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June 30, 2023

Hey there, friend! Happy almost-July from PTG Tech Talk, where we're fully in the swing of summer things.

And while the summer months may feel like the time everyone is traveling to get away from the office, in reality it’s the perfect time to capitalize on digital collaboration connections that you may have been shying away from so far.

Statistics from Khris Digital paint an important picture, as 75% of employers say effective teamwork is critical to the success of their business. Additionally, 86% of executives and workers claim that a lack of collaboration is the top reason for failure in the workplace.

Now that we know collaboration is key, let's talk about how to increase it:

🙏Share the credit through co-authoring
🔘 Whole > Sum of its Parts
📈 Working together to maximize profits

TECH TIP

Co-Authoring Changes the Game

Okay, maybe co-authoring a document won't make you turn into Captain Planet, but it will make your team more productive and efficient.

Whether you're working on a Word document, an Excel spreadsheet, or a PowerPoint presentation, co-authoring allows multiple team members to work on the same file simultaneously.

Here’s how it works:

Choose Your Microsoft Program
Whether it's Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, open it up.
Save Your File in the Cloud
To enable seamless collaboration, save your file in a cloud storage service like OneDrive or SharePoint.
Share the File
Click on the "Share" button in the top-right corner of the program. Enter the email addresses of your team members or generate a shareable link.
Collaborate in Real-Time
As your team members access the file, they can make edits simultaneously.

NOTE: Each person's changes are highlighted with their unique color, so you can see who made what modifications.
Communicate with Comments
Take advantage of the commenting feature by selecting the text or element you want to comment on, and leave your thoughts in the comment box, where your team members can reply and have discussions right in the document.

And we're not counting out the possibility of your document turning into something as cool as Captain Planet if you have 5 people collaborating on the same document. Try it out and let us know what happens!

HEADLINES

How to be better than the sum of your parts

Solid collaboration is really what takes businesses from good to great in today’s economy. Whether it’s hopping on a Zoom call to speak face-to-face, leveraging Microsoft’s suite of tools built for the modern workforce, or your own special combination of the tools available to your organization, the right solution is out there that will work for your business.

🔥What is trending in workplace collaboration and what's on the way out? Much like Hansel from Zoolander (how’s that for a reference, Millennials?), generative AI is super hot right now. ChatGPT to be the fastest growing consumer internet app of all time, averaging 13 million unique users per day in January. Another positive trend we're seeing is called communication-enabled workflows. In other words, bringing frequently used apps together in one single location to avoid constantly switching apps. For example, within Microsoft Teams you can access your Planner, Viva Engage, etc. For more trends, check out the rest of the article.

💊 Workplace collaboration is revolutionizing employee mental health, according to a groundbreaking report. According to the TELLUS Health Mental Health Index, employer support – including collaborative tools and workflows – plays a crucial role in the overall mental health and happiness of employees. 37% of workers revealed that they rely on constant collaboration with their coworkers. And guess what? Collaborative workers reported the highest mental health score of 72.9, highlighting the incredible impact of collaboration on employee well-being and overall happiness.

🆓 Learn more ways to effectively collaborate by visiting our blog. We're constantly researching and discovering best practices for modern collaboration and we post our insights in our blog, which you can find here.

Some articles you might be interested in:

Should You Use Microsoft SharePoint for Document Management?

Use These 5 Tips When Collaborating Externally in Office 365

DEEP DIVE

Working together to maximize profits

Learn how digital collaboration can boost your bottom line here: How Digital Collaboration and Knowledge Sharing Can Boost Your Bottom Line

In today's rapidly changing business world, and we do mean RAPIDLY CHANGING, organizations face increasing pressure to maximize efficiency and drive revenue growth. Embracing digital collaboration and knowledge sharing is a game-changer for gaining a competitive edge.

Digital collaboration within platforms like Microsoft are great ways to break down geographical barriers, enabling real-time communication and seamless collaboration. This leads to reduced delays across the board, improved response times by your team, streamlined workflows of all kinds, and increased productivity, to name a few.

To get the full scope of benefits from digital collaboration, check out the full blog.

If you made it this far, we're guessing you read something you liked, so consider sharing this email with a coworker or a friend! You can also always give us a call at (864) 552-1291 and we'll help you evaluate your capabilities and options. Follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter for plenty more updates and tech-related news!