You’ve set up your home workspace, decided on an outfit that’s the perfect fit between professional and cozy, and logged into your remote office for the day—now what?

If you work in a profession that relies on independent work, such as graphic design, you might start working just as you would anywhere else: by opening up your laptop and working. If you work in a profession that relies more heavily on teamwork and collaborating with others, such as teaching or consulting, you'll probably need to communicate with your team before starting the day.

There’s something about working remotely and engaging in video calls or online chats that can be a bit awkward at first; small talk is much easier to do when you’re first getting to the office and asking someone how their morning has been as you both set up for the day. But never fear! We’re here with some helpful tips on how to communicate in a digital office setting.

1.     Stay Connected

Keep consistent channels of communication for everyone on your team. This means deciding to use either Skype OR Zoom for video chats—not both. Do you like to keep chat on Slack or Microsoft Teams? Choose one! The platform doesn’t matter as much as remaining consistent does. Try to avoid using FaceTime, cell phone calls, and texting as a way to maintain boundaries between your personal and professional lives. When you keep channels of communication consistent, it is easier for everyone to keep in touch and for important messages and documents to remain in once place.

2.     Over-communication = Less Miscommunication

A good general rule of thumb in all aspects of life is that if you feel like you’re over-communicating, you’re probably doing just the right amount of communicating. It takes an average of seven reminders for someone to accurately remember a piece of information, so repetition is key! Over-communicating by giving context and being specific also lessens the chances of miscommunication since virtual chat doesn’t allow for typical conversation cues such as body language and facial expression. Over-communicating by sending your team or supervisor regular progress updates can also help keep you accountable and on track in what could otherwise be a distracting environment.

3.     Keep It Friendly

Communicating on professional channels throughout the day can make small talk a bit intimidating, but don’t let that stop you! Just like in a typical office setting, it’s important to maintain friendly relationships with your coworkers to foster a sense of unity and belonging. You don’t have to make a big deal out of non-work related conversations, you can keep it casual. Start off conference calls by asking how everyone’s day has been to ease into conversation. Share your work playlists and technology mishaps. Most importantly, engage with people when they initiate a chat. Don’t let messages go unanswered—respond! Sending out a message in the team chat only for nobody to respond can not only be hurtful to the person who sent it, it can also be harmful for team morale. Collaboration between team members is best when everyone respects each other on an individual level and takes some interest in each other’s well-being.