More than likely your team had to go full remote - and you had to do it fast. We had to do the same at Gmelius and we did it pretty much overnight.
Communication is key. Not only to keep your teams connected but also to keep things running smooth. With all the sudden changes that can disrupt your business it’s important to maintain an impression of control and order - your team and clients are depending on you.
The good news is that it doesn’t have to be difficult.
Email templates go a long way in helping you systemize your communications and processes. They save you tons of time and you can use them to keep your teams, customers, and external stakeholders well informed and on the same page.
Creating a static remote policy during these ever-changing times will only lead to frustration on your part and confusion for everyone else.
Let’s take a look at some templates you can use to cover most of the use cases you’ll come across. They’ll come in handy when transitioning your teams to work remotely, and having to communicate your policies - internally and externally.
These templates are shareable, flexible, ultra-easy to customize - and they pop into your compose window with one click.
- Intro Motivation Email
- Reporting Policy
- Communication Tools & Policy
- Team Scheduling Changes
- Company to Client Scheduling Changes
Intro Motivation Email
How you manage your team directly affects team performance and productivity. Here’s an example of an intro motivational email, but you should consider sending uplifting emails on a weekly basis, as they can help keep your team motivated and engaged. Think of mentioning small and big wins, acknowledging everyone’s work and sharing something funny.
Subject: Remote but still together :)
Hello Team,
We wanted to start by first letting you know we're all in this together. We know this is a difficult time but as long as we are healthy and together - we will be okay.
Over the course of the next few days, you will receive time-sensitive updates that relate to changes in our operating procedures.
Top priority is to take care of your health and of those closest to you.
Wishing you the best,
Reporting Policy
Working well remotely requires clear documentation. Whenever possible your team should consolidate resources and avoid complexity. Working with the least amount of tools required will save your team time and will cause less frustration. Based on our own experience, we recommend documenting your team’s goals and to-dos in a Daily Diary using Gmelius boards.
Subject: Daily Reporting Policy for Remote Work:
With all of us now fully remote, it will be necessary to adjust our reporting policy with one designed for our dispersed team.
Please continue submitting your end of day reports on our platform. And going forward we'll need to create a copy and add them to our "Daily Dairy Boards'. Our boards will act as a central source of easy access for our current activities.
We thank you for your understanding.
Team {{ }}
Communication Tools & Policy
In addition to your standard stack of tools, you might need some special software and apps to help your team members stay in touch. The challenge here is to use the least number of tools possible while making the most out of the ones your team is already using. In this template, we mentioned the tools we added into our workflows.
Subject: Communication Policy & Remote Tools
Hello All,
In order to stay effective and minimize stress, we are outlining a few changes in our communication policy.
Communication tools:
- For video calls, we have created a Zoom account that can handle multiple-participant video conferencing such as our All-hands meetings.
- For quick voice conversations, we now have a Discord account. Think Slack but for voice.
- Speaking of Slack we will maintain our channels for those quick instant messages.
- And for the sake of eliminating internal emailing, we will continue using Gmelius and ping each other via email notes.
We hope these tools help improve our communications during this transition period.
All the best,
Team Scheduling Changes
One of the challenges in working remotely is the loss of your company’s shared habits and rituals. In order to help your teammates stay connected to your culture and to one another, it’s important to reinforce your company’s culture.
Subject: Company Remote Work Scheduling Policy
Hello there Team,
In order to keep things running smoothly, we've had to adapt our work policies to fit the current climate of remote work.
The following scheduling updates will keep everyone on the same page.
- All-Hands: our general Monday morning meetings will continue as planned via video conferencing. To keep things in order, department heads will lead the roundup of their team's activities. Followed by an open floor for questions and comments.
- 1:1 Manager meetings: will continue to take place according to your scheduled slots. In lieu of Face-2-Face, they will be conducted via video conference.
- Hours of Operation: although we are dispersed in varying time zones, it's important for us to have a four-hour period where we are all available online. Please align timeframes with your respective teams.
Looking forward to being even more productive as we work from home.
All the best,
Company to Client Scheduling Changes
These times are unusual for all of us. Be sure to keep your clients informed about the changes you are implementing. It will help you avoid negative feedback or misunderstandings.
Subject: {{to.fname}}, Changes to our usual schedule
Dear {{to.fname}},
Due to the recent changes, our team wanted to inform you about our revised schedule.
Although our office is closed, rest assured that our service and commitment to you does not stop.
For case-specific topics please contact your usual rep - they are on duty and ready to serve. For support related inquiries send us an email to {support@}.
The current changes are indefinite until further notice and we'll be sure to update you on any changes.
All the best,
Your {{team}}
The above templates can be used as a base for communicating your remote policies.
Your Gmelius compose window is full of pre-created templates you can easily adjust. And the process for creating one from scratch is simple.
Join the Gmelius community, for these and other tips like it on adjusting to remote work and improving team collaboration in general.
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