3 Ways Today's Tech Can Help Your Decentralized Team Stay Connected And Productive

In today's business world, you can have team members who are working on projects together without ever setting foot in the same country, let alone the same room. Adaptability is the name of the game in many industries -- and if you want the best and the brightest working for you, it may mean adjusting to remote, decentralized teams.

However, you have to make it possible for those team members to stay connected. Thanks to modern technology, that's a lot easier to accomplish than it was in the past. Here are some ways to do it:

1. Use an online headquarters.

Every team needs a headquarters -- whether it's the Justice League or the team in charge of content for your company blogs. There are many different online services that will allow you to set up an electronic headquarters for your employees and various teams. Some examples include Slack, which is a chat app, or Basecamp, which offers a broader array of services including chat, a message board, and a task calendar. These are just two of the many different choices that are out there, each with their own style, set of tools and level of cost. You can often experiment with one for a month or two without making a long-term commitment until you find the right one for your company's needs.

2. Invest in business phone services.

A reliable business phone service is an absolute must if your team members are scattered nationally or globally. As handy as the internet is, there are times an immediate need will arise and the internet won't be the most efficient way of handling the problem. When investing in a business phone service, check to make sure that you get the features that you need to make your team successful. That could include anything from direct connections (calling a team member's private number in the case of an emergency without necessarily giving it out to the entire team) and secured lines so that you don't have to worry about confidential information being intercepted or scammers getting access to the lines.

3. Make room for video calls.

These days, even doctors book appointments via video conferences, so it's definitely a medium you can use to arrange "face time" between team members. Video conferences, whether they're done through Skype or something a little fancier like Slack or Zoom, can help your team members put faces to names and bond a little -- even if they're in different countries. The biggest difficulty you may have if finding a time that isn't in the middle of the night for at least one team member!

Naturally, these products are only the start of the available products out there that you and your team can use to keep organized and become more productive. Consider starting with these three and then branching out from there as you see a need.

For more information, contact a business such as ACC Telecom.