Microsoft’s Productivity and Collaboration Tools for the Modern Business

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article | Microsoft's Productivity and Collaboration Tools for the Modern Business

Whether you are a small business or a global enterprise, Microsoft offers a ‘productivity and collaboration’ toolkit for your organization at every stage. Starting at just $5.00 per user/month, Office 365 lets you tap into new opportunities to work better together, inspire new ideas, raise productivity, and empower greater insight throughout your journey to the top.

Microsoft Teams

Microsoft Teams is the company’s flawlessly executed attempt at unifying its various communication and collaboration tools. If your company is struggling with microsoft implementation be sure to find a microsoft integration consultant and partner. And apparently, it is working.

The app is so popular and well-integrated within Microsoft’s ecosystem that competitors are finding it difficult to keep up with it. A cloud-based collaboration tool, Teams allows users to create teams and workflows, assign tasks, chat with other team members, share documents, and host video conferences, among more.

Teams is available as a standalone app and integrated with Office 365. So, even if you don’t purchase the suite, you can use the app free of cost forever. And with the new Praise update, which allows employees to celebrate each other’s work, it is certain that Microsoft Teams is the only collaboration tool you need.

Microsoft To Do

To Do is the easiest task management app that you will ever use. Of course, there are more advanced apps, such as Asana and Trello, but you need to spend some time understanding their functions to unlock their true potential.

Microsoft To Do, on the other hand, can be downloaded and incorporated into your workflow from the first minute. You don’t need any practice or manual to use it because you already know how.

The app allows users to add tasks, set reminders, and manage daily tasks by groups. It also lets you prioritize important tasks and share your lists so that anyone can see and edit them – making micro-collaboration extremely easy.

Since the app is cloud-synced, you can access your to-do lists on all your devices. Simply sign in to improve your productivity.

Skype

Skype is a powerful business tool. It is easy-to-use and has a better interface than its competitors. The best part is that the messages you exchange during the video or audio calls get stored and you can access them any time. And it is free, so there is no reason not to use Skype.

Here are some ways to use Skype for your small business –

  • Save time and money with online conference calls. It is easy to set up a meeting using Skype, and with one click, you can have up to 100 people on the line. You don’t need any codes or complicated passwords.
  • Keep your team on the same page with Microsoft Teams. Microsoft Teams is Microsoft’s answer to Slack, and it is integrated with Skype for Business – making it easy to share files, work on projects and keep in touch with your team. It integrates with Microsoft Office 365, so all your communications are built on the same platform.
  • Collaborate with freelancers or independent contractors. Skype integrates with Word and Teams. You don’t have to spend money to add independent collaborators to your database to share files, edit documents, and collaborate on projects. Once your project with them is over, you can simply remove them from the group and add new people.

SharePoint

SharePoint is Microsoft’s enterprise-level, cloud-based collaboration. Instead of sending emails back and forth and passing around files, SharePoint has two main components: a content management component and a collaboration component.

The content management component is designed to simplify document and information management. It makes finding, editing, sharing, and assigning documents simple. Whereas, the collaboration component includes features like document libraries, discussion boards, and team sites.

PowerPoint

Anybody who has used a computer ever knows that PowerPoint is the industry standard for presentations. Businesses around the world use it because making professional-looking slideshows is a cakewalk in this app.

You can collaborate on a presentation by inviting people to co-author a presentation with you. And while they are working on it, they will see a notification on their desktop that will tell them when someone’s updating or making changes.

PowerPoint also allows you to control people’s actions on the presentation. You can allow certain members to only see the presentation and some to actually make changes. This can be a perfect arrangement for remote teams.

Even Apple’s Keynote fails to deliver the level of performance that PowerPoint does.

More Tips For Happier Employees

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Happy Employees|More Tips For Happier EmployeesTaking care of your employees is the quickest way to future-proof your business. Satisfied employees are more productive. They are motivated to achieve great results and not afraid to work hard to get there. Additionally, they are more likely to stay with the company. We’ve reviewed the essential leadership tips to create a happy place for your employees in a previous article.

