Virtual Tools for Better Team Communication

While I usually rave about being remote-first, the one thing we still struggle with are departmental meetings. When you have more than 50 people on a call, it often turns into a very one sided PowerPoint exercise and rather than being a value-add, it becomes a value-drain. This week I casually dropped into our People Team meeting, because I was surprised to see they blocked not just 1 hour, but 1,5 hours with 50+ people online. Of course, I should not have worried. 😃 It was incredible to see how teams at Mews have learned in the last 3 years to move away from soul-sucking-PowerPoint, to leveraging digital tools to keep a highly engaged audience, adding real value. What did they do in this specific meeting? 1️⃣ The meeting is run by the department Chief of Staff, and she spends several hours preparing for the meeting. Better to have 1 person spend several hours, than 50 people waste 1,5 hour each. 2️⃣ The call kicked off with a poll, asking people how they are feeling, getting a sense of the temperature in the room and how people are showing up. 3️⃣ New team members have to then intro themselves through 2 truths and 1 lie, and then we use a poll to get everyone to vote. A really small thing, but by using polls you ensure people stay fully engaged. 4️⃣ To engage the team on key KPI’s and achievements, we leveraged the chat. Here a number was shown and everyone had to guess/comment what business metric it represented. Another way to get everyone thinking about the metrics that matter most. 5️⃣ Then the group broke out into virtual breakout rooms, each group getting a different assignment, discussing things we got wrong or right in the past month. The small groups ensure we hear everyone’s input and voice. 6️⃣ Throughout all, the chat was where the real fun happened. The team was highly engaged and celebrating each other’s success. we really used digital tools to the max for all elements. 7️⃣ The Chief People Officer trusted her team to run the meeting, because she expects her team leaders to have their own voice and vision. She reserved 5 minutes at the end where she shared her insights and some inspiration. True leaders, really do eat last. Getting remote-first right is really hard work, but we are seriously committed to learning and constantly changing when things don’t work for us. Thank you Naomi Trickey for allowing me to creep into your team meeting this week. 😂 🥰

𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀, 𝗵𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗲𝗱 𝗺𝗲 stop drowning in the chaos of managing multiple projects simultaneously while keeping C-suite stakeholders informed and cross-functional teams productive. Two years ago, I was juggling five active projects across different teams, with varying timelines and competing priorities. My inbox had 200+ unread emails, project updates were scattered across endless email threads, and I spent more time hunting for information than actually managing projects. Sound familiar? Here's what saved my sanity: → 𝗔𝘀𝗮𝗻𝗮 - Project timelines that auto-update when dependencies shift. No more manual Gantt chart nightmares when scope changes hit. → 𝗦𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗸 - Organized project channels replaced email chaos. Each project gets its own space, decisions are documented, and nothing gets buried in threads. → 𝗟𝗼𝗼𝗺 - Quick video explanations replaced status meetings. Five-minute screen recordings for complex technical updates saved hours of calendar coordination. → 𝗡𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 - Became my project knowledge base. Meeting notes, decisions, templates, and project artifacts are all searchable in one place. → 𝗠𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗮𝘆.𝗰𝗼𝗺 - Visual project boards that executives actually understand. Status reporting went from PowerPoint decks to real-time dashboards. → 𝗧𝗼𝗴𝗴𝗹 - Time tracking that doesn't feel like micromanagement. Finally had real data for resource planning and accurate future estimates. → 𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗼 - Virtual collaboration that actually works. Requirements gathering, process mapping, and stakeholder alignment sessions for distributed teams. → 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗨𝗽 - Custom workflows for different project types. What works for software development doesn't work for marketing campaigns or facility upgrades. → 𝗝𝗶𝗿𝗮 - When you need serious issue and change management. Bug tracking, change requests, and technical project coordination that scales. → 𝗔𝗶𝗿𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲 - Database power without complexity. Resource management, vendor coordination, and project portfolio tracking that makes sense. → 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗹𝘆 - Eliminated scheduling ping-pong with busy stakeholders. Meeting coordination went from hours of back-and-forth to automatic booking. → 𝗭𝗮𝗽𝗶𝗲𝗿 - Connected everything together. Project data flows automatically between tools, eliminating manual copying and spreadsheet updates. The breakthrough wasn't using more tools. It was using the right tool for each specific challenge. Task management, stakeholder communication, time tracking, documentation, and team collaboration all require different approaches. If this sounds familiar, I put together a simple guide that shows what each tool does best and when to use them. Because the right tool at the right moment can transform project chaos into smooth execution. Follow Brian Ables, PMP, for practical tips and strategies to grow your career. ♻️ If this changed how you think about PM tools, share it with other PMs.

