The document discusses tools for improving communication and collaboration through better organization. It identifies common communication inputs like email, calendars, tasks and social media. It emphasizes organizing communications by priority and scheduling time blocks for tasks. The document then evaluates tool options for key areas like email, calendaring, scheduling, newsletters, surveys, and groups/collaboration. It recommends exploring different free and low-cost tools to find the best fit for individual and organizational needs.

1. Communication and
Collaboration
Master the Digital World
to Improve Efficiency
Sheila Burkett

2. Introductions
 Sheila Burkett, Tuxedo Park Management
 Business Owner
 Tuxedo Park Management
 Spry Digital
 Business Process Improvement Background
 Sr. Lecturer, UMSL
 INTRODUCE YOURSELF
 Name
 Company You Are With
 What You Want To Learn Today

3. Agenda
 Managing and Organizing Communications
 Identify the Right Tools
 Available Tools
 Calendaring & Scheduling
 Email & Newsletters
 Surveys and Data Collection
 Groups and Collaboration
 Explore Tools
 Wrap Up

4. Too Many Communications!
Surveys
Meeting
Requests
Voicemail
Newsletters
Meeting
notes
Tasks to
Complete Work
Schedule
Personal
Schedule
Personal
EMAIL
Snail Mail
TEXT
Message
Social
Media
Phone
WORK
EMAIL
YOU

5. Productivity is the key!
 Yielding POSITIVE results
 State of being efficient
 Measure of output
 Constructive

6. Too Many Communications!
Surveys
Meeting
Requests
Voicemail
Newsletters
Meeting
notes
Tasks to
Complete Work
Schedule
Personal
Schedule
Personal
EMAIL
Snail Mail
TEXT
Message
Social
Media
Phone
WORK
EMAIL
YOU

7. Organize the Inputs
JUST FOR FUN
ONCE A DAY
IMMEDIATE/URGENT
TWICE A DAY
Email, Calendar,
Tasks/ToDos
Kids, Husband, Clients, Boss,
Text Msgs
Voicemail, Personal Email,
Snail Mail, Meeting Requests
Social Media, Surveys,
Friends, Family

8. What is Immediate?
 Requires a decision at that moment?
 Is it a top priority?
 Current time is committed to that
person, activity or task.
 Critical to your job performance.
 You have the time and attention for it at
that immediate moment.
 Always ask, CAN THIS WAIT?

9. Knowing What Is Immediate
 Identify tools
 Text messages
 Phone
 Alerts
 Types of things to send via this method
 Calendar Reminders
 Tasks reminders
 Know who is calling (caller id/contact list)

10. Organize the Inputs
JUST FOR FUN
ONCE A DAY
IMMEDIATE/URGENT
TWICE A DAY
Email, Calendar,
Tasks/ToDos
Kids, Husband, Clients, Boss,
Text Msgs
Voicemail, Personal Email,
Snail Mail, Meeting Requests
Social Media, Surveys,
Friends, Family

11. Time Block Those Daily Items
 First Thing In Morning
 Before/During/After Lunch
 End of Day
 Do not take calls unless urgent; let them go to
voicemail.
 Communicate when you check mail/calls with
staff, clients
 Under a minute, handle immediately
 More than a minute, schedule time to handle

12. Plan your day/week
 End of Day Planning
 What needs to be rescheduled
 Time blocked to do tasks tomorrow
 Week Ahead Planning
 Identify pre-work and schedule in calendar
 Verify project tasks and schedule time
 Day before confirmations
 Allow for travel time, traffic and parking
 Check of to do lists

13. Know Yourself & Others
 Time it takes to do a task
 Be realistic about your timeframes
 Account for others ability to manage time
 Develop techniques to stay focused
 Get people off phone
 Get others out of office
 Leave on time
 Learn to say no if you have too many things
on your plate.

14. Identify the Right Tools
Communications and Collaborations Needs Assessment
NEED CURRENT/AVAILABLE
SOFTWARE AND
HARDWARE
POTENTIAL
SOFTWARE/HARDWARE
TO USE

15. Identify the Right Tools
 What are your needs?
 Types of most common communications
 Groups you need to work with
 Information being shared
 What hardware tools are available?
 Computer
 Phone
 What current software tools are available?

16. Identify the Right Tools
 Environment
 Where do you work most of the time?
 Is wireless available?
 Is internet available?
 Level of technical comfort
 Level of organization comfort

17. Break
15 minutes

18. Types of Tools Available
Communications and Collaboration

19. Email
 Tool to organize incoming and outgoing
communications
 Personal vs Work
 POP vs IMAP or Sync
 Eliminate SPAM or JUNK (create a Junk
Email)

20. Email – Options for Personal
 Gmail (mail.google.com)
 GMX Mail (gmx.com)
 Yahoo Mail (mail.yahoo.com)
 Windows Live Hotmail (hotmail.com)
 Zoho mail (zoho.com)
 GoDaddy or other hosting services to get
personal domain and email account

21. Calendaring
 Google Calendar (calendar.google.com)
 iCal (mac – apple.com)
 Microsoft Outlook
 Thunderbird
 http://www.mozillamessaging.com
/en-US/thunderbird/
 Rainlendar
 http://www.rainlendar.net/cms/index.php
 Microsoft Live calendar (calendar.live.com)

22. Scheduling
 Doodle.com
 Sharing on Google Calendar
 Google Apps Marketplace has many that
integrate with Google Calendar
 Outlook Group Calendar
 Not many “free” offerings.

23. Newsletters
 Consider
 Pricing based on #contacts vs #emails sent
 Reputation on protecting being flagged as
SPAM
 Tools available for tracking
 Tools for creating emails
 iContact
 ConstantContact
 MarketVolt
 MailChimp

24. Surveys and Data Collection
 Google Docs (docs.google.com)
 SurveyMonkey (surveymonkey.com)
 SurveyGizmo (surveygizmo.com)
 Most email marketing have integrated survey
options

25. Groups and Collaboration
 What Types of Collaboration?
 Projects
 Information and Pictures
 Group Discussions
 Google Groups (groups.google.com)
 Yahoo Groups (groups.yahoo.com)
 37 Signals (37signals.com)
 Google Business Apps (ManyMoon)
 Zoho

26. Did you know?
 TechSoup.org offers discounted software and
hardware to NPOs
 Google Business Apps Premier is free for
NPOs
 Grassroots.org offers free technology
services to NPOs

27. Explore Tools
 Pick one area of focus
 Create an account (most of what we talked
about is free)
 Explore and ask questions

28. Questions & Contact Info
Sheila Burkett
Spry Digital, LLC
314-249-6571
Sheila.Burkett@sprydigital.com