Effective communication using
collaborative tools
In this video, you identified seven commonly used tools for collaborative work practices.
Collaborative working helps employees, wherever they are, share their work in a simple and
efficient way and here is how:
Voice calling: With collaborative working, you may find that you need to call
someone in another city or country. A free and easy way to do this is with a voice
calling tool like Skype.
Instant messaging: For instant messaging within your company or team, you can
use Slack or Skype. This type of tool is great for everyday, quick communication that
doesn't require an email.
Corporate social networks: Some companies have their own company specific
social networking site, which functions as a communication and work tool. Yammer is
a great example.
Video conferences: Another important tool for collaborative working is the video
conference. It allows team members to meet face-to-face without having to be in the
same location or even time zone. WebEx and GoToMeeting are both great examples.
Project management: These tools help managers and project leads to plan
projects, track the progress of work, assign tasks, and communicate with team
members all in one central place. Trello is just one example of a project management
tool often used by companies.
Collaborative documents: These tools allow teams to edit files or documents at
the same time and save all their changes automatically. Google Docs is a great
example of this service.
When using collaborative tools, it is a good idea to apply the following best practices for
how and why you use them:
Define expectations: Make sure you understand how often you are expected to
check the communication tool and how quickly you are expected to respond. It is
also important to define how each tool is supposed to be used.
Be patient: The nature of video conferencing means there can be delays in the
conversation due to connections. The same is true with messaging online. Again, it is
important to define expectations for how soon to respond to messages.
Prepare beforehand: During video conferences, you may be asked to speak or
respond during the discussion, so prepare beforehand by reviewing any meeting
notes or agenda. Use this information to make notes, verify whether you need to
speak or present, and write down the ideas or questions you'd like to contribute.
Ask for time: If you have been asked a question directly, remember that it is okay
to ask for time to formulate your ideas or response. If you need to respond during the
call, write down the question and ask the attendees to continue the discussion. This
will allow yourself time to formulate a response, when you are ready to respond you
can notify the meeting host.
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Check your understanding: If you are unsure about a question that was asked or
task that was assigned to you during a web meeting or on messenger, then ask for
clarification. It is better to clarify then and there, then to agree to something that you
are unsure of.
Take action:
Over the next week, identify any collaborative tools used in your workplace. Make note of all the
collaborative tools available at your work and define the expectations for their use with the
following questions:
What discussions are appropriate for the tool?
What is the tool's main purpose for the company or team?
How often are you required to use the tool and how quickly are your required to respond to a
direct message?
Be prepared to discuss your activity with your tutor during your next session.
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