Effective Remote Collaboration with Colleagues

Introduction

Working from home requires responsibility and flexible working hours. It saves you travel time, and you don't have to think about clothes for once. Thanks to a fast internet connection, we can call, Whatsapp and e-mail with our colleagues anytime, anywhere. However, there are disadvantages: putting everyone in the CC is not always necessary and can cause irritations and extra workload. Do you really want to work efficiently remotely? Think about all the available tools and apps that make this easier. In this blog you will read how to work effectively together using the best tools.

Divide tasks with a project management tool

Working remotely together becomes efficient when there is clear planning and division of tasks for the entire team. There are all kinds of tools with which you can manage projects and set up an efficient online collaboration. Some great project management tools are Basecamp, Microsoft Planner and Jira .

Wherever you are, these project management tools offer a good overview of all tasks and deadlines within the team. You can create a shared board with an overview of lists that you can name yourself. Think: To Do, Done and Doing. You can add tasks per list that you can also assign to a specific person. You can expand these tasks with a deadline, status, checklist, comment or attachment.

Work with a digital notepad or virtual whiteboard

When you're in the office, you probably work with a flip chart or whiteboard during meetings and brainstorming sessions. Luckily, you can still do this, even if you're not all in the same room. Enter: the virtual whiteboard. Popular apps for taking notes and sharing files include OneNote, Evernote, Quip and Google Keep. Within Microsoft Teams you also have the option to save (via OneNote) notes, sketches and ideas.

Use a business chat software

Mutual contact is essential for efficient remote collaboration. Throwing work-related questions into the group, brainstorming together or discussing tasks can be done with a business chat software. A well-known (and free) option is Slack. Does your company have a Windows system? Then you can also use Skype for Business or Microsoft Teams. Teams is part of Microsoft Office 365 and is much more than a business chat software.

Meet online with colleagues

So it's easy to share documents, chat with colleagues and collaborate on projects online. But how can you meet if everyone is in a different place? There are all kinds of solutions for this, too. Almost everyone can set up a conference call with his or her smartphone. Or with the chat software above! But there are many more tools that make online meetings easy. Examples of meeting tools are: GoTo Meeting or Google Hangouts. Basecamp, one of the mentioned project management tools, also has an online meeting option.

Is Microsoft Teams the ideal tool for remote collaboration?

Microsoft Teams not only lets you have chats and online meetings, but you can collaborate, share apps and exchange documents. You can also hold (video) calls or schedule them in advance. All the tools mentioned in this blog come together in Microsoft Teams. For example, Microsoft Planner is one of the apps you can use in Teams. That is a project management tool. And you can even share live presentations or your screen or record video calls for later use. E-mailing is a thing of the past with this tool! So, let the work can continue — even remotely.

Related: 6 Tips for Working at Home (That Really Work)

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