Over my 25 years of project management experience I’ve moved from scattered emails and siloed workspaces to a unified digital ecosystem that empowers remote teams. With Microsoft Teams, I experience real-time collaboration, video calls, and seamless communication—all in one place, transforming how we connect. Microsoft Planner and Microsoft To Do offer visual project management and task tracking, keeping our priorities aligned and clear. Microsoft 365 has redefined co-creation, allowing us to work on documents simultaneously, capturing the energy of in-person teamwork. This evolution of tools has turned our communication into an inspiring force that fuels innovation and drives collective success, no matter where we are

Less tools, more direct communication. In person, by phone/ email/ text/ chat… just say what you mean. Clearly and in a kind, yet concise, manner ✌️

One of the most effective tools I’ve worked with is MS Teams with AI integration. With features that allow for seamless meetings, we can easily transcribe discussions, record sessions for later review, and even generate summaries that highlight key points. Additionally, it helps us create actionable items with clear deadlines, ensuring that everyone is on the same page and knows their responsibilities. This level of organization and clarity has significantly improved our workflow and reduced communication gap. However, it’s also key that the team has the necessary access to these tools and is well-trained on how to use them effectively. Providing training sessions and resources empower everyone to make the most of the features available.

Utilizing a platform like Slack for quick communication can be life changing for your team. This tool allows them to feel like they are in the small room with the usage of their channels to create "departments" and the huddles feature for quick face-to-face conversations.

I like collaboration apps for the ability to work on shared files and content together. But for efficiency, the team must agree on certain 'SOP's like: - how and who to resolve multiple comments/opinions. I feel that is the responsibility of the project lead. - everyone should either have notifications enabled or have the app on top of everything else. The last thing you want is for a team member to throw a spanner in the works only after everyone else has gone through and resolved. - clear timelines. Once closed, no one should revive the discussion. - have a parallel chat channel for discussions. Dont discuss in the comments/edits.