Managing remote UX teams at top tech companies like Dropbox and Google has given me unique insights. Here are some best practices to overcome common challenges. - Virtual Design Critiques: Host regular design critique sessions via video conferencing. These allow for real-time feedback and ensure all team members stay aligned and engaged. - Leverage Digital Whiteboarding: Utilize tools like Miro or Mural for collaborative brainstorming and sketching sessions. These digital whiteboards can simulate the in-person experience and foster creativity among remote team members. - Conduct Virtual Usability Testing: Schedule remote usability testing sessions with real users using platforms like UserTesting or Lookback. This allows your team to gather valuable feedback and iterate on designs without needing in-person interactions. - Implement Design Pairing: Pair designers to work together on tasks via screen sharing and collaborative tools. This practice, similar to pair programming in software development, enhances problem-solving and skill-sharing among team members. - Encourage Creative Breaks: Schedule regular creative breaks where team members can share inspiration, personal projects, or recent design trends. This keeps the team engaged and inspired, even when working remotely. What strategies have you found effective for managing remote UX teams?

We've been a remote-first company since 2016, and I'm excited to share that you don't need to be physically close to someone to build strong personal connections. Many tools help our team at OmbuLabs create personal connections. Here are a few: - Canopy (formerly known as Know Your Team) -- This service has a bunch of different questions about people and their life experience. It sends you a weekly message to share your personal experiences. When it comes to onboarding new team members, I really enjoy reading the icebreaker answers for every new hire. - Donut -- This is a tool randomly connects people (in your company), whether they're contractors or full-time employees, for one-on-ones, virtual coffees, or lunches. We don't require people to do this, but if people want to have a virtual coffee with someone they don't usually collaborate with, it gives them that opportunity. - Zoom. Every two weeks, we hold an optional call to play online games together. This is not required, but it gives you an opportunity to play fun games with your co-workers. - Team retreats. The money saved on office space can be invested in a yearly team retreat. Our last retreat was in Costa Rica! It was a great opportunity to get together, have fun, discuss ideas, and get to know each other a little better. - Pairing remotely. You can use Tuple or Zoom or something else to pair up with a co-worker and work on something together. - One on Ones. We use Lattice to power our monthly one on one meetings. These regular calls are a good opportunity to remind people that it is up to them to connect to their teammates. Management can provide the tools, allocate time during work hours, and organize these activities, but it's up to the team to participate. Sometimes, an endless Slack thread can be resolved with a quick 5-minute call. Just because most of our communication is async, it doesn't mean that is *always* the best way to communicate with your teammate. I hope you find these services useful for creating a culture that people love. Happy and connected teams are always more productive than those who feel disconnected. 🚀 #People #TeamCulture #RemoteWork

