In an office setting, several types of communication and work styles flourish. While there isn’t just one way to succeed in the workplace, every communication and work style that does excel share two things in common – transparency and a streamlined method of execution. But, what happens when you merge communication and task implementation? You get cross-collaboration and together, finding the right groove to complete a project becomes a tad easier.

The digital age has gifted us with the magic that is integrated collaboration tools, allowing team and company members to streamline project management in a clear, communicative way. Their value far surpasses the standard direct message, which includes cultural aspects and its impact on work-life harmony. 

Remote work is out of this world 

…or should we say, all over this world? The modern workforce is a distributed workforce and let’s face it, your team members can be anywhere. Working remotely is a top perk preferred by almost every workplace demographic, as it calls for hour flexibility and a burst of inspiration that can be found in fresh scenery. 

Being able to chat long-distance requires excellent communication with a crystallized channel for dialogue and sometimes, people need to see each other and their projects all in one place. 

That’s why we love tools like Google Hangouts and Zoom. Hangouts, via chat or video, connect remote employees and their managers from the farthest of sites or closest of cafes. Zoom combines video conferencing, online meetings, chat, and mobile collaboration. Tools like Hangouts also customize the whole “chat from a distance” experience with the option to exchange photos, emojis, and group video calls for free. 

Automated workflows are awesome 

We all love to multitask. The act diversifies our roles so we never get bored, and it creates a challenge to put out quality work in minimal time. However, we’re only humans. We need to lean on automated workflow systems that help us maintain multiple flows at the same time and keep team members aligned throughout every stage of the process. Otherwise, approvals can be hard to chase down before a deadline, and time is wasted when two people aren’t on the same project page. 

Our very own Custom Flows was built for this reason – to take down many tasks at one time. After all, workflows are no longer perceived and presented on paper as a tedious list of “things to do.” Instead, they set a chain of reactions into effect. Flows streamline the process of making employee changes and take care of admin tasks, making sure approval processes are seamless and completed without disruption. 

Digitized docs are just a delight

Paperwork is just plain frustrating. Digitized paperwork, however, is a massive time-saver and is truly convenient for teams collaborating on projects together. It may be a minor trend on the grander list of digital tools to adopt, but single storage spaces where docs can be edited by, referenced to, and shared with multiple people at once often increase productivity and produce stronger results. 

Communication tools are super cool 

Creating a unique culture is crucial when it comes to effective collaboration. People should feel comfortable expressing themselves and opinions without judgment. Integrated collaboration tools allow this type of culture to flourish, enhancing communication across several channels and work sites. Positive company culture should always comprise of special lingo or a language, and our favorite way to express ourselves is through innovation. 

Slack, as an example, allows us #bobbers to swap GIFS, docs, photos, emojis, stickers, and direct messages with one another for, well, any reason at all. Having easy access to the colleagues that you love is important. But, Slack also enables us to set and send reminders or to-dos when collaboration comes calling. 

Microsoft Teams is another great example – it’s a unified communication and collaboration platform that fuses together some great “keeping in contact” features like workplace chats, video meetings, and application integrations. Accessibility to your managers, HR professionals, and coworkers is the glue that keeps ongoing and collaborative projects together.

The value instilled in company culture by integrated collaboration tools are unprecedented. While there may be different tools to try and even a few favorites to collect, each platform available provides its own unique feature that contributes to the employee experience. Whether we’re reaching our remote workers via video chat, sending GIFs to our work wives downstairs, or participating in a seamless flow of work, collaboration tools have a hand in culture and the way we exercise its aspects daily. 

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