Using Collaboration Tools in Remote Work

What Will I Find Here?

Objectives

At the end of this module, you will be able to identify the common remote collaboration tools and discover how to use the features for effective collaboration by:

• Recognizing the essential tools for remote collaboration
• Identifying the best features and benefits of each tool

In this module, we will explore the following topics to help you fully use the features of the given collaboration tools to your advantage:

• Essential Remote Collaboration Tools
• Setting Up Remote Collaboration Tools
  • Google Drive
  • Trello
• Taking Advantage of the Remote Collaboration Tools

Essential Collaboration Tools

As discussed in the previous module (see Essentials for Remote Collaboration), there is no perfect collaboration tools for all roles and contexts. Identifying the best tools will help online collaboration more efficient and effective.

In this topic, we will discuss common collaboration tools that you can take advantage of in tis remote work setup. These are Google Drive and Trello.

Proceed to the next topics to learn how to set them up and capitalize on their features.

Google Drive: Features, Tutorial and Tips

File Management is one of the most important elements of collaboration. You can exchange ideas and store them safely in encrypted cloud storage online. One powerful tool to help you is Google Drive.

1. How to Set Up

First, request access to your client’s google drive account. Usually, your client will give you a company email address that already has it.

2. Folders and Uploading Files

Think of Google Drive as a virtual filing cabinet. You can separate files in folders and subfolders to create a systematic file storage system. It is quite easy to create your own folders and upload files.

Click the New icon.

Then choose to create a “Folder” to upload your files in. Or just use “File Upload” or “Folder Upload.”

You can also upload files by just dragging them to your Google Drive.

3. Share File Links

When it is time to collaborate, you do not have to resend your files from your computer to your teammates. You just need a link for the files.

Just right-click the file you want to send, and choose “Get shareable link.”

Tick the “Link Sharing on” option, and copy the google drive link. You can send this link to your teammates so that they can check the file directly.

4. Restricting Access

With the file links out, you can still take care of privacy issues by restricting access. Just click the sharing settings, and choose between two options.

You can either restrict by changing what anyone can do with the link. The options are edit, comment, and view.

You can also restrict access to specific people. Just input their emails in the box provided.

5. Google Office Suite

Compared to all cloud options, the biggest advantage of Google Drive is the integration with Google Office Suite. The Google Office Suite is a set of free programs you can use for Word files, Excel spreadsheets, Powerpoint presentations, and more.

You can share the link of the file to your colleagues, and you can edit those files simultaneously. In real-time, you can work on document files for seamless collaboration.

You can even leave comments and suggestions for your teammates to see.

To do this, just highlight the text and click the icon on the right side.

You can type your comment. You can also assign it to your teammates so that they can be notified via email.

6. Google Drive for Project Management

With the nifty feature above, you can also use the combination of programs for project management in Google Drive. It can look something like this:

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You can create a similar file linking all the projects with the file sharing links. With this, you can have a snapshot of all the things you are working on.

With that, you can now use Google for seamless collaboration and file transfers. Good luck!

Trello: Features, Tutorial and Tips

You need to understand the workflow of your client to fully collaborate with them. Trello is one of the project management tools that companies use to manage tasks across the board.

If you are unaware on how to use Trello, here are some basics. First, register your company email to the Trello website, then wait for your client to add you to their board.

A Trello board will look like this:

The company “Board” is like a bird’s eye view of the project you are handling. A board is composed of “Lists” that represent specific tasks or sub-projects that need to be finished for the company.

In each list, there are “Cards” to show the details for each task needed to be done.

In this example, the board is “Remote Platform.” The lists are “To Do,” “Doing,” and “Done,” Under “To Do” is a card named “Write Article.”

1. Assigning and Customizing Your Cards

The cards are specific tasks or to-dos that are needed for the list. But you can further define the tasks and assign them to people by clicking it.

If you are assigning the task to yourself or you want to get notifications for it, click Join.

Add team members to the tasks by clicking “members” so that they know they are assigned to it.

Next, you can create a checklist and due date for subtasks and deadlines.

After the customization, your card will look like this:

That is the basics of Trello. There are numerous plugins that can also be used with it. But it depends on the needs of your client. It might be tricky at first, but you will get the hang of it.

Module Summary

Good job! You have completed this module.

You have learned to:

• recognize common collaboration tools such as Google Drive and Trello
• set up these online collaboration tools
• take advantage of its features in collaborating online

Explore the other topics to learn how to become a remote working pro! For the meantime, please take time to complete a quick evaluation to help us improve our design and content.