If you're team is struggling with communications, consider your tooling.

Communication is essential for any team, but it is especially important for remote first teams. When team members are not in the same physical location, it can be more challenging to stay connected and aligned. Using the right tooling can help to bridge this gap and encourage good team communications.

Here are some of the benefits of using the right tooling to improve team communications:

• It makes it easier to stay connected. Communication tools such as Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Zoom can help team members to stay connected throughout the workday, even if they are not in the same physical location. These tools allow team members to chat, make video calls, and share files easily.
• It promotes transparency and accountability. Communication tools can help to promote transparency and accountability within teams. For example, team members can use these tools to share their progress on projects, ask for help, and provide feedback to each other.
• It facilitates collaboration. Communication tools can facilitate collaboration within teams. For example, team members can use these tools to share documents, work on projects together in real time, and brainstorm ideas.

Intentional office time

While using the right tooling is essential for remote first teams, there are some situations where intentional office time can be beneficial. For example, if a team is working on a new project or launching a new product, it can be helpful for team members to meet in person in order to build relationships and collaborate more effectively.

However, it is important to note that intentional office time should be used sparingly. Remote work offers many benefits, such as flexibility and increased productivity, so it is important to avoid forcing team members to come into the office unnecessarily.

Project management tools as communication tools

Project management tools such as Asana, Trello, and Jira can be used as communication tools in addition to their primary function of managing projects. For example, team members can use project management tools to:

• Share updates on their progress.
• Ask for help and feedback.
• Collaborate on tasks and projects.
• Track deadlines and milestones.

Using a project management tool as a communication tool can help to keep team members aligned and informed about the progress of projects.

Conclusion

Using the right tooling can encourage good team communications, especially for remote first teams. Communication tools can help team members to stay connected, promote transparency and accountability, and facilitate collaboration. Intentional office time can also be beneficial in some situations, but it should be used sparingly. Project management tools can also be used as communication tools in addition to their primary function of managing projects.

By using the right tooling and creating a culture of communication, teams can improve their collaboration and achieve better results.