Top 10 ways to keep good communication with your clients while working remotely
A good communication is the key for successful remote software development and establishing a remote contract for software development helps define expectations.
Working from home has brought in a series of changes that we have had to adapt to in recent months. Josh Arceo is one of the most trusted Product Owners in our company, he has been involved in the software development industry for over 25 years. He has worked in a number of industries such as the mortgage industry, the insurance industry, the finance industry, the entertainment industry, among others; he’s currently working as the P.O. for one of the largest accounts in our enterprise, with 28 engineers under his wing, he faces all kinds of challenges every day.
One of the biggest challenges he has faced during 2020 has been to keep good communication between his client and the team while having everyone working 100% remotely. Relying on agile methodology, mature processes, and good practices he has been able to maintain the overall success of the account.
These are the top 10 best practices that Josh shared with us to keep communication between clients and teams, without a specific order:
Used a preferred communication channel that allows both your client and team to share their ideas in real-time. Waiting long hours for a response will hinder the workflow.
Choose wisely when information has to be conveyed through a meeting and when it can be just an email. Having virtual meetings all day is very exhausting.
Choose a communication channel accordingly; use written messages to share specific information and calls or video calls for information that need discussion or agreement.
Provide both your team and client with a robust source of information that is accessible at all times.
Make sure both your team and your client are clear on which stage of the roadmap they’re working on to reduce confusion and unnecessary meetings. Agile Methodology dictates in its manifesto “Customer collaboration over contract negotiation”.
Create your own “virtual water cooler”. Look for ways to have a small talk every once in a while to reduce stress and increase trust and camaraderie.
Encourage your team members to look for casual conversations whenever they communicate with anyone on the clients’ end to preserve trust and ease everyday work tension.
Don’t force communication, realize there are other ways of communicating through technology that can help you maintain a personal touch.
Let both your client and team know that no one has to be working 24/7. Set your working times and off times and make a pact of respecting those times. This will bring peace of mind and certainty resulting in a productivity increase.
Recognize that working from home brings a different set of factors than what would be to work in an office; flexibility is key to maintain harmony and fluency on the job.
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