A triad: remote work, online communication, and virtual workspaces

Working remotely, solid online communication, and effective virtual workspaces are core components of a healthy work routine. They are deeply intertwined, although most people see them as separate things. This article explores how they’re related and why they matter.

Remote work and communication

Communication is the biggest problem for distributed teams. Typically, when we think about what remote workers need, our minds jump first to technology; they need a computer and reliable internet access. But there’s something that we neglect to consider all too often: cultural needs, such as communication, trust, and closeness to colleagues. These must be your top priorities.

Building culture does take effort, but the benefits are tremendous. One way to do this is to adopt a virtual workspace model for your distributed team. Having a place to meet consistently builds that communication and trust; plus, it gives people a spot to socialize.

If you want to learn more about why socializing is so important for remote teams and how to make the most out of it, check out this article that we published recently.

Trying a digital and virtual workspace

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone has started talking about “digital workspaces,” “virtual offices,” “online office rooms,” “virtual HQ,” etc.

But what exactly is a digital workspace?

A digital workspace is a place online designed to help you and your team collaborate and be productive, while offering some room to be human and have non-work-related interactions as well.

If you are unsure of whether your team needs a virtual workspace or not, the answer is most likely yes. More and more companies are shifting to a remote or hybrid work model to accommodate their employees’ needs. But also, companies that have gone remote have seen an uptick in productivity. Just think about what you could do if you took the best of remote work (flexibility and convenience) and in-person work (a vibrant office culture and social interactions) and combined the two; that’s a virtual workspace.

How does Toucan support virtual workspaces?

Think about this: In an in-person office, people don’t exclusively behave as they do when they’re in a conference room. They get up from their desks, they walk around, they stop someone in the hallway to check in, and they grab lunch with their colleagues.

In a Toucan Space, you can have all of the interactions above. You have the freedom to move and speak with whomever you want. You can have designated Meeting Spots labeled with conversation starters or team names. You can send emoticons to other people in the space as a fun way to say hi.

Learn more about our Toucan Spaces plans here. If you would like to talk with us and ask questions about which one is right for you, you can always book a call with us using this calendar. Or if you would like, send us an email at contact@toucan.events.