### [How to Improve Team Communication: 10 Strategies for Remote Teams](https://taskup.com.br/en/improve-team-communication-10-remote-team-strategies/)

**Published:** julho 20, 2023
**Author:** Eduardo Salerno

**Excerpt:** Apply ten practical strategies to strengthen communication, alignment, and collaboration in remote teams.

**Content:**

[](https://clickup.com/blog/author/erica/)

The world of remote work is taking hold. After people began returning to the office in 2022, a study from[Stanford University](https://wfhresearch.com/)found that about a quarter of full-time workers are still remote workers. That’s down from a peak of a third in 2021.

With so many people working out of a single office, your company may be looking to change its processes and corporate culture to adapt to more remote teams.

Communication is one of the biggest challenges in remote work for any work team. You can’t just turn around and ask a question. Those chance encounters in the hallway or at the espresso machine just don’t happen.

It would be nice if the solution was to agree to communicate better. But if it were that simple, everyone would be doing it. Instead, we need tools and best practices to overcome the barrier of physical separation.

## What is Team Communication in the Workplace?

Team communication is the exchange of information between two or more people working toward common goals. Team collaboration and communication can come in many forms, such as chat apps, email, project management software, video calls, in-person meetings, newsletters, or simple face-to-face conversations.

Your team’s communication style may vary. But in the end, it involves sharing insights, feedback, and[project updates](https://clickup.com/blog/project-update-templates/)while promoting collaboration and transparency. Effective team communication is crucial to increasing productivity, improving team morale, and driving successful project completion.

## Why is team communication important for remote teams?

Communication, and especially collaboration, is how individual contributors become a team. Before COVID,[employees spent 43% of their time collaborating](https://fortune.com/2021/03/21/collaboration-remote-work-from-home-covid/) .

But the amount of time working with others drops to 27% for those working from home. Is this a bad thing? Could be – about half of these remote workers thought their work depended on collaboration. 🤝

Looking at the issue another way, another study found that[just under half of workers said](https://www.forbes.com/advisor/business/digital-communication-workplace/)that ineffective communication affected their productivity. The same study found that 42% of workers felt that a lack of good communication eroded their trust in leadership.

And let’s not forget creativity. About a quarter of workers and managers felt that remote work negatively affected their creativity. What made clear the importance of team communication was how about 45% of workers blamed less face time or not knowing what others were working on for a decrease in creativity.

Remote work has many[advantages](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intentional-insights/202303/the-surprising-truth-about-remote-work-productivity), especially increased productivity and access to a more diverse group of workers. And it won’t go away. Companies need to figure out how to achieve better communication without getting rid of all the benefits.

In short, improving team communication for remote workers allows everyone to have their cake and eat it too. 🎂

## Types of Team Communication

How your team communicates can significantly affect the effectiveness of your team collaboration. A great way to group different forms of communication is how you present information.

Here is a list of the four types of communication and how teams use them:

- **Verbal communication:**When your team members are talking to each other and using words to convey ideas, they are communicating verbally. Since everyone is remote, this would be a phone call or video call 📣
- **Non-verbal communication:**the most powerful form of human communication, non-verbal, is often lost in digital workplaces. Actions such as body language, tone of voice, gestures, eye contact, and especially facial expressions can be powerful clues as to what someone means. One study showed that up to 93% of communication can be non-verbal, with 38% transmitted through tone of voice and 55% a combination of facial expressions and body language. This is why seeing each other is so important for workplace communication 👍[93% of communication can be non-verbal](https://ucpathjobs.org/working-at-uc/nonverbal-communication-matters-workplace/), with 38% transmitted through tone of voice and 55% a combination of facial expressions and body language. This is why seeing each other is so important for workplace communication 👍
- **Written communication:**When words are written, you engage in written communication. For remote work, we use[communication tools](https://clickup.com/blog/workplace-communication-tools/)online communication tools such as emails, documents, notes and chat applications to conduct written group communication. An advantage of written communication is that you can refer to it whenever you want and you don’t have to rely on memory ✒️
- **Visual communication:**Words are great, but as the saying goes, a picture can be worth a thousand words. In business, it is much more efficient to convey complex information visually. We use charts, videos, infographics, diagrams, images, or a combination to convey not just facts, but how those facts are related to each other 🖼️

![Brainstorm, plan, strategize, and streamline communication in real time to ship projects faster with ClickUp Whiteboards](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/ClickUp-Whiteboard-1400x945.png)Brainstorm, plan, strategize, and streamline communication in real time to ship projects faster with ClickUp Whiteboards## 10 Strategies to Improve Company Communication team

Now that we have the what, why and how, let’s start breaking down those silos and discussing some proven ways to increase your team’s productivity.

