How Instant Messaging helps with Communication and Collaboration in our Virtual Workplace.
As an event-planning firm we only succeed if we foster good communication at our conferences and events. We strive to serendipitously bring people together to learn, teach, and form relationships to further their fields, businesses, and careers. While this is second nature to our business it is also integral in our inter-“office” relationships as well. Meetings Northwest’s business structure is based on the luxury of working mostly from home, part-time. It is a huge benefit to work within a company that fully understands the demands of a family and managing a home while continuing a career. Making all this work requires creating an open-line of communication. So how did we do that?
Instant Messaging
Struggling with the slowness of email and not being able to show an idea over the telephone, we recently did a trial run with an instant messaging (IM) program. After some research, we decided to use Lync, a Microsoft product. This program is available on your computer and as an App on your phone. We are not spokespeople for Microsoft, in fact I work on a Macintosh, but this is the system that works best for us as a business and it seems to work alright on both platforms, with a few glitches here and there.
This IM program, like many IM programs, allows us to instant message, call, screen share, and videochat, with multiple people if needed. The instant messaging and screen share have been by far the most used attributes, allowing us the instant feedback and collaboration needed in our business. Just the other day, while designing a “Thank You” postcard for a client, I was able to bop on Lync to catch Traci, Meetings Northwest’s Senior Planner, to instantly get feedback on my design and to work together on finalizing some of the details. The process was seamless and much more productive then emailing files back and forth for review.
Another example of how instant messaging has helped with productivity: while finishing up some of the last minute details for a conference last month, we could IM as a group to discuss everyone’s role, timeline and any questions we had (all while my twins were napping in the same room).
Instant Messaging has also helped fight off the isolation blues that come with working in a vacuum. Case in point, the other day while working on a website for an upcoming event, I was struggling to work around a glitch in WordPress and once I did – I was able to IM a co-worker for a much needed hurrah! I know it sounds silly but in an office you have people around to talk to and laugh with and sometimes you just need the feeling of camaraderie even if you aren’t sitting right next to your co-worker.
The Future
The “Virtual Workplace” is transforming with touch screens, higher broadband, and the trend of “virtual” offices becoming a norm in business, mainstream on-line collaboration will become much more prevalent and user-friendly. When groups can, in real-time, “virtually” mark-up and write ideas on a workable screen, like a whiteboard, meetings will look completely different. Programs will identify notes, the author, record collaborative conversations, and then catalog files. Screen shots will be taken with a touch of the screen and filed away for reference.
The “virtual” office is at the brink of becoming less inhibiting and less isolating and much more “team” oriented! You may say, a lot of this already exists – and you are correct – but it has been terribly expensive and not widely available to small businesses like ours. As things become more competitive, these barriers will break (are breaking) and more small business can broaden their employee base with excellent sources that work from home or in a different area.
In Summary
- Instant Messaging has helped our company communicate and collaborate more freely.
- It helps relieve the isolation anxiety of working alone.
- It helps build trust in co-workers by being available to answer quick questions.
- It frees up time by eliminating the email shuffle.
While Instant Messaging is a great tool for communication, it isn’t the complete answer. Read more on how to nurture an effective “virtual team” in this article, from RP News Wires, by Darleen DeRosa, Ph.D. and Richard Lepsinger.
The future is looking bright,
Kasey B. Wright
About the author:
Kasey B. Wright is a small town, small business kind of girl with nature in her heart. She grew-up working long hours at her parents general store in amazing Joseph, Oregon – Google it, oh wait, here’s a link – visit! Really- Arts, Camping, Resort on Wallowa Lake, Mountains, 52 high lakes, Gorgeous! Enough with the free advertisement, but truly it is amazing – Google it! Now days, if not twiddling away on her iMac, painting, or mentally re-designing pretty much everything, she is outside with her family enjoying all of the adventures that lay beyond her front door (which in Missoula are abundant and basically start within a five-minute radius of her house). Her family, a husband of whom she met as a freshman in college (architect – I know two designers and yes, nothing ever gets done), our dog (neurotic first child wire-haired pointing griffon), cat (shelter cat – maybe the most adjusted member of our family), and toddler twins (girl+boy) in chronological order, keep the adventure alive! Oh yah, fish too (rarely claimed).
