The platform offers additional features like shared calendars and project reporting. Plus, remote team collaboration it integrates with many common tools like Gmail, Slack, and Microsoft Teams, so you can easily use the apps you already know and enjoy. Slack is an online collaboration tool that helps remote teams connect via messaging.
What is remote collaboration & how to make it work for your team
Perhaps instant messages are useful for quick one-off questions that aren’t urgent. As employees add to your existing knowledge base, they’ll know where to store new information, so it stays clean and easy to navigate. The company creates architecture, furniture, and technology products for the workplace that require a lot of visual collaboration that was typically done in person prior to the pandemic. Let’s say the team has decided to prioritize one project, but someone on the team believes it should be focusing on something else.
- And without the ease of stopping by to clarify with your colleagues, it’s easy for bad habits and sloppy workarounds to become ingrained.
- Collaboration is the most important element of great teamwork and fosters communication to brainstorm ideas and achieve goals.
- You can create comprehensive task cards with images and chats so all details are in one place.
- Files, documents, training materials, and more can all be found in a single place.
best collaboration tools to level up remote teamwork
With your colleagues, share what’s been working with you and ask if they have any new tips. Now, you no longer need to work in the same physical space as your team members. Not only does remote collaboration allow team members to work anywhere, but it can also increase productivity when implemented effectively. Remote collaboration is powered by the use of digital collaboration tools, which started being widely adopted when the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Transformational leaders inspire and motivate their team members by promoting innovation, creativity, and change. They focus on the big picture, setting a vision that encourages team members to achieve more than they originally thought possible. Perhaps you share daily updates in a thread on Slack and weekly updates in an email. You may want to add weekly face-to-face individual or team meetings to work through client issues or roadblocks and plan out future work assignments.
It’s worth noting that this works both ways; your employees need to trust you, but you also need to be able to strike a balance between control and delegation. This can be tricky when you’re still learning how to manage a remote team and you want to avoid micromanaging. Managing remote teams can be a unique challenge — especially if you’re used to office-based environments. You need to embrace new approaches to communication and documentation, and find new ways to build effective teams.
Communication is key in the workplace. Here’s how to improve
Think about whether they can fill more than one need to streamline your workflow. Also, consider whether the tools you’re considering have integration capabilities with the tools you already use. Selecting a different region will change the language and content of slack.com. Learn how high-performing companies are adapting to rapid workplace transformation. Transparency shouldn’t end with your own team; it should extend to any interactions you or your team members have with other departments in your company. Instead of asking colleagues, people can find answers to their questions through the relevant space.
Encourage teamwork
For instance, let them know it’s OK to admit that they’re incapable of completing a task, or finding common ground with others on the team. This way, you can find a solution and ensure that the employee isn’t feeling alone in their struggles. Cloud-based collaboration tools are a useful way to keep everyone connected, both practically and culturally. There is no one-size-fits-all tool; rather, look for software that fits your needs in terms of cost, functionality, number of supported users, and other factors. In the downloadable versions, you’ll find space to add notes for each practice, so you can jot down ideas.