[In-house LT competition] Why is remote work difficult? 6 Persian cat solutions

Hello!
This is Inoue, a Persian cat from Beyond Shikoku Office.

An in-house LT competition was held on May 13th (Wednesday), and the theme was "Telework know-how."
I have no experience in telework, but I have done more remote work than anyone else at Beyond.
So, as someone who works remotely at a base far from the head office,
I gave a presentation on the theme of ``What I do to make everyone feel comfortable working even when I'm far away.''

Why is it difficult to communicate through a screen? ?

① There may be problems with the image quality, not being able to see facial expressions
, or problems with the distance to the camera.
If it's difficult to see the other person's facial expressions, communication becomes difficult because you can't read their emotions.
② Voices are difficult to hear, and if you cannot hear them, it is difficult to ask them back.
There are many times when your voice may be interrupted due to network problems, or you may find it difficult to hear the other person's voice.

There are times when it is difficult to say, ``I can't hear you, please
repeat that,'' even if you have difficulty hearing because you feel it's rude to ask ③ I can't grasp the atmosphere on the other side of the screen.
When you're in the same space, you can sense that someone is busy and nervous, or that it's okay to talk to them now
, but if you're looking through a screen, you can't tell at all, and you tend to lose the timing to talk to them.

Everyone can hear you chatting through a screen, which makes it difficult to communicate on a daily basis
and takes time to build relationships.
For this reason, for a time I had a lot of trouble with my interpersonal relationships and the trust I had with my colleagues at work.
This is my second year working remotely, and I would like to introduce you to what I have been doing so far.
I would be happy if this helps you overcome the obstacles of remote work and telework!

When greeting, it's important to have a big smile, smile, and look at someone!

Laughter is a sound that can be felt as if someone's face is smiling, even if the person's face cannot be seen.
When working remotely, there is a lot of verbal communication, so if you speak with a smile, you will get a better impression.
Smiling gives an impression of energy, so it naturally makes your voice louder and easier to hear.
If you actually smile on your face, you can naturally laugh.
If you have trouble smiling, I think it would be a good idea to try to raise the corners of your mouth.
Also, even if you're busy and concentrating on your computer screen,
it's easy to let the other person know that you're responding to their greetings by looking at them, even if it's just for a quick glance.

Use "Thank you!" like a catchphrase

Japanese people tend to say ``excuse me'' when someone does something for them, but it seems
that saying ``thank you'' makes it easier to convey your gratitude to the other person and increases both parties' happiness.
Even when I receive a small compliment or someone says "thank you," I
say "thank you" with the feeling of "thank you for saying thank you."
"thank you" is a magic word that makes both the person saying it and the person receiving it feel good,
so I try to use it a lot.
If you stop saying "thank you" because it's something you take for granted, there will be no more opportunities to say "thank you."

Use magic words that will improve your communication skills

my last blog , I introduced the idea of ​​``complimenting'', and if you
notice a change in someone or think they're nice, make it a habit to praise them.

Casual compliments
such as "Did you get your hair cut?" or "You look cute in your outfit today" Praising someone is an essential action for building good relationships.
just by interjecting phrases such as ``That's wonderful'' or ``That's wonderful'' at various points in the conversation
will increase the sense of happiness that comes from the conversation.

The reaction is big

Why make the reaction so big?
This is because when communicating through a screen, it
may be difficult to convey emotions or convey what you want to convey.
It is important to use gestures, but it is also very important to nod when the other person is speaking.
It's hard to understand through a screen, so I nod a little louder than when I'm talking face-to-face, saying, "Yeah! Yeah!"
This lets you know that ``I'm listening to you,'' and
makes it easier to talk to the other person because they can see your reaction.
Just as it is important to look people in the eye when talking face-to-face, it
is also important to look at the person on the other side of the screen when talking through a screen.

Be in charge of your own mood

Of course, there are days when you're doing well and days when you're not feeling well.
However, the emotions that are easy to convey to others are ``emotion, anger, sadness,'' ``anger,'' and ``sad.''
This is the same even through the screen.
Even if you can't hear someone's voice when they're talking, a momentary sigh can be audible even through the screen.
I think negative emotions are easily conveyed to others, whether face-to-face or through a screen.
Emotions are mysteriously contagious, so it's important to be in charge of your own mood.
If you work in an atmosphere that makes you uncomfortable, your performance will likely suffer.
Whether you're in the same space or behind a screen, I think everyone shares the same feeling of wanting to work in a comfortable manner, so
please try to practice "being in charge of your own mood."

I can't read the atmosphere. Try getting thicker.

My strength is that I can sense the subtleties of other people's minds. It is also a disadvantage at the same time.
I just can't read the atmosphere and atmosphere of the office through the screen.
You read the atmosphere too much and miss the right time to talk to the person you want to talk to.
That happens a lot.
Once in a while, if I get a little bold and try calling out to someone, the person on the other end will be more than happy to respond.
It is very difficult to read the atmosphere when communicating through a screen, but
sometimes it may be important not to read the atmosphere.

I will do what anyone can do to the extent that no one else can!

The secret to smooth communication over a screen is actually simple and anyone can do it.
However, what makes it difficult
is that in the normal environment of daily work and regular co-workers, people may unconsciously treat others poorly without malicious intent.
``Don't be rude with your greetings.''
It's common sense, isn't it?
But do you ever come to work and end up with a lackluster greeting?
If you can smile and say "Good morning!" cheerfully every day, the atmosphere in your workplace will definitely improve.
I believe that such small efforts can make a big difference in human relationships.
This is my second year at Beyond.
I've been working remotely for a long time, and I've been struggling with how to communicate.
However, I feel that I was able to improve my relationships with people by keeping these six things in mind.
I think the number one problem between locations is communication between employees.

a must-practice those who are working remotely like me, those who are working remotely to prevent coronavirus infection
, and those who come to the office every day and work with their usual colleagues. I would be happy if you could try it out and see some wonderful communication come out of it.

Growing every day, moving forward every day.
I have to update myself every day! ! !
Thank you for reading to the end.