Virtual Team Rooms ‘If you have a remote team, you can create a virtual team room using online tools. This works for hybrid and partially remote teams, too, but be careful: in-person conversations shut remote team members out. If some people are remote, the people working in person need to use the virtual team room for all their collaboration, too. A decision to use a virtual team room is a decision to act as if everyone is remote. Remote equipment and tools… Remote teams need an electronic version of the team workspace: - Videoconferencing software, such as Zoom, for real-time conversation - Messaging software, such as Slack, for asynchronous conversation - Virtual whiteboard software, such as Miro or Mural, for freeform, simultaneous collaboration - Collaborative versions of task-specific tools, where possible, such as Figma for UX and UI design - A document store, such as DropBox, Google Drive, or a wiki - Inexpensive tablets for collaborative whiteboard sketches - An additional monitor or tablet for videoconferencing, so people can see one another and work at the same time - For Delivering teams, collaborative programming tools, such as Tuple or Visual Studio Live Share, that support pairing or mobbing (see “Pair Programming” and “Mob Programming” for details) As with an in-person workspace, do not purchase Agile Lifecycle Management software or other tracking software. Designing remote collaboration Collaboration is easy when people are colocated. Achieving the same level of collaboration in a remote environment takes careful design. When your team establishes its working agreements during alignment chartering, make a point of discussing how you’ll collaborate. Remember that the goal is to maximize the performance of the team, not the individual. As work progresses, be sure to evaluate and improve your communication techniques frequently. I asked people who had experience with great in-person and remote collaboration experience for their remote collaboration tricks. There were several excellent suggestions: - Make time for personal connections. In-person teams form bonds of friendship and mutual respect, and this allows them to make decisions quickly and effectively. In a remote team, be sure to set aside time to socialize and keep up with each other’s lives. Options include virtual coffee breaks to help ease tension, a dedicated chat channel for greetings and personal updates as people arrive and leave their office, and a 30-minute call every day for chatting or playing games. One team made a habit of reserving the first 5–10 minutes of every meeting for socializing; people could either show up early to chat or just come for the content as their mood dictated. Another set aside time specifically for celebrating successes. - Ensure safety. In an...’ ― James Shore with Diana Larsen, Gitte Klitgaard, and Shane Warden, The Art of Agile Development https://lnkd.in/gEh4acmf

Your tools can either boost your team’s output or bottleneck it. 5 systems we use to stay aligned & focused: Slack – real-time clarity → For fast, focused team comms → Keeps async communication threaded and searchable. Zoom – intentional connection → For weekly meetings and spontaneous syncs. → Video keeps humans in focus—not just tasks. Hubstaff – transparent productivity → Track hours and activity without micromanaging. → Helps us guide with data, not opinions. PayPal – seamless payroll → Pays the team on time, every time. → Removes admin friction so focus stays on work. Jira – your project control center → Houses quarterly goals and daily tasks all in one place. → Keeps accountability clear and workflows moving. These are more than apps. They’re rhythm-builders. They shape how we think, collaborate, and perform. If your team ever feels off, start by auditing your tools. Are they empowering growth or slowing you down? PS: My tool stack isn’t set in stone. As tech evolves and our team grows, so will this list. Adaptability beats attachment every time. What tool has been a game-changer for your team? Helpful?  ♻️Please share to help others. 🔎Follow Michael Shen for more.

When working remotely, the casual interactions you get around the coffee maker at an office are absent. Leaders need to help their teams create those water cooler moments. How? If you’re using Slack or Teams for internal communication, you can create channels for these types of interactions. For example, we’ve used the following channels to encourage team interactions: ▶︎ Random Team Chit Chat (for fun chats, silly gifs, memes, and pretty much anything that will put a smile on each other’s faces or help blow off some steam) ▶︎ Kudos (a great reminder to give each other a virtual high five from time to time) ▶︎ Inspirational Shares (for good quotes or little things that motivate and inspire) ▶︎ Good Morning (a simple channel to say hello to each other when we sign on) Think about a few channels that your team will appreciate and enjoy. Also consider how you can encourage your team to support each other directly when they are feeling stuck or uninspired. In an office setting, you can get up and walk 5 feet and pow wow with a colleague. When working remote, those pow wows take more effort. #LeadershipCommunication #HybridWork #RemoteWork

Remote culture can make your team super efficient Or... the complete opposite What makes the difference? Strong communication habits Here’s our rituals & principes to support high-level comms: 1) If you can deliver the message without a meeting, do that → Record a quick Loom. → Drop your thoughts in Slack. → Only meet when it’s truly necessary. 2) Use meetings wisely We use meetings for what they’re best at: → real-time discussion and building relationships. All Hands are the exception → they’re for sharing key updates and answering questions live 3) Slack is our primary communication hub Everyone’s free to start new channels → just check if one already exists first to keep things tidy Also we have some channels for fun → like #gamers, where all interested people can discuss related things 4) Calendars & call links to schedule calls Super convenient! 5) AI meeting recordings to share for the follow-up Every meeting gets recorded and summarized so no one’s left out → follow-ups are crystal clear with AI tools. — Remote work doesn’t have to feel disconnected. With the right rituals, it can be focused, flexible, and even fun. Wanna discover more about that? Lemme know.