With so many people being thrown into having to work from home (WFH) due to the events of the past fortnight, the saying “I’ve got a Zoom call” has crept into our vernacular.
While the number of Zoom users has skyrocketed, Zoom isn’t the only or best option for everyone doing video calls.
It’s a bit like a utility knife in the building industry being referred to as a Stanley knife – Stanley happen to be just one brand of utility knives.
For example, Microsoft Teams (which is planned to replace Skype) is ideal for companies running the Microsoft O365 suite.
What’s more, if you have O365 then you already have Microsoft Teams for no additional financial outlay as it’s one of the products in your O365 licence.
As you’d expect, Microsoft Teams also has security while also collaborating quite seamlessly with other Microsoft products.
Don’t get me wrong Zoom is a great fit in many situations; just don’t assume it’s the only option for video conferencing.
Which gets me to WFH being so much more than just throwing technology (like video conferencing) at it. Effective WFH is all about people - the individuals' personal productivity (is the person effective), leadership, culture, change management & the protocols to agree upon as a team for how the tools will be used to communicate & collaborate.
For example, teams want to know:
In the tough economic climate, how will my leader know I’m doing a good job?
From all of the different technology, which should I use to collaborate for which situation?
How can I effective while I WFH?
How do I beat the feeling of isolation and maintain the social vibe the team had in the office?
Whereas, leaders are asking:
How do I lead a team remotely?
How do I know who’s coasting or contributing?
How often should I check in?
How will the team collaborate effectively?
How can we make the best of this situation?
Sure, a decision needs to be made on which product will be used for video conferencing. However, its more critical for protocols to be established for how the team will collaborate, communicate and use the tools.
Do it well and you’ll remove uncertainty for people to focus on doing the work they’re paid to do.