When you read this list, look at it in terms of where your team is struggling and where they are doing well. Do you need to improve communication speed or accuracy? Or maybe you need to get that creative spark back?

These 10 effective communication strategies should help in almost any situation.

### 1. Set guidelines for what type of communication to use

Everyone has different communication styles. One person can always use instant messaging and another will only communicate by calling other people and chatting. While some flexibility is important, consistency across your team can create a much more efficient work environment.

![Internal Communication Strategy and Action Plan](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Internal-Communication-Roadmap.jpg)ClickUp’s Internal Communications Strategy and Action Plan is the perfect visual backdrop for documenting and putting things into actionFirst, assess current communication norms using the[ClickUp internal communication strategy and action plan template](https://clickup.com/templates/internal-communication-strategy-and-action-plan-t-127240564). It provides a framework for mapping your organization, capturing your existing modes of communication, gathering stakeholder needs, documenting challenges, and defining your new roadmap.

[Download this template](https://app.clickup.com/signup?template=t-127240564&_gl=1*1gdpzny*_gcl_au*MTYzMTQ4MTE0OS4xNjg0ODg4OTU5LjE4MTMyNTIxNDQuMTY4Njg1NjY2NS4xNjg2ODU2NzE4)

Once you have your roadmap, establish clear guidelines and document them. Standardize which types of information use which mode of communication, such as[ClickUp Whiteboards](https://clickup.com/blog/guide-to-whiteboards-in-clickup/)for brainstorming, chat for immediate problems, and task comments for non-urgent messages.

And because we know that sometimes email will be your preferred method of communication, you You can[send and receive emails anywhere in ClickUp](https://clickup.com/features/email-project-management) .

### 2. Meet often for stand-up meetings

There are[many different types of team meetings](https://clickup.com/blog/types-of-meetings/)that connect remote teams, and each one has its place. A goal for many project-oriented groups is the standing meeting. Typically held once a day, the name comes from the practice of standing to keep meetings short.

In a stand-up meeting, you work with the team one at a time, and each person talks about what they’ve worked on since the last meeting, what’s on the agenda that day, and the challenges they’re facing. It is a standard tool in the[agile software development method](https://clickup.com/resources/software-teams/beginner-guide-to-agile-methodologies) .

![ClickUp Whiteboard Daily Stand Up Template](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/Daily-Stand-Up-Template-by-ClickUp.png)The purpose of the daily meeting is to help coordinate the team. This rapid feedback loop helps teams align and stay on track, which is similar to a meeting in football. If a problem arises, you can resolve it quickly and keep projects on trackQuick meetings can be critical for[cross-functional teams](https://clickup.com/blog/cross-functional-teams/)that don’t have a common vocabulary, giving everyone a better chance to understand what their colleagues in other functions are doing. Standups help teams communicate effectively, promoting connection, organization, and goal alignment.

However, planning them can be a chore with outdated tools.[ClickUp’s daily huddle template](https://clickup.com/templates/daily-standup-meeting-t-206515719)simplifies this process by providing a central hub for planning, note-taking and tracking progress, individual checklists to ensure effectiveness, and a single location for real-time updates to keep everyone informed.

[Download this template](https://app.clickup.com/signup?template=t-206515719&_gl=1*10eka0t*_gcl_aw*R0NMLjE2ODYyNDc3NzQuQ2p3S0NBanctSVdrQmhCVEVpd0EyZXh5TzE3Mmo2NG5FYWRFSzE3OEZMQ1ZoSjg2T0tvNl9YRV90UWZzalB2a19ZRGFJczFBeHBpX0pob0NPQk1RQXZEX0J3RQ..*_gcl_au*MTMyNDk0MzgyNS4xNjg1NjI4MTQx)

### 3. Respect different communication needs

Whether on a Zoom call or a Slack conversation, it’s easy for some team members to dominate the conversation and others’ voices to go unheard. It’s also common for some participants to be distracted or not show up for the conversation.

However, it’s probably not because they don’t care!

While it’s up to leadership to encourage employee engagement and team collaboration, some employees are simply introverted or overwhelmed in groups, and there’s nothing wrong with that. Make sure they know they can share ideas in any format: after a written meeting, in collaborative documents, through comments or chat, or directly to you.

