We came across this comic the other day and laughed out loud. Seriously, how often do we feel this way? Besides the paranoia of being framed for a crime all whilst lost in translation of a conference call, it’s easy for “the ease of technology” to interfere with the end result. However, there are a few useful tools that we have discovered, that are also free and at the fingertips of anyone to use.
Sharing Collaboration Tools
Two popular sites for sharing collaborative efforts have made Dilbert’s initial problem of sharing online tools more seamless. Slideshare, a slide hosting site, offers users the ability to share their presentations privately or publicly. Search already uploaded presentations for creative inspiration, or upload your own for feedback. Prezi puts the ability to share collaborative efforts at the forefront. Creating presentations and making edits online, while storing them in the cloud for easy access and automatically sync them to your iDevices when needed. Both tools are making remote teamwork more possible everyday.
Video Conference
On many occasions we have provided our clients with a professional-grade phone patch system to allow several callers to participate in the same call. While that is not available to everyone (unless you want to give us a call!), video conferencing can be much more accessible with platforms like Skype and Apple’s Facetime. If you are a gmail user, there is no doubt you have heard about google meetings, or hangouts, where meeting of up to 15 colleagues can collaborate on projects or just meet face- to –face. One other popular option is the GoToMeeting which has a free trial program, but if it’s being used frequently will require a payment plan.
No one wants to walk away from a conference call feeling like Dilbert. And that goes for us at Rausch, too.
Clearly we enjoyed our collaboration efforts in the office today. What frustrations have you experienced with video conferencing or file sharing?