Indeed, one of the biggest problems that employees recount is workload. Many employees find themselves overworked or underworked as a result of poor work management processes. This can happen when businesses don’t make the most of existing services. Often when employees complain about the workload, the complaint goes unnoticed. It is the manager’s role to welcome feedback and encourage employees to talk openly about their problems.

But improving the management function and relationship is only one of the possible areas of work to increase employees’ satisfaction. As a business, maximizing mental health benefits and engagement can also significantly help the team’s happiness.

Improve the workplace environment

Most companies fail to realize the importance of the work environment. Stressful and hectic are words frequently used to describe an unhealthy workplace. But what about small or dark workplaces? Indeed, the mind naturally registers light factors, square footage, and even temperature as factors linked to the overall wellbeing of the individual. A small and cramped office, for instance, can feel uncomfortable and unwelcoming. When relocating isn’t an option, the business could consider an extension project to improve the workplace. It’s worth mentioning that there might be foundation removal costs to expect with extension improvements. Another space-related complaint addresses natural light access. Businesses with a high number of windows and/or skylights tend to record higher levels of satisfaction.

Consider perks they want

Do perks make your employees’ lives better? The answer is yes. Valuable and desirable perks can not only attract but also retain employees. Indeed, perks highlight the business culture and understanding the company has of its team. In other words, the right perks tell the employees that the business has got their backs. Therefore, the top priority of any company is to open the discussion with the team. While it can be tempting to ask people what they want, you are unlikely to get a satisfying answer. Instead, focus on their pain points.

A shorter workweek, for example, could help reduce stress levels, fatigue and free up more time for friends and family.
Mentoring and coaching services can help employees build their careers and achieve their goals.

Introduce a mood-lifting “employee”

Office pets are an excellent boost for employee morale. Countless studies show that petting a dog or a cat can significantly lower your blood pressure and help reduce anxiety. Therefore, in offices where there is no severe pet allergy, the addition of a cute pet could have many mental health benefits. Pets bring a form of companionship, even if employees only see the pet during the workday. As workplaces suffer more and more with loneliness, spending time with a pet could help bring people together and reduce isolation. Additionally, pets can also encourage the team to take more regular breaks and look after their health.

Hopefully, these few tips can encourage companies to prioritize mental health in different ways in the office. Contrary to common belief, offering access to therapy services is not the most important thing a company can do for mental health.

5 Steps to Create a Happier, More Positive Environment at Work

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Positive Work Environment|5 Steps to Create a Happier, More Positive Environment at WorkOne of the most challenging parts about working is that you are stuck in an environment for eight to ten hours a day, five days a week. If your workplace feels like one big headache, it might be time to make some changes! The following blog post will teach you five ways to create a happier and more positive environment at work.

Talk To Your Colleagues

While you can’t always control your supervisor or manager, you can start by improving the environment at work to one that encourages happiness. One of the most effective ways to do this is through a simple conversation with others. Start small, but be consistent in your efforts to connect with people daily, both inside and outside of work hours.
People are happier when they feel heard, valued, and appreciated.

By making time to talk with your coworkers, you’re building rapport to lead to a more positive work environment that encourages happiness in all areas of life. Discussing career goals or how the family is doing helps make strong connections between people at work. It doesn’t have to take a long time. Even five minutes of conversation over a cup of coffee can go a long way towards making for happy coworkers and, in turn, more satisfied employees.
This is why it’s essential to make small talk with others during the day and outside work hours—chatting about topics from weekend plans to favorite restaurants builds rapport and trust among team members.

Create A Space That Makes You Feel Good

Pick an area to work on first. Maybe your desk is cluttered. You sit in front of a window that gets minimal sunlight, or the air conditioning never seems to be working just right for you. Something small might have a huge impact! Please make sure everyone who comes into contact with this space has access to their cleanliness supplies so they can keep it clean.

