Communication Trends 2024 Part 1

We’ve just passed the halfway mark of 2024, and so much has happened in the past six months. Get ready. If you think this year has sped by, wait, and before you can blink, the next six months will accelerate even faster than you can imagine. And this acceleration in communications will continue for the rest of our lives. By the time I reach old age, I don’t know if humans will use their vocal cords or speak with one another with words. ??

For now, I wanted to delve into some of the trending areas. Okay, don’t roll your eyes. I know many of you in tech, project management, advertising, and fashion have used these tools for quite some time. I have as well. I like to think of myself as an early adaptor; however, you'd be surprised to know that there are still SO MANY people who cling to outmoded 20th-century communication tools that are not efficient or effective.

Here we go.?

Unified Collaboration Tools

Remember the problem of having too many remote controls and not knowing which one to use? Instead of using individual tools, now there are unified collaboration tools to streamline communication by integrating various functionalities such as email, video conferencing, messaging, and project management into a single platform. This integration reduces the need for employees (this applies to freelancers and solopreneurs) to switch between different apps, enhancing decision-making processes and productivity, like faster response time, and ensuring that all communication and collaboration occur within a unified environment. There are plenty of benefits, such as:

Efficiency: Employees spend less time switching between tools, allowing for more focused work.

Consistency: Standardizes communication protocols across the organization.

Accessibility: Provides a centralized hub for all communications, making it easier for team members to access the necessary information and collaborate in real-time.

Some examples include:

Microsoft Teams Integrates chat, video conferencing, file sharing, and application integration.

Slack combines messaging, file sharing, and third-party app integration to facilitate team communication.

Zoom was a nothingburger until COVID-19. Now, just about everyone uses it. It offers high-quality video and audio conferencing, webinar capabilities, screen sharing, and virtual whiteboards. It also Integrates with collaboration tools like Slack and Microsoft Teams and has breakout rooms for smaller group discussions.

Google Workspace (formerly G Suite) Communication tools including Gmail, Google Meet, and Google Chat, Collaboration through Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drive, Shared calendars and scheduling with Google Calendar, Integration with third-party apps via Google Workspace Marketplace.

I use Google Workspace, even after kicking and moaning about it a few years ago (I’m a diehard Mac person). I do all my writing and ghostwriting in Google Docs, which is great for real-time collaboration, editing, and cloud storage. My clients love it since the changes made are immediately available. There’s a comments section, too, which is convenient for updating manuscripts and all business documents, speeches, white papers, etc.

Asana is great for task and project management with to-do lists, boards, and timelines. My issue with Asana is that it can quickly become a forever to-do list rather than a strategic tool. It does offer team communication through comments and task updates. It can integrate with email and other productivity tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Microsoft Teams, and it has reporting and analytics tools to track project progress. This is a good tool for structured task tracking if you are in the weeds.

Trello is my go-to tool for project management since I can arrange the blocks visually, which helps me tremendously. It’s sort of like looking at LP covers as opposed to slivers of artists’ songs presented in list form in a streaming library.nbsp;

Trello offers visual task management with boards, lists, and cards and the ability to collaborate through comments, attachments, and due dates. You can buy power-ups to integrate with tools like Slack, Google Drive, and Jira. Lastly, it offers customizable workflows with automation features.

Good luck finding the perfect tool for your business. Let me know in the comments which one you use and the benefits.