Win at remote working by adding structure and context into the mix
Web meeting tools enable you to talk and connect; digital messaging tools enable you to collaborate; online drives allow you to share files.
BUT, in order to work well together – when we can’t actually BE together – the projects, tasks and deliverables you work on need to be structured in a way that reflects your team’s needs, and which offer a context for your conversations.
Imagine walking into a library with a book in mind. Now, imagine that the librarian essentially says ‘it’s in here, somewhere’. Not helpful, right? You could be there for hours, trying to hunt down the title you’re looking for.
So, in a work context, every meeting needs a home. It shouldn’t just be connected to a date in your calendar. It should be connected to a record of what item it’s about.
Every conversation needs a home. It shouldn’t just be part of a timeline in a messaging channel. It should be connected to the item it’s about – in a ‘proper’, structured system.
Let’s take a scenario:
You’re discussing a new project with the team – it could be a product or physical ‘thing’, or it might be a service.
What you really want is for that project’s digital record to be the place where all the information – conversations, resources, and decisions – about its evolution are stored. That way, anyone looking back over the history of the item can read how things came to be. Forgotten what had been decided about something in a casual online chat? No worries, it’s all there, attached to the project ‘item’.
To achieve this, you need simple, well-structured systems that not only facilitate, but add efficiency to your day-to-day work. You’ll then find that you and your colleagues spend much less time looking for information or repeating conversations. You will find that you have unwittingly become digitally agile.
You can now spend your new-found time on more joyous and productive tasks, focusing on things like creativity and innovation – a much better use of your brilliant minds! Need to talk through your set-up to see how you can make it better? Then give us a shout!