If you can’t change your environment, try to improve the way you interact with it. How do you handle stress? Do certain situations or people make this worse for you? If so, what could be done differently, and how would that positively affect others? It is essential to create a positive work environment for your employees. A happy workplace can boost the productivity, creativity, and engagement levels of workers. This will ultimately lead to more revenue generated by the company.

Appreciate Your Employees

The best way to create a happier work environment is by doing little things to make people feel appreciated. It’s essential for everyone at the company to feel like they are making an impact and knowing their efforts matter, so sharing positive feedback regularly can go a long way.

When someone does something outstanding, be sure to acknowledge it publicly – in a team meeting, through email, or even by sending out an all-company group message. This will let everyone know that their contributions are seen and valued, which helps create a happier work environment for everyone involved.

Another way to create a happier work environment is by doing something out of the ordinary. Just make sure you aren’t breaking any company rules when planning these activities! Bringing in donuts on certain days or taking everyone out for lunch can turn someone’s day around and help them feel appreciated at their job. People are much happier when they feel like their opinions matter, so try organizing brown bag lunches with employees where everyone has an opportunity to voice their thoughts and concerns about work. Appreciate your employees by looking after their employee wellness.

Being Open And Honest

Another way to create a happier work environment is by being open and honest. This includes having real conversations about how people feel, giving negative feedback when necessary, and not sugar-coating anything out of fear that it might hurt someone’s feelings. Just be sure to take everything you say, intending to help them improve rather than discouraging them.
When people feel like they can speak honestly and openly, it creates a happier work environment. No one wants to be told what to do or how to behave every minute of the day; we want constructive criticism that will help us improve our performance and build better relationships at work. When you open yourself up in this way with others, not only do they appreciate it, but you will also feel happier at work yourself.

Being Positive And Constructive

It’s essential to be positive and constructive in the workplace. This means always looking for ways things could improve (even when everything seems perfect). It’s much easier to find what needs improvement rather than that which is already doing well. This can be applied to everything in the office, from interpersonal relationships with colleagues or clients to how work gets done and projects are completed.

By being positive, you can help make the workplace a happier environment, which leads to more creativity. You also learn something new about your work or even yourself by looking for ways to do better. This is not only fun, but it makes good business sense as well!

Positive environments include having good relationships with coworkers, feeling valued and acknowledged by managers, an atmosphere of trust between employees and employers, etc. Employees who feel that their bosses care about them will be more productive than those under unappreciative or apathetic management. If you think that your work is not valued, then you will probably be less effective.

Positive attitudes also play a significant role in whether or not employees are happy and satisfied with their jobs. If they’re feeling great about what they do day-to-day, the chances are good that the positive feelings will remain long after quitting time. This can result in increased retention rates and even reduced turnover.

There are many opportunities to be more positive at work, both for yourself as an individual contributor or on a team where you’re responsible for the outcome of your project.

In conclusion, today’s workforce is filled with many different types of people who all have unique preferences and styles regarding how they like to work. While this can make for a very vibrant and exciting environment, sometimes the number of differences between employees’ personalities or working habits gets in the way of team cohesiveness and productivity, which leads to a less optimistic, more stressful work environment. To create happier and more productive employees, managers and team leaders need to implement practices that help build up employee morale while accommodating each individual’s personality traits and working habits.

Keeping The Workplace Healthy For All

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Healthy Workplace|Keeping The Workplace Healthy For AllOne of the things you always need to be aware of in your business is the importance of keeping the workplace as healthy as possible for all of your employees, contractors and visitors. Not only is this a legal factor to consider, it is also arguably a moral one that you have to think about too, so it’s definitely vital to make sure you don’t overlook it if you can at all help it. In this post, we are going to take a look at just some of the things you can do to ensure that you are keeping your workplace healthy for all.

