When used in this capacity, the value of messaging backslides into becoming simply instant email (without your fancy footer).<\/p>\n
So how do you elevate your team\u2019s coordination past the broken communication messaging barrier?<\/p>\n
Here are some ways to approach remote collaboration as a greater function than broken communication:<\/strong><\/h2>\nRemote collaboration should facilitate planning unlike broken communication tendencies<\/h3>\n
Aligning your team around goals and timelines is the jump point for meaningful collaboration as it adds context to every action that follows. A visual roadmapping tool such as Nifty<\/a> allows you to effectively chart the path to success within each initiative your remote team is undertaking.<\/p>\n![\"Nifty](\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nifty-Milestones.png\")
<\/figure>\nNifty Milestones<\/em><\/p>\nFrom here, these goals can be made attainable by creating actionable tasks that coordinate efforts and define clear accountability amongst your team.<\/p>\n
Here\u2019s a good test to consider: Can every member of your team give the big-picture reason behind their daily tasks? If not, try gathering your team around a planner to add clarity to what needs to be done moving forward.<\/p>\n
Remote collaboration should grant autonomy and avoid broken communication tactics<\/h3>\n
I know what I need to do today because my team members let me know, not by messaging me, but through assigning me tasks. A task manager<\/a> allows me to come in on a daily basis, understand what I need to do in order of priority across all of the initiatives I\u2019m a part of, and take action, all without sending a single message to someone else.<\/strong><\/p>\n![\"Nifty\u2019s](\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Niftys-My-Tasks.png\")
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nOf course, when I need to clarify a task, I can do so through communication, but that communication is broken and stored on the task instead of a single-stream conversation with another team member. And trust me, while forking your single stream chat conversations with clarifying threads helps<\/em>, it\u2019s simply not a scalable, organized solution, especially when there are more than two people working together.<\/p>\nAn added benefit of pulling task-related discussions into your team\u2019s shared collaborative space is that anyone else who needs to jump into that task for any reason is given the opportunity to catch up on how the current status came to be, whether that\u2019s reviewing design iterations or seeing previous ideas troubleshooted and put aside. Avoiding duplication is key in maintaining a streamlined workflow<\/a>, and ultimately leads to the last key benefit of collaboration.<\/p>\nRemote collaboration should create transparency and avoid broken communication threads<\/h3>\n
The end result of effective collaboration is transparency across team members and management. This transparency takes many forms:<\/p>\n
Project statuses<\/h4>\n
Knowing where you\u2019re going, what needs to be done to get there, and who\u2019s doing (or done) it.<\/p>\n
Team productivity<\/h4>\n
<\/figure>\nNifty Milestones<\/em><\/p>\n From here, these goals can be made attainable by creating actionable tasks that coordinate efforts and define clear accountability amongst your team.<\/p>\n Here\u2019s a good test to consider: Can every member of your team give the big-picture reason behind their daily tasks? If not, try gathering your team around a planner to add clarity to what needs to be done moving forward.<\/p>\n I know what I need to do today because my team members let me know, not by messaging me, but through assigning me tasks. A task manager<\/a> allows me to come in on a daily basis, understand what I need to do in order of priority across all of the initiatives I\u2019m a part of, and take action, all without sending a single message to someone else.<\/strong><\/p>\n Of course, when I need to clarify a task, I can do so through communication, but that communication is broken and stored on the task instead of a single-stream conversation with another team member. And trust me, while forking your single stream chat conversations with clarifying threads helps<\/em>, it\u2019s simply not a scalable, organized solution, especially when there are more than two people working together.<\/p>\n An added benefit of pulling task-related discussions into your team\u2019s shared collaborative space is that anyone else who needs to jump into that task for any reason is given the opportunity to catch up on how the current status came to be, whether that\u2019s reviewing design iterations or seeing previous ideas troubleshooted and put aside. Avoiding duplication is key in maintaining a streamlined workflow<\/a>, and ultimately leads to the last key benefit of collaboration.<\/p>\n The end result of effective collaboration is transparency across team members and management. This transparency takes many forms:<\/p>\n Knowing where you\u2019re going, what needs to be done to get there, and who\u2019s doing (or done) it.<\/p>\nRemote collaboration should grant autonomy and avoid broken communication tactics<\/h3>\n
<\/figcaption><\/figure>\nRemote collaboration should create transparency and avoid broken communication threads<\/h3>\n
Project statuses<\/h4>\n
Team productivity<\/h4>\n
![\"broken](\"https:\/\/niftypm.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/03\/Nifty-Discussions-Team-Chat.png\")