You’re managing a remote consulting team. What are the best collaboration tools to keep everyone connected?

I'm a huge fan of Miro, and was introduced to it 2 years ago when working with a remote team, it was fantastic and a lot of fun for collaboration, and team building. And, in order to help lead a productive remote team brainstorming session using tools like Miro, help set a clear agenda and objectives, ensuring all team members are aligned on the goals. Miro has a lot of great features such as the whiteboard to visually organize ideas, allowing everyone to contribute simultaneously, which encourages diverse input and creativity. Our team felt that everybody felt encouraged to share their thoughts, and it was a break from long meetings to enjoy creativity and getting to know your team. collective decision-making.

I bet on a combo of Slack + Quip (Salesforce Anywhere) + Asana with a sprinkling of AI generated meeting agendas fed by leading template solutions mentioned in other comments here.

In addition to the mentioned collaboration tools, clear communication guidelines, trust among team members, team-building activities, and data security are crucial for the success of a remote consulting team.

I advocate for using tools like Asana or Trello for project management. They offer intuitive interfaces and robust task tracking. For real-time communication, Slack or Microsoft Teams are indispensable, fostering quick, organized conversations. The best tools are those that fit seamlessly into your team's workflow and enhance productivity without adding complexity.

In small teams this is crucial to have face-to-face meetings. I prefer this minimal set: 1. Every morning 10 mins check-up, three questions "what did you accomplish yesterday", "what are you going to do today", "can something make us issues to do this" (scrum standup questions). 2. Every week: longer team meeting with the same questions, 40 mins to 1 hour. Also, can brainstorm some ideas or discuss business issues. 3. 1-on-1 with each team member. Coaching and going deep in what they do. 4. Messenger and voice connection few times per day personally and in the group chat. For all these you can use Zoom (all videos) and Telegram (chats, voice, short video messages). But the tool is actually is not important. People and processes are!

There are so many opportunities for collaborative learning remotely. Create workflows and recordings, but also continue to interact on a cadence to discuss. Videos, podcasts, youtubes, books, articles, and pre-made courses can all be valuable. Don't overwhelm the team with resources. Also take different learning styles into account.

Consulting was one of the first to pioneer WFH concept. It mastered the concept voluntarily much earlier than rest of the industries which were forced to adapt it post covid. Hence the learnings I got during my consulting experience with one of the Big4, is simply invaluable. The biggest factor I would say was the "Trust" which the employer has for its assets, i.e. the resource. In turn that not only gives the confidence but also the motivation to the employee to bring customer delight through top class delivery. Obviously now post covid, the technology has fast tracked in a much shorter time span. With multiple tools available now from productivuty tracking to online sharing, future looks even more promising.

Prioritize relationship-building by incorporating 'water cooler' moments. Dedicate a few minutes for informal conversation at the beginning of calls. Enhance team bonding with regular check-in calls nurturing a feeling of connection, trust, and camaraderie among team members.

Tools are vital, but successful remote collaboration starts with the c-suite's mindset. Organizations benefit from regular "skip-level" meetings where executives engage 1:1 with front line employees to hear their perspectives and ideas. These 1:1s help employees feel valued and increase their feelings of connection to the organization and mission. Unfortunately, skip-levels are uncommon in most orgs. This means many executives are operating with "filtered" information--whatever their direct reports choose to share. Managers may not knowingly withhold a valuable insight--but they are curating what they think is important. Executives need unfiltered input directly from people who are closest to the customers, tools, and business processes.

Enhance remote collaboration with Slack and Asana. Uncover often overlooked aspects: 1. Virtual Watercoolers: Create casual spaces like Donut on Slack for serendipitous team bonding. 2. Cultural Inclusivity: Break language barriers using visual tools like Miro, fostering diverse perspectives. Infuse playfulness with virtual applause and themed Slack channels. Elevate collaboration with these nuanced approaches. These nuanced approaches not only enhance collaboration but also infuse a vibrant spirit into remote teamwork.

Where possible start with the "face-to-face" tool. Having the opportunity to meet face-to-face and get to know each other makes it smoother and less prone to ambiguities when using the remote communication tools