Technology has allowed us to be much more flexible with how and where we work, but how do you ensure communication and workflow keep moving? Four professionals tell us how they successfully work remotely with their staff and keep their businesses on track.
Professional advice from: Trevor Brown of TBA; Heather Shaw of Resi; Cristina Macia-Briedis of RISE Design Studio; Rosie Ellis of My Bespoke Room
Encourage communication
It’s vital to keep communicating as much as you would in a usual office set-up, say the professionals. “Our projects involve the work of countless individuals, just to make a single extension or conversion a reality,” Heather says. “It involves work from our designers, planning team, Building Regulations experts, and even our mortgage brokers. The only way any of this is possible is by all of us actively keeping up with each other.”
“It’s very important to keep the team united, even when we’re physically apart,” Cristina Macia-Briedis says. “For this purpose, we maintain an open direct line throughemails, but also texting and video chatting, to discuss any queries and, perhaps most importantly, stay connected and cohesive as a team.”
“I encourage staff to speak to each other on the phone as if they were in the office,” Trevor says. “There are project WhatsApp groups where necessary and we have internal design meetings via video call to discuss design developments.” He recommends using personal interaction as often as possible, and keeping emails to a minimum.
Schedule meetings
A regular routine is important in order to keep work on schedule. “At the start and end of each day, teams catch up for a conference call to make sure everyone feels on track and to keep up the community spirit,” Heather says.
“We conductany meetings we would have during the working week via Zoom,” Rosie Ellis says. “We include a morning briefing every day – even if there doesn’t seem to be much to update from the day before. This allows time for the team to chat as they would when they first get into the office.”
Nip problems in the bud
Trevor explains how a little effort will pay off in the long run when it comes to collaborating remotely. “We’re used to meeting and discussing design proposals together,” he says.
“Now we’re working remotely, we’re becoming more fluid with the information we share electronically to replicate the internal design meetings.”
“We run various hubs to troubleshoot any project issues,” Heather says. “Back in the office, these would have been in person, but now we’ve set up specialist Slack channels, so people can askour best field expertsquestions about planning, Building Regulations, and other concerns.”
Keep your eyes wide open
Don’t forget to keep your team up to date with industry and customer news, say our professionals. “Every day, there’s a change in how our retailers are working and we report on whether we’ve changed structure or strategy internally,” Rosie says. “It’s important to remain transparent, so we all know what’s what.
“We also share any designer’s good reviews with examples of their work on a closed Facebook group,” she adds. “This allows us to celebrate each other’s successes and remain in the loop about the designs we’re all completing. Plus, it’s great to hear customer success stories.”
Appreciate the tech team
The key for any remote office is to ensure everyone has the technology to make it work. Architect Trevor Brown’s team, for example, take their work laptops home, as they can be transported easily. “They can be connected seamlessly to ensure continuity of working patterns,” he says. “It also means staff don’t have to use their personal equipment, so there’s a clean division between work and home life.”
“We use an online platform to work with our team and clients,” Heather Shaw says. “This piece of tech is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the business, and it’s only possible thanks to our team of in-house developers. If you’re lucky enough to have your own team of coding wizards, we recommend giving them plenty of thanks.”
