Building Strong Relationships and Effective Meetings in the Era of Remote Working

By | 28/05/2023
remote working

Introduction:

The shift to remote working has brought about significant changes in how we build relationships and conduct meetings. Unlike traditional onsite working, remote work presents unique challenges such as limited visibility of colleagues’ engagement, absence of accidental conversations, and the need for alternative tools to facilitate effective meetings. This article explores strategies for adapting to remote working, emphasizing the importance of equipment and setup, time management, relationship building, managing workshops, and recommended tools for successful remote collaboration.

Adapting to Remote Working:

Equipment and Setup:

To ensure a smooth remote working experience, it is essential to have a reliable Wi-Fi connection and a computer with sufficient memory to handle conference software. Additionally, maintaining a proper ergonomic setup, including an appropriate chair and desk height, is crucial to avoid repetitive strain injuries. Taking proactive measures to assess and optimize your work environment at home is important.

Time Management:

Avoid scheduling back-to-back meetings whenever possible, or consider allowing a 10-minute buffer between meetings to provide short breaks. Effective time management contributes to better focus, reduced fatigue, and increased productivity in remote work settings.

Relationship Building:

Despite the physical distance, building and nurturing relationships remains vital in remote working. Taking the time to engage with colleagues on a personal level, asking about their well-being, and showing genuine interest can foster stronger connections. During meetings, encourage participants to have their cameras on, at least during introductions, to enhance non-verbal communication and rapport building.

Managing Workshops:

Running successful workshops remotely requires the utilization of appropriate tools and techniques. Breakout rooms, facilitated through collaborative software such as Microsoft Teams or Zoom, enable smaller group discussions before reconvening for broader sharing and collaboration. Remote collaboration tools like process modeling software, drawing tools, and virtual whiteboards (e.g., Draw.io, Miro) can be used to replicate the interactive nature of physical workshops.

 Recommended Tools for Remote Working:

Collaboration Software for Conference Calls:

Popular tools such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Skype, Webex Meeting, GoToMeeting, and Google Meet facilitate video conferencing, messaging, screen sharing, and recording capabilities. Mobile collaboration tools like WhatsApp, Signal, Messenger, or text messaging can also be useful for quick and urgent communication, but their usage should be mindful of personal boundaries and preferences.

Drawing Software:

For tasks such as business process modeling, use case modeling, user interface drawings, data models, and flow charts, software like Microsoft Visio and Draw.io provide convenient virtual alternatives. Sharing screens during meetings allows participants to contribute, annotate, and collaborate on these visual representations in real-time.

Interactive Work Organization:

Tools like virtual whiteboards (e.g., Miro), which allow participants to manipulate digital post-it notes and collaborate simultaneously, enhance interactivity during meetings. Project management platforms like Azure DevOps or Jira can facilitate agile teams in organizing and prioritizing user stories, tracking progress, and visualizing workflows using Kanban boards, queries, and dashboards. Mentimeter is a valuable tool for engaging presentations and obtaining feedback through surveys and polls.

Conclusion:

Remote working necessitates adjustments in relationship building and meeting management strategies. By optimizing equipment and setup, practicing effective time management, prioritizing relationship building, employing suitable workshop management techniques, and utilizing recommended collaboration tools, teams can successfully navigate the challenges of remote work and foster productivity, collaboration, and success in the virtual environment.

If you want to find out more on Building Strong Relationships and Effective Meetings in the Era of Remote Working, examples of the above and more detail can be found in the Business Analysis Handbook 2nd edition.  Here is a link to the product page to find out more details.

Thoughts? Questions? Please share in the comments.

Author: Helen Winter

An Management Consultant responsible for structuring programmes, success criteria, mobilisation, management of scope, budget, timely delivery, benefits realisation and stakeholder satisfaction. Helen has led on large transformation programmes to execute delivery along with strategic business outcomes. Helen is also a global business author with publisher Kogan Page where her first book “The Business Analysis Handbook” was a finalist for 2 major industry awards. One was for contribution to project management literature with PMI and the other was the Specialist book category for the business books awards. She is an active member of the APM programme management group. She is currently involved in a focus group sharing examples of good programme management practice and is an established speaker for project management forums. In her free time, she loves sharing her knowledge on her blog BusinessBullet.co.uk which is followed by over 5000 visitors a month.

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