Five Tools to Successfully Work from Home
Coronavirus is causing organizations to shift toward telework. Though telework is not new, employees now are working remotely more often, which changes team dynamics. There are tools available that can help organizations streamline remote employee management, enhance professional skills and collaborate successfully.
Some of the most popular tools for remote teams are:
- Project management: Asana
- Video conferencing: Skype and Zoom
- Team communication: Slack
- Cloud storage and file sharing: Dropbox
Let’s learn more about each tool, to help you better identify the best one for your team.
Project Management: Asana
Skype is a popular voice communication service. People can share instant messages, hold video calls and share screens, as well as call Skype numbers and landline/mobile numbers.
Asana’s key features include project management, task management and file sharing. Asana has numerous features to manage complex projects, so build in time to master the learning curve and eventually manage projects more efficiently.
Want to learn about similar tools? Check out Trello, Proofhub, ProjectManager.com and Workzone.
Video Conferencing: Skype
Asana is an online management tool that helps teams stay focused on daily tasks, goals and projects. It’s known for its simple functionality, clean design and elegant usability.
Video Conferencing: Zoom
Zoom is a video communication tool. Widely used for virtual meetings, webinars and virtual conferences, it’s a great way of connecting via video when team members and clients are unable to meet in person.
The tool’s key features include video meetings, voice calls, hosted webinars, messaging and file sharing. Some users have had issues with unpredictable video quality so check your bandwidth before you begin working.
Some excellent alternates to Zoom include GoToMeeting, Webex and Adobe Connect.
Team Communication: Slack
Slack is a popular communication tool that brings remote teams together by having all communication in one place. It can also be used for instant messaging and collaboration.
The key features include instant messaging, file sharing, voice and video calls, as well as screen sharing. Some people find Slack hard to search so check it out for yourself.
A few of the alternatives for Slack include Microsoft Teams, Rocket Chat and Flock.
Cloud Storage and File Sharing: Dropbox
Dropbox, popularly known for online file sharing and storage, helps teams working remotely and saves time tracking down files. It is a modern workspace where all files can be stored together in one place and remote workers can easily sync and share documents.
In general, Dropbox is better for casual files; you may not want to store sensitive files here. Some of the alternatives for Dropbox include Google Drive, OneDrive and Box.com.
Technology helps us keep up with the changing times, where telecommuting and remote work is more of a need and requirement. These collaboration tools make it easier to achieve business goals by providing platforms to work more efficiently, regardless of where the employees are located. Once you pick your tool, you may want some tips on how to best present yourself on video. Check out this blog, from our speaker coach, Jezra Kaye.
Want to develop your remote-based employees, but don’t know how? We can help! We’ve designed and delivered interactive webinars for over a decade on a range of management and leadership topics.
I’d love to hear from you. How are you coping in these stressful times? What tools are you working with and what has been your experience? Let’s share experiences. Leave a comment below, send me an email, or find me on Twitter.
Leave A Comment