Five tips to communicate better from home

Even when you've got the right tools and ways to meet, communicating with co-workers from home is still different from working in the office. Use these five tips to improve how you communicate with co-workers from home.

1. 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. Like you, they may have done some prep work beforehand to make the call more productive.

2. 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.

3. 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.

4. Stay online as much as possible

If you're not there, it's likely that people may think you're not working—even if you're working more than 40 hours a week. Responding quickly to e-mail will help remind people that you're still there and being productive.

5. Be assertive

Don't always wait for people to contact you. Ask for information if you don't feel like you've received it.