3. CONNECT WITH YOUR TEAM
When you’re working remotely, a good amount of communication with your company may feel unnatural because you don’t want to "bother" anyone or seem too needy. But nothing galvanizes people more than working within a connected team.
In an office setting, you unknowingly benefit from the built-in luxury of running into a colleague in the break room and talking about how your weekends were or what’s new with the significant other. It may seem trivial, but it’s this person-to-person interaction that fortifies relationships, enables better project communication, and creates a sense of loyalty that leads people to make sacrifices for one another.
On a professional level, putting that extra effort into report edits for a coworker, or taking on an extra task that your colleague doesn’t have time to complete, can be pivotal in the glue that keeps a team working effectively. In this kind of culture, you feel more like a community in which the members "have each other’s backs."
Reach out as much as you can to the extent that it adds value to your working relationships. For example, let your manager know when you’re working on a particular assignment and offer updates. In a remote setting, your supervisors (and teammates!) will not know when you’re working on something unless you tell them.
Including away messages when you’re not working can also be helpful in keeping the lines of communication open and everyone on the same page. This kind of interaction, although virtual, is still significant and creates a more accessible community culture.