One of the biggest challenges a digital nomad faces is keeping in touch with coworkers, team members or partners, when the group is not in the same physical space most of the time.  These days, many rely on tools like instant messaging, wikis, collaborative workspaces, email and other tools to keep everyone on the same page.  What are some tips and tricks that you’ve found for keeping a group of digital nomads working together well?  What were some of the downsides and challenges?  How were those overcome or minimized?

The rules for keeping in touch with coworkers, IMHO, are the same as running your own business. I had my own business for five years, and was a digital nomad for more than three years.

1. Remember, TO THE MIDDLE! Don’t be too close to coworkers (there are exceptions, but very rarely), and don’t be remote. If you are too close, it will nearly always degenerate to an “us versus them” situation, as your coworkers (or you) experience/imagine some “situation”. DON’T BE INVOLVED! And, even if you don’t like the person, don’t be remote – you may have to work with them at some time, and you don’t need tension in the relationship.

2. Email, IM, wiki, whatever. You want people to know you exist. If possible, learn and remember “little things”, birthdays, anniversaries, etc. Leave out vacations and other overly time-consuming matters, except for a “hope you had a good time!”. With any contact, develop the ability to end the conversation on a positive note when it is taking too much time.

3. MAKE A POINT to meet at the office or at a “neutral” common point – NOT the home, or other “personal” space; work is not for socializing (once again, it degenerates into an “us versus them” problem.

4. Most of all, remember that you are at the disadvantage of not being fully visible. Don’t resent it, you would act the same way in “their” situation, but take it into account, and try a little harder.