Light & Air

Two of the most important things of all here are the light levels and the quality and flow of the air. As long as these are how they should be, you are going to find that you are much more likely to keep everyone happy and healthy. You can achieve plenty of light by including natural light as much as possible, for instance by making sure there are plenty of big windows. In terms of air quality, you’ll want to make sure you have some greenery around in the form of plants, and perhaps consider a water based mold release agent on the walls to help with mold. This is all going to keep everyone a lot healthier at work.

Space

Believe it or not, how much space there is can be another important consideration when it comes to keeping everyone healthy in the workplace. You need to make sure that everyone has enough space, or else it can be a lot easier to get very stressed, and that can cause a lot of problems if you are not careful about it. Too much space on the other hand, and the whole workplace can feel understaffed and that can be weirdly stressful too. You have to find the balance here as best as you can, otherwise people are going to suffer in these subtle but continual ways.

Cleanliness

Of course, you also need to make sure that the workplace is as clean as possible, and this is something that we are all acutely aware of the importance of right now, thanks to the global pandemic. You should aim to keep everything perfectly clean in order to stop the spread of viruses and bacteria which might cause diseases. A regular cleaning schedule including professional cleaning, with deep cleaning once in a while as well, is going to ensure that this is taken care of. You might also want to encourage staff to clean up as they go along. This makes a workplace healthier and also safer, meaning there is less of a chance for slips, trips and falls too.

Those are just some of the things you might want to do in order to keep your workplace as healthy as possible. As long as you have done these things, that should be a lot easier to be sure of, and your people are going to appreciate it.

The Best Techniques for Running a Productive Workplace

/in /by

StrategyDriven Managing Your People Article |Productive Workplace|The Best Techniques for Running a Productive WorkplaceThe importance of consistent productivity in the workplace cannot be understated. While some small talk over a morning cup of coffee is fine, you want to make sure your staff are making the most of their time every single day. Otherwise, the business loses money. You don’t need ten staff members putting in the collective effort of five!

To make sure the business runs smoothly and makes the most amount of profit, use these techniques for running a productive workplace.

Encourage Additional Learning and Training

Your staff always have room to grow, whether that’s into a leadership role or something a little more specialized. Allow them to flourish by encouraging and providing additional learning and training opportunities. There are lots of options for training in the workplace, or you could opt for online courses. One that everyone should get on board with is first aid training, as it makes the workplace safer while teaching everyone something new.

Create a Mood-boosting Workspace

It’s hard to be productive in a cramped, poorly decorated workspace, which is why you should prioritize a mood-boosting environment. Lighting is a great contributor to this – use layered lighting mixed with enough natural light, and you will create a far more comfortable and mood-boosting space. On top of that, think carefully about your choice of furniture, color, and how much space you provide each employee.

Set a Great Example

Whether you are the business owner or manager, you must set a great example by being productive each day. After all, if you’re not putting your best foot forward, why should your team? By setting a great example, staff will be encouraged to follow suit.

Hire Passionate People

Hiring is a crucial step when it comes to running a productive workplace. No matter how excellent your leadership skills are, it’s hard to encourage great work from an unenthusiastic employee. So, to make sure you’re not stuck with people who perform poorly, focus on passion during the hiring process. Even if someone doesn’t have much experience, you can always train them, but you cannot teach someone to be passionate!

Set Achievable Goals

It’s hard to be productive when goals are difficult to reach. Likewise, you can’t put all your best efforts in if there aren’t enough challenging goals to reach. For this reason, you should set achievable goals for your team. You could put them into three sections – goals to reach for the month, goals for the week, and goals for the day. When your staff have something to work toward, they are more likely to focus.

Understand Employee Strengths

If you want a workplace full of uninterrupted productivity, you must understand each employee’s strengths so you can make the most out of it. There’s no point in putting a logical team member into a creative project when there’s another with far more imaginative ideas! Get to know each member on an individual level to get better at delegating, which, in turn, will help boost productivity.