Here are 5 tips to help you collaborate with your team, so that you can all work more effectively...

How to Work More Effectively

With more teams working in different offices, travelling and working at home these days, the chances are that some of your team members don't work in the same building as you from time to time. This can present a challenge: how can you work with them when you can't meet them physically?

Online collaboration tools are the easiest way to work effectively with people on a project, wherever you are. There are even benefits if you are all based in the same office space. So here are 5 tips to help you...

Tip 1: Keep all your discussions online
One of the most effective ways of working is to move everything online. Online collaboration software can help you do this, as it is designed for running projects on the web. The benefit of having all your project information and discussions online is that everyone can see the latest status at any time. You can even move your emails online into the software that you are using so that the whole discussion trail is in one place.

Tip 2: Use instant messaging
Instant messaging is great for getting the answer to a quick question, or checking if one of your colleagues is available for a longer discussion. You can archive your messaging trail securely online so that if you need to refer to it later it's there in your project files. It's faster and easier than email and once you start using it you'll never look back.

Tip 3: Share pictures
Do you know what all your team members look like? That might sound like a silly question, but if you are working with colleagues overseas or even in a different office, you may never have met them. Even if you have met them, chances are someone on your team has only ever talked to them on the phone. Upload photos to your team area so that you can see each other. It's easier to collaborate if you can put a face to a name!

Tip 4: Upload files
Stop sending huge email attachments by uploading all your core project files to a central online location. Using a document repository like this means that everyone always has access to the latest version, which can be a massive time-saver. It also means that people don't get frustrated looking for the latest copy and your IT department will be very happy that you aren't using your inbox as a document store!

Tip 5: Share calendars
It can be difficult to collaborate with team members if you don't know where they are. Sharing calendars means you can check if they are on leave or out of the office, and schedule meetings appropriately. You can also put key project milestones in the calendar so that everyone knows what is coming up without having to look at the project schedule. Make sure that you keep your own calendar up-to-date as well and include all the national holidays that are appropriate for your international team members, so you know when their offices are likely to be closed.

Using the collaboration features of ProjectManager.com is the easiest way to work effectively with your project team. Start discussions, share files, allocate tasks to each other and use instant messaging. As it is all online, you can store the conversations securely in your project files.

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