University of Cologne

Develop and work on joint projects and work packages within the team in the home office using so-called collaboration tools. The possibilities are manifold: video conferences, joint editing of documents, chat channels and much more. The UoC computer centre provides you with an overview of the various options and services.

When selecting the tools, please bear in mind that the technical requirements of the equipment must be met and make them available as required (e.g. terminal with camera for video conferences) or switch to tools which can be used by all employees. Ensure that employees receive technical support as required (e.g. through their DP coordination) when installing or using the tools for the first time.

In the virtual space, follow the social rules that would also apply in a face-to-face meeting and, if necessary, notify the other participants via chat if you have to leave a meeting for a moment. We also recommend that you

• Make sure that your own technology is functional and that you have familiarised yourself with the communication tool in advance.
• Log in with your full name. This will enable unknown participants to address you appropriately.
• If possible, always switch on your camera in order to communicate with the help of your body language on the one hand and on the other hand to enable the other participants to have visual contact with you despite the distance.
• Be punctual. A short small talk can also work wonders as an icebreaker. Since there is no need for virtual participants to travel, it is tempting to schedule appointments directly one after the other. However, switching from one meeting to the next can be exhausting even without travel times. And in hybrid meetings, some participants may be confronted with a change of location. Therefore, try to take breaks into account when scheduling meetings, e.g. by not starting or ending on the hour, by taking into account usual lunch break times and by scheduling breaks for longer meetings. It can also be useful to use the telephone, especially when only two people are involved, to temporarily take your eyes off the screen.
• Mute yourself when other participants are speaking. This makes it possible to have a conversation without background and disturbing noises. If possible, also mute mobile devices and desktop applications for the duration of the meeting. It is best to announce speaking contributions via the digital hand message. This way, your pointing out per se and the order of contributions can be perceived by the moderator.
• Express yourself in a particularly comprehensible and clear manner. For example, indicate which documents are being discussed or which person you are addressing. Let other people finish speaking, as there may be technical delays in voice transmission.
• Avoid distractions. Refrain from pursuing other activities in parallel during the meeting. This shows appreciation and respect for the other participants.

Additional tips for facilitators/hosts of virtual meetings

• Send out the invitation and log-in information to participants in good time.
• Prepare for the meeting and create an agenda with an appropriate timeline.
• Make sure that the people are known to each other and, if necessary, plan a short round of introductions. This strengthens the working relationship and facilitates interaction between the participants.
• Open relevant documents for a possible screen sharing beforehande in the background to avoid wasting time in the meeting itself and avoid travelling through your document filing system on the shared screen.
• Avoid "digital drift". It is a good idea, for example, to include regular feedback or question rounds in which all participants are activated.

If you work remotely, you lose informal and non-verbal communication within the team - the view across the desk, the encounter in the coffee kitchen, the motivating chat in the corridor. Therefore, ensure regular and direct communication by using chat functions, video and telephone conferences as well as collaboration tools in addition to e-mail communication (see Technical Organisation of Work). In this way, you can prevent misunderstandings (e.g. when assigning tasks), actively involve the employees/colleagues and simplify necessary agreements.
Inquire actively and, if possible, verbally rather than in writing about the status of tasks as well as personal well-being and inform others transparently about your work packages as well as about possible personal challenges.
At the same time, allow time for informal meetings, such as a digital coffee break, in order to maintain contact between team colleagues who no longer see each other due to alternating attendance times.

Even if home office often goes hand in hand with increased flexibility of the general conditions: Pay attention to transparent, uniform regulations and make binding statements, e.g. with regard to (joint) working hours, availability (temporal and technical), recurring appointments, - if necessary - consent to the use of private e-mail addresses and telephone numbers. Write down your rules and make them available to all employees; if necessary, remind them in a friendly manner to comply. Structure virtual meetings, e.g. with an agenda, adherence to specified time frames and a moderation/course of speech.

Reflect on regulations that repeatedly cause difficulties and look for team-oriented solutions together.

For employees as well as supervisors, it is important to behave in accordance with the agreed rules of cooperation, even in the home office. As supervisors in particular, you are required to set a good example and, for example, to communicate proactively and transparently, to keep to break times and working hours, to value new approaches and ways of solving problems and to use the communication tools agreed upon in the team.

Alternating mobile working hours reduce joint working time in presence and demand increased self-management skills of all employees. This also includes granting each other necessary freedom to complete work tasks and trusting each other. This applies to both the time and the way in which tasks are completed - naturally in compliance with the agreed goals and framework conditions in each case.
As a supervisor, you are primarily required to act as an observing coach, mentor, advisor and inspirer, who is involved in the work process by the employees as needed.
Employees, however, are responsible for actively informing their superiors when they need support in completing their tasks or in self-organisation in general.

Supervisors enable compatibility - Bear in mind that some of your employees may be affected by school and day-care closures or limited care services in the pandemic situation and/or have to increasingly take care of relatives in need of care. This affects employees to varying degrees, so it is all the more important to signal understanding for the family situation and working conditions at home and to facilitate individual arrangements.

Employees communicate clearly - If you have to take on more care for people in your family environment due to the current situation (children, relatives in need of care), you are particularly challenged at the moment. This may also make your time flexibility different from that of your colleagues who are less involved in their private lives. Enable your superior to agree on good arrangements and solutions with you by transparently communicating your (family) situation, your capacities and your spatial working conditions.

The Dual Career & Family Support (CFS) supports with up-to-date information and offers for compatibility of your profession with your family tasks. Depending on the target group (employees with children, students with children, employees with relatives in need of care), you will find specific information on our websites, e.g. on school and daycare closures, on employment opportunities and digital learning for (school) children, on support offers for parents and caring relatives, etc. Supervisors may also find more information on family-conscious leadership.

Create routines and work rituals even in the mobile working environment to stay healthy. First of all, make sure that your workplace at home is free of disturbances and distractions if possible and comes close to the ergonomic recommendations for back-friendly working. Take into account the information in the "Health and Safety Checklist" (GER) and find out about support services, e.g. the digital break express or other services offered by UniSport. Keep to break times and allow yourself some exercise or a short walk in the fresh air in between.

When working from your desk at home, the boundaries between work and private life quickly become blurred. Irregular contact with colleagues or leadership responsibilities from a distance can also become a challenge for supervisors and employees. If you find yourself or your colleagues and employees confronted with this challenge, act early in the sense of your duty of care and make contact in a friendly and appreciative manner. Refer to and make use of the further training and counselling services offered by the UoC or suitable collegial formats that have become established in your team. Consider together whether, for example, an adaptation of the agreement on mobile work could be beneficial.