Mobile Collaboration
Mobile collaboration is increasingly part of our everyday professional and personal lives. But what does it really mean to ‘mobile collaborate’? What tools are available to facilitate this collaboration and what can we do with them? How can we ensure mobile collaboration tools really enhance our professional and personal life experiences? What does the future of MC look like? These are some of the questions explored in this space.
What is Mobile Collaboration?
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While Google's Hangouts allows groups to connect and communicate by text chats, emails and voice/video calls, others such as Slack, Teams, Flock, Fleep, Zoom, Teams also allow users to live share screens and share files either within the app or through integration with other apps such as: Onedrive, Google Drive, Drop box. Fleep has email compatibility so you can include those who are not a Fleep member. Fleep also has a useful project task organizer that helps your group keep track of what work needs do be done and when it needs to be completed. The giant in the field, however, is definitely Slack, with Microsoft's Teams nipping at its heels!
The following links review the most recent mobile collaboration platforms which might help you as you consider exploring and using MC apps with your colleagues on your next group assignment or work task or simply to connect productively with friends or co-creators. https://www.techradar.com/news/the-best-online-collaboration-tools-2018 https://www.proofhub.com/articles/best-collaboration-software-2018 www.trustedtechteam.com/blogs/information-articles/slack-vs-teams?gclid=CjwKCAiAv9riBRANEiwA9Dqv1VnErDf-bAHTp8Uh0F-wZVFGMYrlw9qZFUoj189zitwfYeUq68poGhoC79oQAvD_BwE |
Societal and technological changes spur Mobile Collaboration trends at work and in learning. There is a growing human desire for more flexibility for how work and learning gets done. Simultaneously, the development of mobile technology tools and infrastructure now allows people to work and learn remotely, which is known as “anywhere working/learning”. In many sectors employees are seeking employment opportunities that allow for mobile collaboration around a flexible schedule. As a result, employers are adjusting their thinking about how people create and share ideas, what it means to be ‘productive’ (time in the cubicle versus volume of completed work), as well as what it means to be ‘connected’ to a work or learning team. |
Stats on Mobile Collaboration TrendsThe Good:
Polycom media (2017) surveyed 25,000 global workers across 12 countries on the theme of working trends and found that:
A 2016 survey by Syntonic studied such aspects as use of Mobile Apps for business and the 'dependence' on BYOD (bring your own device) in the workplace. They found that:
https://syntonic.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Syntonic-2016-BYOD-Usage-in-the-Enterprise.pdf |
The Bad: The Polycom survey found that:
The Take Aways: The Polycom study identifies a few pieces of advice for managing the "bad" of MC use in the workplace:
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Ensuring the Mobile Tools we use Enhance our Experiences
One some level mobile collaboration tools have become the 'Water Coolers' of the 21st century. Scan through your office communications app – Slack, Hangouts, Teams – and you will see chat channels about movies, fitness, food/wine, humour… all alongside work related communications. The archeology of this digital chatter mirrors that of face to face communication in most work places. And this is generally pretty healthy. People are communicating regularly with one another socially as they get their business done. The positive side of these apps includes building cohesion in work teams and establishing a positive sense of collegial culture and belonging in a department – even when ‘departments’ span time zones.
Of course, there are some downsides to these communication apps. For example, some folks have trouble curtailing the chat, feeling the need to respond to every message in a group channel. Mobile messenger apps can also invade personal time outside of work, thus blurring the line between work and personal life. These apps also track chat time from a data perspective, which allows employers to gauge who is being ‘productive’ and who is mainly chatty.
Ultimately, it is important to remember that office chatter has always existed. When working remotely, it is just no longer physically around ‘the water cooler’. These online tools afford workers an ability to engage in office relationships anywhere and anytime and, actually, all on their own terms, which was not always the case around the water cooler.
For further exploration on this theme, here are a few articles that consider the digitization of workplace collaboration:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90236583/the-slackification-of-work
https://www.magzter.com/articles/5731/226034/59355ad3a3292
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/05/what-has-slack-done-to-the-office.html
Of course, there are some downsides to these communication apps. For example, some folks have trouble curtailing the chat, feeling the need to respond to every message in a group channel. Mobile messenger apps can also invade personal time outside of work, thus blurring the line between work and personal life. These apps also track chat time from a data perspective, which allows employers to gauge who is being ‘productive’ and who is mainly chatty.
Ultimately, it is important to remember that office chatter has always existed. When working remotely, it is just no longer physically around ‘the water cooler’. These online tools afford workers an ability to engage in office relationships anywhere and anytime and, actually, all on their own terms, which was not always the case around the water cooler.
For further exploration on this theme, here are a few articles that consider the digitization of workplace collaboration:
https://www.fastcompany.com/90236583/the-slackification-of-work
https://www.magzter.com/articles/5731/226034/59355ad3a3292
http://nymag.com/intelligencer/2017/05/what-has-slack-done-to-the-office.html
Effective Mobile Collaboration Habits
Whether working from an office cubicle or from a metro station in Paris, effective 'workplace' collaboration relies on effective, agreed upon and respected codes of professional/social behaviour and communication habits. The Harvard Business Review (2018) provides a helpful 'Explainer' video on this theme. Check it out. |
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The Future of Mobile Collaboration
Tech writers suggest that the frontier of Mobile collaboration includes: virtual and augmented reality, wearables and 5G networks.
Virtual and augmented reality software will provide an enhancement to the synchronous video conference. Mobile collaborators will gain a ‘being there’ experience by being ‘dropped’ into a virtual meeting when they inhabit their avatar. Indeed, companies such as RealSense, AltspaceVR, and DORA already offer immersive experiences for the boardroom. For more check this link out: https://instapage.com/blog/business-collaboration-trends
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This leads one to consider ‘wearables’ as enhancements to mobile collaboration. Smart watches, head mounted displays (HMD) and Smart Glasses or Smart Helmets all facilitate a virtual or augmented mobile collaboration experience – many for very practical applications. For example, a remote worker might use a Smart Helmet to connect with engineers who can see a mechanical breakdown ‘as if they were there’ and guide the worker on how to resolve the problem. While not ‘cool’ yet, it’s hard to imagine such technology would not find a ubiquitous home in our workplaces soon. For more on this, check out:
https://imaginenext.ingrammicro.com/trends/september-2017/wearable-technology-now-available-for-remote-collaboration-at-work |
Of course, much of this depends on the implementation of 5G networks. This presents some game changing promises for mobile collaboration due to much faster data download and upload speeds, wider coverage and more stable connections. Larry Downes (2018), contributor in the Washington Post explains that many of the new uses “involve the revolution in sensors, low-cost transmitters and cloud-based software known as the Internet of Things (IoT), or “connected” or “smart” devices”. He explains more in his article ‘5G: What is it Good For?’: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2018/06/05/5g-what-is-it-good-for/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.5dc76af39c36
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Chris Stanger
Owner - MOBOCO
Owner - MOBOCO