Working at a remote company is pretty frickin’ rad. It’s probably also not what you think it is and it means that those of us who work within this type of organization have to have exceptional communication skills.
In undergrad I was a communications major. The cool kids called it “comm”. Basically, we had a lot of fun. Reflecting on my experience, I also learned a lot. So much so that when I started to work for a remote company I quickly realized that much of what I learned was (gasp) useful.
In the remote world the way we communicate is everything. We are forced to communicate wisely or we will not be heard. Sure, the message will be delivered, but we also need to consider the receiver on a deeper level so we’re heard how we’re intended to be heard.
99.9% of the time we have one chance to say what is needed and then an action will be taken. In a traditional workplace there is that much more space for discussion and interpretation. But in our remote/hybird model, intentionality in communication is key.
The notion that working remote is sexy because you are not accountable in real time to anyone and you can stay in your pj’s a little longer than you might want to admit (rawr!) carries some truth. The less sexy reality of working remote is knowing exactly how, when, and who to communicate with and the right way to deliver the message the first time, every time.
This same concept as it relates to internal communication can be and should be applied to the way you communicate with your customers – your clients – partners – and leads.
With one chance to say what you want to say how you want to say it…are you saying what needs to be said?