Technology tools for virtual collaboration

by | Feb 1, 2021 | Effective Teams, Leadership

When I started consulting, most of my work was in person. I have spent the last several months adjusting and have been using more technology to collaborate with clients. I wanted to share a few tools that may be helpful for your work. I welcome your suggestions for technology that has been helpful for you

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Google Jamboard: I use this free Google app for collaboration during Zoom meetings. Jamboard is a digital whiteboard that allows you to post “sticky notes” and draw. I regularly use it for virtual brainstorming, asking meeting attendees to share a “hope” for our meeting, and debriefing a meeting. I adjust the share settings and provide a link to the Jamboard in the chat box. 

Digital whiteboards: There are several different digital whiteboard products available, and I have used Microsoft Whiteboard, Mural, and Miro. Whiteboards are a great tool for collaboration and capturing ideas. The products listed above have many features that are not included in a simple digital whiteboard like Google Jamboard. The board’s owner can give access to others by sharing a link. 

Loom (loom.com): is a free video sharing site. I use Loom for sending personal video messages to individuals. This can be a great way to personally connect with employees and clients. You can also use Loom to record your screen and show someone else how to use a software program. Loom has a free version, but you can also upgrade to access more features.

Slack (slack.com): Slack is a messaging app that is commonly used by companies and other organizations. You can create a team workspace for communication, share documents, and search for previous communication. I use Slack for asynchronous communication with teams. Slack has a free version, but you can also upgrade to access more features.

Trello (trello.com): Trello is a project management app that I use for my “to do” list and for team projects. You can have multiple team members on a board, assign tasks, upload documents, create deadlines, and utilize many other features. Trello has a free version, but you can also upgrade to access more features.

If you are interested in learning more about this topic, I wrote a blog titled “Leading effective virtual meetings.” http://bit.ly/3aX8xQj

One of the major challenges of collaboration is getting people together at the same time for meetings. I am excited about opportunities for asynchronous collaboration. There are aspects of in person meetings that are difficult to replicate, but there are also many advantages of virtual collaboration. What tools are your teams using to enhance collaboration? 

We are using these tools for facilitating strategic planning processes, leadership coaching, creative problem solving training, collaboration, building relationships, and managing work. If you want to learn more, please contact us.