![Communicate with your team with instant messaging, chat view, in ClickUp](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/chat-in-clickup.gif)Allow more introverted team members to share their ideas outside of high-pressure meetings with chat view in ClickUpFor people who are new or suddenly subdued, you can schedule a check-in to determine if anything is going on that is holding them back. Good managers know that sometimes there is a bigger problem, like other team members dismissing their ideas in brainstorms or feeling like their voice is never heard.

In one study,[50% of workers](https://theconversation.com/why-employees-hesitate-to-speak-up-at-work-and-how-to-encourage-them-154357#:~:text=Studies%20consistently%20show%20that%20employees%20are%20reluctant%20to%20speak%20up%2C%20and%20are%20even%20hardwired%20to%20remain%20silent%2C%20with%2050%20per%20cent%20of%20employees%20keeping%20quiet%20at%20work.)reported being silent at work about their concerns. The truth is, it may be your responsibility to make a change or talk to other employees to create a more inclusive environment where people know it’s safe to speak up.

![advanced formatting and slash commands in click documents](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/rich-formatting-and-slash-commands-in-clickup-docs.gif)ClickUp Docs allows advanced formatting and slash commands to work more efficientlyIt’s also helpful to set expectations on your communication style and document it to increase team productivity. This could include things like always turning on your camera for virtual meetings and responding to all team emails or chats within a certain amount of time.

You’ll make team members feel heard while reducing anxiety for those who like rules and guidelines. Regardless of how you handle group meetings, it all comes down to everyone feeling like their opinions matter and removing obstacles to open communication.

### 4. Develop the important communication skill of listening

Team communication involves exchanging information between members, not just sending emails. That’s why every team member needs to be open to both listening and speaking. This includes paying attention to nonverbal cues and carefully reading written content.

Set the tone by actively listening – this means that instead of thinking about what to say next while someone is talking, you clear your mind and actually listen to what they are saying. Ask follow-up questions to keep them talking, rather than turning the spotlight on your own idea.

If your team is struggling to listen actively, hold a more structured meeting where an employee shares an idea and three follow-up questions are asked before moving on to the next idea. Even if the idea is truly horrible, that team member will know that their voice will be heard. 📣

Listening is a difficult skill even for the C-suite, so you might want to consider[planning some training](https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/intentional-insights/202303/the-surprising-truth-about-remote-work-productivity)in active listening.

![Team Communication: Assigned Comments in ClickUp Dos](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/Assigned-Comments-in-ClickUp-Dos.png)Assigned comments ensure that items are actions aren’t lost, regardless of where they were createdWhether you’re meeting virtually or brainstorming[in real time](https://clickup.com/blog/real-time-collaboration/), use ClickUp comments in your projects as a way to encourage mutual listening. You can assign topics and mention people in the comments to entice your team to read and think about what others are saying in the comments.

This is especially useful for teams that are spread across multiple time zones.

### 5. Have a visible schedule with clear deliverables

Everyone on a team needs to know the project deliverables and when they are due. It’s difficult to meet these deadlines if there is a lack of communication about what and when things need to be done.

A great way to bring this information to your entire team is to work in a collaboration tool that manages project scheduling with ease, like ClickUp’s all-in-one project management platform. Each team member can view their tasks in the way that works best for them, and ClickUp views can be set to public or private to improve transparency.

ClickUp also has several[project delivery templates](https://clickup.com/blog/project-deliverables/)with pre-built custom fields to get up and running faster.

### 6. Assign tasks and track progress

Making your deliverables on time requires sharing what needs to be done, who is doing it, and where things are. With a remote team, you need a digital tool that supports task assignments and allows the team to see status and interact collaboratively on each task.

Use ClickUp’s workload view to see who’s ahead or behind, and easily drag and drop tasks to reallocate resources

![click workload preview](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/image2-4.gif)Use ClickUp’s workload view to see who’s ahead or behind, and easily drag and drop tasks to reallocate resourcesStart by dividing your project into tasks and subtasks with ClickUp. When creating[ClickUp Tasks](https://clickup.com/features/tasks)you can add custom field data, assign team members, and create dependencies between tasks.

You can track progress from 15+ customizable views. ClickUp’s Activity view shows who did what on the project, for example, and the Workload view shows how long each task will take.

With ClickUp as your collaborative workspace, no one will ever have to ask the team who’s working on what.

