It is amazing how much can get missed when you are not working within the same 4 walls. One effective method I have seen before is a pre-agreement that all key communications (anything that includes an agreement to do something, a meeting to discuss or a client facing activity) should include a CC of the appropriate line manager. That way they can keep across what is happening and step in when needed. The alternative is a busy manager running around trying to ask all of their team what they are doing and that’s the opposite of productivity.

If office spaces are great for communication, teleworking is wonderful for concentrating on focused work. So, if your team are sent home it might be wise to re-prioritise the work that needs focus and quiet to deliver and accept that (as long as they are non-essential) some of the tasks that require collaboration will not happen.

If your team’s kpi’s are based on client interactions or sales then do you need to run some strategy sessions on how to approach this without face to face contact? Or, if your responsibilities are more to do with accounts and statistics is this the perfect time to start working on that digitization project you keep putting off?

If you were in the office you might walk up to someone’s desk or catch them at lunch time for a quick talk.

If that becomes something you can’t do the reasonable thought would be to switch to phone calls… except that Millennials (and some others) hate answering their phones and might be tempted to screen unplanned calls.

Arrange to make a call and talk as you both break for coffee – this way all of your planned conversations aren’t formal meetings. Also, refer back to my first point about group chat tools.

Well, at the moment there’s a strong argument for remote working because of disease prevention but Teleworking can also be a fantastic, affordable way to expand your operations into new locations or to manage teams across multiple countries without the huge overheads of placing managers everywhere. In years past the equivalent was the hard working professional holed up in their garage trying to get a new venture off the ground or to get ahead in their work.

Teleworking is a huge industry and there are lots of companies who will tell you that you must have the latest hardware and software. Much of the tools that you can use in your office can be used at home and scaled up or down depending on the needs of your individual staff. Does everyone really need a mobile, deskphone, laptop and wifi connection? A CEO and a junior administrator are going to need different levels of resource.

Many kiwi businesses thrive on being lean and responsive so business owners need to be discerning on how much new investment they make but it is worth being aware that if your whole team needs to go into isolation then you won’t have anyone available to implement the changes you might need. Now is really the time to plan and ensure that if you need to send your staff home you will be able to deliver services.

Many companies are encouraging employees to work remotely, even if they’re not sick. It’s simply one of the most effective ways to make sure they stay well and to contain the coronavirus. Twitter recently announced it’s encouraging all employees to work from home if they have the capability, and the company is optimizing work so it can be performed remotely. A record number of company transcripts (at least 65) referenced “work from home” or “working from home” in February, demolishing the previous record of eleven.

Naturally, business videoconferencing plays a large role in remote work, allowing employees to communicate with each other from the safety of their homes. Features such as screen sharing makes it feel as though you’re sitting right next to co-workers without having to worry about catching their cold (or worse).

Travel restrictions are a given, since planes and trains foster too much physical contact and create breeding grounds for contamination. That in-person client meeting just isn’t going to happen right now. Videoconferencing makes that face-to-face encounter possible without the travel, keeping your employees and customers well. Using video rather than just an audio conference call shows your customers how much you value their business. It keeps the meeting more personal and engaging, encouraging collaboration and communication. MiCloud Connect conferencing even includes an agenda tracker, so meetings stay on course and focused on the task at hand.

Companies are also using videoconferencing to replace large gatherings such as in-person conferences and workshops. For instance, Facebook just announced the cancellation of a developers’ conference. Instead, the social media giant plans to use video and streaming content to encourage the exchange of ideas and information among its developer community.

47 percent of employers said they would cancel planned conferences for North American employees in selected countries (Source: Harvard Business Review)

Not all videoconferencing technology is created equal, especially when you plan on relying on video during times of sickness. A reliable provider can support high demand when the majority of your workforce is working remotely. MiCloud Connect, for example, is built on Google Cloud, providing superior reliability, security and scalability. Rich features such as screensharing and single click-to-join keep employees engaged and increase efficiency. Mix-and-match pricing makes allows you to add features as needed and to adapt to changing demand.

Some people need a little time to get used to being on a video call. If you’re working from home, you may be accustomed to staying in your PJs. Or it may seem unusual to conduct what is normally an in-person meeting via video. The best way around this is to make video a regular part of the meeting process, even when infection is not an issue. Perhaps your standing weekly meeting becomes a videoconference once a month, or your typical audio conference call gets upgraded to video. Regular usage helps everyone become more comfortable with how to use the technology and how to behave.

Speaking of usage and behavior, there are a few key points to keep in mind. First and foremost, videoconferencing should not be difficult. Even a powerful solution with advanced features and functionality should be simple to operate. It’s still important to train employees, but the right solution doesn’t come with a steep learning curve. In fact, you may have to spend more time on etiquette training than on product usage. Key principles to keep in mind include dressing appropriately, staying focused on the meeting, and not eating while on a video call. If everyone follows basic etiquette rules, video meetings will be productive and positive.

No one likes being sick, and the uncertainty of where and when the Coronavirus will strike next has us all on edge. A powerful and robust collaboration tool with business videoconferencing from Mitel keeps employees, customers and clients happy and healthy, making it easy to get work done from anywhere. Speak to our team today to see for yourself how Hitech’s MiVoice and MiCloud will keep you connected, in sickness and in health.