit it, make it pretty and copy/paste it to an email or Slack message. 

It makes it so much easier!

Don’t fear the edit button.

I often hit send prematurely before realizing there’s a typo or a phrase that is hard to understand.

We all make mistakes, and if you send another message with a clarification, it just becomes confusing. 

Trust me on this: it’s okay to edit! 

However, this works if you catch the error right away. If you caught the mistake 3 days later, it’s better to send a separate message.

Embrace the Emoji culture.

If you’re not a big fan of using Emojis or Reacji (the Emoji reactions to specific comments), you will have to learn to love ’em!

And while we’re at it: embrace exclamation points too.

It may be hard to interpret the tone of written communication, so to show enthusiasm and kindness, use Emojis and Reacjis.

Conclusion

Communication in remote work doesn’t only play a big role in getting the job done. 

It also plays a role in taking part in the culture of the organization you’re working for or (like in my case) setting the tone for the environment you want in your own business.

My general advice to keep communications effective in a remote business is to keep the language as short and simple as possible and to not be afraid to edit. And when you think you’ve edited a lot, edit some more!

You can create genuine connections with others remotely. Still, like everything in life, it takes practice, dedication, and patience to learn the right ways!

What do you struggle with in remote work? Leave a comment below.