| | March 20178CIOReviewCOLLABORATION IS AS COLLABORATION DOES: DRIVING BUSINESS SUCCESS WITH THE RIGHT UNIFIED COMMUNICATIONS TOOL By Jon Brinton, EVP & President, Mitel Cloud Division [NASDAQ:MITL]The globalization of the enterprise has shifted the nature of collaboration, making unified communications tools a necessity and giving multinational enterprises and their teams the ability to function seamlessly across time zones. Being able to connect a diverse, global workforce is a huge operational asset.When used correctly, collaboration tools allow organizations to focus on their core competencies by enabling workers to be more productive through contextual, real-time communications. But it's easy--to get caught up in the novelty of having advanced communications tools at your fingertips, overlooking the practical reality of team collaboration--it's really only as good as the tools that support it. After all, if setting up the meeting takes longer than the meeting itself, or if your employees get away from spending all their time answering email only to end up spending all their time answering IMs, then collaboration tools are getting in the way of productivity and becoming more of a burden than an asset.That's why it's important to ensure you aren't just choosing a collaboration tool to support certain features and functions, but that you're choosing a collaboration tool to support the way your business actually works. Have an Honest ConversationUnderstanding how business is done and how collaboration tools can support that is key to making the right decision. It's important, therefore, to start by having an honest conversation with employees about their needs. Don't just scan the network for application usage data; engage employees in a conversation about their preferred collaboration and working styles. Be clear about how their input will be used and they'll feel more comfortable giving feedback. If you're not sure where to start, here's a list of questions you can ask employees to guide the discussion:1. How do you currently manage your work, and what communications tools are you using? 2. Are there any capabilities you would like to use that you don't have access to today?3. What is your process for forming and maintaining teams for new and existing projects?4. Are teams generally permanent, or do people often join for a one-off task and leave when they're finished?5. Does your current workspace capture a history of project notes or actions in a virtual Jon BrintonIN MY OPINION
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