5 Tips to Communicate Better from Home
Published: June 30, 2004 http://www.microsoft.com/atwork/stayconnected/home/communicate.mspx
Even
if you've got the right tools and ways to meet, communicating with
co-workers from home is still different than working in the office. Use
these five tips to improve how you communicate with co-workers from
home.
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1.
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Make appointments.
You set aside time to meet with someone in person, so why not make
appointments for important telephone calls? By booking a specific time,
you can be assured that your co-worker will be prepared and more
focused on the conversation. They may also have done some prep work
beforehand to make the call more productive.
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2.
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Stay focused in phone conferences.
It's easy to stray when meetings get long, but keep multitasking to a
minimum during phone conferences. The other party can almost certainly
hear that keyboard clicking while you respond to someone else's e-mail.
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3.
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Attend weekly staff meetings. If you work at home full-time, try to attend at least one weekly meeting to keep in touch with others.
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4.
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Stay online as much as possible.
If you're not there, it's likely that people may not think you're
working—even if you're working more than 40 hours a week. Responding
quickly to e-mail will help remind people you're still there.
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5.
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Be assertive. Don't always wait for people to contact you. Ask for information if you don't feel like you've received it.
Submitted By Mike Palidino
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