Lights, Camera, Collaborate.

Using Effective Communication and Collaboration as Tools to Deliver Exceptional Work as a Digital Professional.

As remote work continues to gain popularity, professionals in various industries are mastering new ways of collaborating with their clients. While virtual communication tools have made it easier to stay connected, building an effective working relationship with clients requires more than just exchanging email threads and messages.

To achieve successful outcomes, there is an increasing responsibility for both clients and professionals to be proactive, engage in active listening, and make use of project management tools. In this article, we will explore key elements of effective collaboration and discuss how they can help ensure a successful project outcome and deliver exceptional work as a digital professional working remotely.

Be Proactive

Being proactive is the first one of the “7 Habits of Highly effective People” as outlined by Stephen Covey. When we consider that time is one of the few commodities that we cannot buy back, we start to value it more. Therefore it is imperative to make the most of your time, and that means not waiting for things to happen, but taking steps to ensure that when they do happen, you are well prepared. As the saying goes: if you stay ready, you won’t have to get ready. 

As a professional, you should be able to predict your client’s needs, foresee any possible issues or concerns that may arise throughout the engagement and try to stay a step ahead of them at all times. A good way to do this is through establishing clear communication channels.

Clarity & Communication

Creating clear communication channels that enable all parties to have clear visibility on a project is very important. Remember that no piece of information is too small / irrelevant, ever. It is important to share any relevant information or resources with the client that may help them better understand the project or provide additional insights. There are a variety of communication tools at your disposal, e.g emails, video calls and project management tools which you can use that best suit your project needs.

Here are a few collaboration and communication tools you may consider for your projects:

• Google Drive
• Dropbox
• Microsoft Teams
• Google Meet
• Slack
• Zoom
• Miro

Another habit of highly effective people, as outlined in “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” is “Seek First to Understand, Then to be Understood.” It’s important to understand that a big part of effective communication is active listening. Listening is a soft skill that is often underestimated, yet extremely incremental to the success of a project. Throughout your communications, be sure to create and seize opportunities to ask clarifying questions to ensure that you are on the same page.

Although you may think it’s “just business”, it’s not. Remember, you are conducting business with people. Using empathic communication where appropriate creates another avenue to build trust and rapport with your client. Establishing a good rapport with your client improves the chances of them sharing more information with you, wanting to do more business with you and even recommending your services to their colleagues.

Trust the Process

As important as it is for you to build trust with your client, it is equally important for you to build your client’s confidence in your ability to deliver excellent work. They need to trust you, and trust the process.

When setting up the project plan and agreeing on project deliverables, it is important to be both transparent and realistic about your ability to complete the tasks and the timelines. Your project roadmap should include clear guidelines for the project scope and make allowance for any potential changes. Be sure to set realistic deadlines and deliverables and make sure you can meet them.

Once you have agreed on the project brief and timelines, it is vital to keep the client engaged, after all, it is their baby. Communication is an integral part of collaboration and therefore you must ensure that you provide regular and relevant updates to the client on project status, including progress on tasks and any potential delays. There are a number of collaboration and project management tools that can be used to give the client visibility on the overall status of the project and relevant sub-tasks. Project management tools are extremely helpful for keeping track of tasks, deadlines and progress.

Here are a few examples of Project Management Tools:

• Asana
• Notion
• Trello
• Airtable
• Monday.com

These tools will also give the client a platform to comment and provide client feedback on certain tasks, gain visibility on the overall design and implementation process, and give approval on project milestones.

These examples and platforms listed above are just a few of many, and there are many other tools and platforms available to help professionals collaborate effectively with clients. The key is to find the tools that work best for your workflow and communication style, and to continuously experiment with new tools and techniques to improve collaboration and customer experience.

Effective collaboration between clients and professionals is essential for achieving successful outcomes in remote work. By being proactive, actively listening to feedback, using project management tools to stay organised, and communicating clearly and regularly, clients and professionals can overcome the challenges of remote work and achieve their goals together. By implementing these strategies, both parties can not only meet their objectives but also establish a strong foundation for future collaboration and success.

Post written by Khanyisile Mngomezulu