The COVID-19 pandemic has greatly sabotaged business operations across the globe. Some enterprises like restaurants have had to completely shut down indefinitely given new guidelines that largely affect how they operate e.g. social distancing rules. Some though, have had to scale their operations and make them compatible with the times that be. This, for some, has involved working remotely for the first time since incorporation.

For those companies whose operations have to continue despite the pandemic, measures and initiatives have to be undertaken to greatly streamline them and ensure seamless collaboration and performance even when the staff is geographically divided. For this piece, I shall be enlightening you as an employer on strategies and tools you can use to coordinate staff working remotely. Welcome aboard.

Chat/instant messaging

Communication within the team can be the biggest challenge when your workforce is remote. Chat software like Slack and Microsoft Teams allows seamless communication between individual team members, departments, and the entire company. Different chat "channels" allow people to discuss work, brainstorm ideas, and stay connected to each other throughout the workday. Many companies already use these instant messaging tools, but you'll want to encourage your staff to pay extra attention to their messages right now, as this will likely become the primary method of communicating during your quarantine.

Video conferencing                              

Video meetings where the attendees can see each other's expressions and react to one another in real-time can replicate the benefits of face-to-face meetings you would have had in the office. Video conferencing software typically includes screen-sharing capabilities, recording, and live chat, which can add an extra layer of communication and understanding of your meetings. Popular choices include Google Hangouts and Zoom.

Project management

Keeping your team on track and maintaining everyone's regular workflows while you're all working remotely will require a top-notch project management tool. If you're not already using software like Trello, Basecamp, Asana, Airtable or Monday.com, now is the time to set it up. It's easy to assign and break down tasks, and status updates and project progress are available at a glance.

These tools may not solve your entire coordination challenges but they will help you and your employees in keeping the company going. You may also need to reset their targets in line with these new challenges and come up with new ways of measuring performance.

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