Let's Get Organized. I can handle the clutter and loudness for a moment… to a point, and then I find the urge to clean it all up. This happens both in my real life and virtual life. To keep projects, events, and even small tasks turned in on time, find the right communication tools.
The average American spends almost an hour every day looking for things they can’t find (Newsweek), while the average employee searches 1.5 hours a day for things in the office (organizedworld.com). This means I waste 725 hours a year searching for “things.” This is too much wasted time. With the right communication tools you can reclaim those wasted moments, or at least some of them, and be above the average American.
I am an organizer. In college, my folders, pens, and binders were all color coordinated for my classes. Toward the end of my college career, I went to the extremes of organizing my folders on my computer to match the colors of my physical folders. All that said, that does not mean I don’t have “catch all” drawers at home or even on my computer. I have folders that are tilted “stuff to organize.” So, if you are not at least somewhat organized your upcoming events and projects may be headed straight for failure.
There are hundreds of communication tools out there. Some are meant specifically for project management. Some communication tools help you accomplish more than just organize projects. Let’s take a closer look at some of the tools I use to succeed. Here are a few rules to consider before picking the right tool for you or/and your office. The tool/technology should be:
Keep those 3 rules in mind while reading about my favorite 4 communication tools.
These three communication tools are a part of the Google Apps suite. If you are looking for a tool that allows you to collaborate with other team members on one file, this is the tool for you!
You can access these tools with a gmail account. Once you have signed up you have the ability to share files, and give those files permissions. If you need to send a doc to someone to edit, open the permissions so they can edit and give you suggestions. If you just want someone to be able to preview and comment on your upcoming presentation limit their permissions.
You can even chat inside these tools with others — who are on the same file, at the same time. These are my favorite communication tools when I need to be collaborating and brainstorming with team members.
Google Hangout is another part of the Google Apps suite. This allows you to video, audio, or text chat with anyone — with a gmail address — anywhere. This tool is excellent for virtual meetings with employees who work remotely from their home office. Google Hangout has even included a few fun features that allow for some silliness during your video chats.
If you like making lists, this is one of the internal communication tools you want to try! With Wunderlist you can create — lists, go figure. This tool will allow you to keep your projects organized and on track. You can also assign tasks to others, and even add notes, due dates, and reminders. Create a folder labeled Sales Team. Then create a to do list for one of your upcoming projects. Assign the tasks to the appropriate team members, give them a due date and off you go!
I can not leave out Ving! (shameless plug). Ving is a great tool that's integrated with Google Apps. I instantly have access to my Google docs, sheets, and presentations. My Contacts are synced and ready to go. With Ving I can create interactive messages to send to my team about meetings, events, and just about anything for that matter.
These internal communication tools are just the beginning of all the options you have available to you. Make sure that you test run whichever tool you are considering using. You do not want to blindly implement a tool that turns out to not fit all your needs. Keep this tip and the others mentioned above when picking the best internal communication tools for your company's project management. And above all, stay organized!