### **7. Take notes to capture discussions**

Talking is a great way to build understanding and make decisions. A virtual team communication tool like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, or Google Workspace definitely simplifies verbal communication. But human memory is imperfect, and attending to action items can sometimes go in one ear and out the other.

The best way to ensure you capture your team’s discussions is to take notes and store them in your collective workspace. Every task, whiteboard, mind map, and document in ClickUp includes the ability to add comments.

It’s simple to add notes to your project and include your entire team in the process. And because comments are multimedia in ClickUp, you can add images, files, voice clips, and even[screen recordings](https://clickup.com/features/clip) .

![Rich Text Editing in the ClickUp Notebook](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/01/image10.gif)Instantly organize your thoughts with Rich Text editing in the ClickUp notebookClickUp also includes a Notepad tool where you can take notes as you work. You can link people, tasks, and documents so everything stays connected. Convert it into a task or document to share with your team when you’re ready.

Whatever tool you use, look for one that is collaborative and available anywhere for more streamlined communication.

### 8. Budget for in-person meetings

It’s common these days for a team to interview, hire, and work with a new member and *never* meet them in person. But research shows that in-person meetings create closer bonds and can improve a team’s performance by 35%.

Set aside some budget to get everyone in the same place once or twice a year.

More than an opportunity to work together in the same place, face-to-face meetings should focus on socialization and bonding in other ways. Appoint someone to facilitate interaction, schedule team building and always make sure you have downtime where people can connect on a personal level.

Even if it’s just once a year, bringing everyone together will form a stronger team that trusts each other and therefore communicates more effectively.

### 9. Use a system with configurable notifications

If someone creates an important document and places it in a directory without notifying anyone, there is a possibility of miscommunication. You can’t count on team members checking tasks all day, every day and noticing minute (but important) changes.

![Customize your notifications for each status change in ClickUp](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/image8.gif)Customize your notifications to automatically fire when a task’s status changes in ClickUpA collaboration platform with configurable notification settings solves this problem. Since we know how important it is to control your notifications, ClickUp comes with the ability to fully customize notifications.

You can start by choosing which actions will generate messages and then determine where you will be notified, including mobile, email, desktop or browser. If you prefer to control when you receive messages, you can turn on daily summaries or turn off notifications while active in the web app.

### 10. Work on a single collaborative platform

When working in person, the best way to achieve good collaboration is to get everyone in the same room. You can do the same with a remote team, ensuring everyone on your team uses the same set of tools. If a group of workers are on a different platform, it’s like they’re in a different room, other team members can’t see what they’re doing.

If you can, opt for a single collaboration solution that supports all the features you need in one place. ClickUp is a complete tool to replace all these separate solutions. Each feature is fully collaborative for efficient communication.

![Team Communication: ClickUp Docs, View chat, list view and home page](https://clickup.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/Docs_Chat-view_List-view_Homepage-9-1400x1055.png)Collaborate on ideas and create stunning documents or wikis with nested pages and custom formatting options for roadmaps, knowledge bases, and moreInstead of emailing everyone for feedback and having one person synthesize everything into one document, you can all take notes in one ClickUp Doc and add comments on each other’s ideas, turning the most important tasks into ClickUp tasks.

Of course, sometimes you need to work with other tools. We integrate with over 1,000 other tools to make your workday easier. With ClickUp, you can get everyone in the same virtual room, working as a team with the same information and goals.

## Get your remote team to collaborate and rock with ClickUp

Hopefully, you’ll find these strategies helpful in enabling effective team communication on your next project. You’re off to a great start with communication tools, a collaboration platform, and a company culture focused on team collaboration.

There’s no need for a water cooler to connect people because effective team communication will be an integral part of how your team works.

ClickUp was designed from the ground up to keep remote teams on the same page and working toward the same goals. It captures and transmits information and encourages teamwork on a single platform that integrates with the most common communication channels for video conferencing, chat, or document creation.

## Related content

- [ClickUp for Marketing Teams: Improve Organization and Automation](https://taskup.com.br/en/clickup-marketing-teams-improve-organization-automation/)
- [ClickUp for Remote Teams: An Online Collaboration Guide](https://taskup.com.br/en/clickup-remote-teams-online-collaboration-guide/)
- [ClickUp Templates: 10 Marketing Templates to Organize and Accelerate Your Team](https://taskup.com.br/en/clickup-templates-10-marketing-templates-organize-accelerate-team/)

**Categorias:** English

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