In every aspect of our lives, from the home to the office, technology is changing the way we function. Take advantage of the latest innovations to boost productivity and streamline collaboration.

The value of solid teamwork to any business cannot be overstated — companies with well managed and diverse teams outperform those that lack cohesion. Aside from members themselves, great teams make use of the latest innovations in mobile and cloud-based technology to facilitate communication and drive productivity, thereby allowing day-to-day operations to run more quickly and efficiently than ever before.

The Virtual Workforce

From personal relationships to workplace dynamics, we are increasingly connecting with each other in a virtual space. This has allowed for unprecedented collaboration between countries and across oceans, but it has also created a need for better tools to share information and responsibilities. Email was one of the first such tools, and will likely remain a mainstay in the business world for a long time to come, but it is not always the most efficient.

Now, chat platforms like Slack are giving basic email a run for its money, allowing for instant messaging across teams and departments. Conversations can be organized into different channels, open or private, and files can be shared at any time with anyone. The program integrates seamlessly with cloud-based storage services like Google Drive and Dropbox, which give members of your organization around the clock access to documents and editing capabilities.

This renders distance irrelevant, especially with video conferencing features from Google, Skype, and others. Coupled with shared online calendars, missed or rescheduled meetings will become a thing of the past.

Prioritizing Tasks

As fantastic as these tools are, they will help very little if your team’s direction and responsibilities are muddled or unclear. Overseeing those responsibilities is a challenge for any business, large or small, but project management tools such as Trello make it simple to clearly delegate tasks and track progress. The inexorably fluid nature of business necessitates adaptability, and these programs are incredibly flexible, allowing you to change and tweak your system on the go.

It also allows teams to operate autonomously, while maintaining regular updates to keep disparate units focused on a unified goal. Apps like PingPong help ensure clarity during presentations or meetings so everyone is on the same page. The app lets a presenter share research and relevant material to help contextualize the project, and also create questions that other members can answer in real time during a discussion. Good communication, not surprisingly, has been shown to increase performance and productivity, and these systems facilitate the quick and clear dissemination of information, according to Harvard Business Review.

Team Building

Technology is great, but it won’t help teams that are badly built. In the end, teams will not perform well without unity and respect, no matter how terrific the tools. There is clear value in fostering team development, whether by employing the best business leader keynote speakers or turning to specific training programs. Even these can be conducted online with virtual team building and seminars that engage employees in challenging and representative games, as teambuilding reports. With clear leadership in place and a unified team, these innovative technologies will reap tangible benefits in every aspect of your business. Don’t miss out.

Ken Sterling is the Chief Marketing Officer at BigSpeak Speakers’ bureau – the leading keynote and business speakers bureau in the world. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of California and an MBA from Babson College. Ken teaches Entrepreneurship, Marketing and Strategy at UC Santa Barbara. He is a serial entrepreneur, keynote speaker, business consultant and sales & marketing expert. For press interviews, contact marketing@bigspeak.com.

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