Team Collaboration – Tips and Tools

Being a good team player can be a challenge. If the group contains several participants with strong personalities and conflicting viewpoints, it can be even more difficult. If you’re the team leader, smooth the way whenever you can by facilitating team collaboration with these tips and tools:

1. Use OpenOffice Tools

Because OpenOffice works on virtually any operating system, you’ll never have to worry about team members who insist on using their Mac device while the rest of the team prefers Windows. With the O3Spaces extension for OpenOffice, you’ll even have one of the best team sharing and document management solutions available today! This tool includes a server component, a web-based user interface, and a desktop app.

2. The Zoho Suite

This collection of online editing and group organization programs is in a constant state of enhancement for ever-improving features. It’s most popular features today include:

• group editing
• document sharing
• milestone tracking
• group chat
• invoice creation

3. Gather Around the Campfire

Campfire provides one of the best ways to chat as a group for those all-important brainstorming sessions. This tool is searchable and provides an easy uploading method to share important documentation and other files. You can close off the chat session for privacy or link additional participants into the product. Campfire works within a standard browser and changes the page title whenever new chatters arrive. It also works with several third-party clients and input tools.

4. Easy File Sharing with Present.io

Use Drop.io to store up to 100 MB of files in a variety of formats without registering or installing any software. Next, gather your team around this set of files to discuss the pros and cons of each one. If a team member isn’t close to a computer, they can call in teleconference-style or leave MP3 messages for the rest to hear. The “drop” administrator controls the show by placing each file in viewing sequence. Considering that your team only needs the URL to join the review session, this is the easiest file sharing tool out there.

5. Take a Picture with MindMeister

This web-based development tool perfectly illustrates the old adage that “a picture is worth a thousand words.” MindMeister allows the team to visually sketch their thoughts by using branching, notations, and other organizational markings. You can even email additions later if inspiration strikes before the next team session. This solution also allows the user to share or publish their own mental diagrams to save valuable time by quickly explaining their thoughts to co-workers. This often removes the need to take extra time with a verbal explanation.

6. DimDIm is Anything but Dimwitted

Save time and money by creating your own webinars instead of traveling for group meetings. When your team is spread out across the country, or the world, getting together face-to-face can be a challenge. Up to 20 team players can sit in on a presentation and up to three can use the microphone.

With these great tools, your team should work together like a well-oiled machine!

The article is provided by Jenny who blogs for Dobovo, the free tool to find and book Kiev accommodation online.