Get the most out of collaboration software

We live in a world where virtual communication is the norm, and that’s not going to change. The pandemic continues to have an obvious impact on what we consider to be the normal workplace, and with many offices realizing that the hybrid work model actually improves productivity and reduces cost, this is likely how things will remain to some extent.

Collaboration software such as Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and Google Meet have been saviors of the pandemic, allowing us to continue work even with much of the world shut down. However, we weren’t given a lot of time to adjust to the change and ensure we’re getting the most out of these virtual communication solutions we now utilize daily.

Here are a few tips on how you can get the most out of your staff’s interactions with virtual collaboration software in the workplace:

Make virtual collaboration the norm

Yes, it’s strange to interact with people screen to screen, but we need to make it a norm. The reality of the world we live in is that there will be situations where someone is hired to a job and never physically meets their co-workers, so how do we make them feel comfortable and part of the culture? Making virtual collaboration the norm is the answer, and this means encouraging that your staff use the collaboration software not only for work purposes, but also for casual conversation.

Where we used to be able to physically walk into a co-worker’s office for a quick chat to break up the day, now we need to ensure our staff is able to use chat features and virtual 1:1’s with others on the team. Further, having “fun” virtual meetings can help with team building and culture formation, but always ensure you’re doing it in a way that does not overload your staff’s schedule.

Ease of use is crucial

If your staff has difficulty using the collaboration software, they won’t use it. It’s that simple. We all know how hard it is to get the entire team to fully adopt a new process or tool, so you really want to make things easy on them. Without the pandemic, it’s unlikely we would have adopted virtual collaboration software to the extent we have, but since we were forced to, we did – and there are people that welcomed the shift with not-so-open arms. In order to get people comfortable with using the software, you need to make it easy on them and help them form a positive opinion of the tools you’ve supplied.

On this same point, you should try to streamline your collaboration software as much as possible. Set standards so your team (and partners, if possible) are using the same collaboration software so that sharing files, communicating on the fly, and working together on one document is done in a seamless way without interruption or confusion of what goes where.

Use as appropriate, not just because

According to a study at the University of California Irvine, it takes over 23 minutes for a worker to get back on task after experiencing an interruption. Think about this stat the next time you call a meeting.

Your staff’s time is valuable, and you want to give them as much time to do their jobs as possible. In this age of remote work, it may be tempting to call daily check-in meetings to ensure your staff is staying on task, but you need to have more faith in them and give them the time they need to succeed. Before scheduling a meeting, always ask yourself: Can this conversation be had in another setting? Maybe an email is more appropriate, giving the recipients the opportunity to engage in the conversation when they can rather than stopping what they are doing for a quick chat.

Record when appropriate, and be up front

Recording your meetings can be a good policy that allows you to review what was discussed and catch what you may have missed. It also allows for flexible scheduling as you do not have to require attendees be at certain sessions knowing they can watch on their own schedule. However, not everyone feels comfortable being recorded and not every moment should be recorded.

There are plenty of meetings that take place virtually which must be kept private for a multitude of reasons, and you can never be quite sure when proprietary information may come up, so you should always be up front when recording a meeting. If you plan on recording a session, be sure to announce your intentions so your attendees are aware.

Only require video when necessary

When working from home, it can be difficult to control your environment, and with the “always-on” mentality that can come with hybrid work, we can often find ourselves not in a condition to be seen on camera. We need to be sensitive to the fact that our staff may not always be ready to be on camera and allow them the option to attend meetings without their camera on when appropriate to do so.

Of course, there are instances where being on camera shows respect to the people you are meeting with, but internal meetings with a team you already know should be opportunities for you to give your staff a beak and allow them to keep their cameras off. It’s just another way to help them feel more comfortable with the software they are so quickly having to adjust to using in their everyday lives.

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What do you think about modern collaboration software? Let us know in the comments below!