If you’ve been keeping up with the ARTT™ Email blog, you might have already read 3 Helpful Online Tools for Collaborative Communication (if not, check it out!). But the great thing about the technology-driven society we live in is that we have options.

If you’re like me, you don’t like the idea of being pigeon-holed into one specific thing, no matter what that thing is. I love having options because that means if “A” doesn’t work for me, I can use “B” instead. 

Through trial and error, we as professionals must discover what works for our teams so we can be productive and efficient. That’s why I wanted to ensure you had even more choices in your communication tool belt, because I want you to be as successful as possible.

Here are 3 more collaborative communication software tools from Microsoft that you can use for work.

1. Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is a major help when it comes to collaborating with your group. It’s a platform that incorporates chat, voice, video, and file sharing. You can use it locally or from a remote location, too. The benefit of MS Teams is the cloud-based system, so leaders don’t have to worry about losing information (because it’s backed up).

Incorporating Teams into your own department, then, means that you’ll not only ensure safe storage of important information, but also, you have more alternatives to email (see #2 in that linked post) giving you the option to pick the most efficient communication method possible.

2. OneDrive

That cloud-based system referenced in #1 is called OneDrive. Like any other cloud system, OneDrive stores everything from files to videos and allows you to access them from anywhere. So instead of emailing that report, you could upload it to OneDrive and use the filing system there to keep things together, rather than hunt through endless emails to find it.

Utilizing OneDrive on your team will keep new emails to a minimum, reduce the stress that email can inflict upon us, and maintain a more organized inbox.

It’s truly a win-win for everyone on the team. You could even share specific folders with clients, further reducing inbox clutter from too many back-and-forth email threads!  And for those of us who are “old school,” I love that OneDrive has the look and feel of File Explorer.  I have now dated myself.

3. Teams Video

One of the best ways to ensure a miscommunication is through text. This can come in the form of email, a written letter, or a literal text message. This is because it’s incredibly difficult to judge tone from text alone – there’s no way to see someone’s face or hear the inflection in their voice. We’ve all either misinterpreted something someone wrote, or had someone misinterpret what we wrote. It happens.

But that’s also why incorporating video communication into your team and/or client interactions is so important. Beyond context, you don’t want to get an email that has blocks and blocks of intimidating text on it. It’s easy to zone out on those emails, gloss over important details, and think it isn’t as important as it actually is. Therefore, mitigate the frustrations that arise from improper communication by using a video platform such as Teams Video. 

Teams Video has other features too, such as creating and managing bookings, managing team schedules, and creating separate channels for specific teams.

Through the utilization of technology, we can lessen the burden email has placed upon our lives, and instead, have a variety of ways to communicate in a more efficient way. Then, when we do get to our email, we’ll have less to sift through, and more time to enjoy doing the things we love.

What Next?

Technology is great, but if you’re still having issues with managing your inbox, then you might be losing precious time in your day. Therefore, I want to offer a free webinar for you to learn more about the ARTT™ Email Productivity course. I will personally introduce a new way of thinking about email, show you step-by-step how to conquer your inbox, and build a routine that causes less stress and allows you to get more done each day.

This complimentary 45-minute webinar will help you learn how to feel in control of your inbox, be more responsive to important collaborators, and reduce your anxiety and stress.

Register for your favorite date today and I look forward to having you at the program.