Collaboration

Agile project management paired with Kanban has emerged as a popular and powerful combination for organizations seeking more adaptive, efficient workflows. As highlighted by Eric Brechner in his acclaimed book “Agile Project Management with Kanban” (1), together these methodologies enable leaner processes, clearer visibility, and greater team alignment. While there are voices in the industry that highlight contradictions and potential conflicts between Agile and Kanban, such discussions will be reserved for a separate analysis. Here, we focus on how these methodologies can collaborate effectively for the greater benefit of project management practices. ...

With over 300 million monthly active users (1), Microsoft Teams has firmly established itself as the world’s most popular business collaboration platform. This runaway success stems from Microsoft Teams providing a hub for workplace chat, meetings, file sharing and application integration under one roof, empowering productivity within organizations. Yet, enabling collaboration beyond company walls can unlock even greater potential. This brings us to the concept of external user access. Separate from guest access for partners, external user capabilities in Microsoft Teams allow employees to collaborate with customers, vendors and other outside entities. ...

Known for its robust messaging, video conferencing, and productivity apps, Microsoft Teams has quickly become integral to modern business workflows. In fact, the popularity of Teams is so significant that it secured the third rank with 111 million global downloads in 2022 among leading business apps worldwide (1), and 43% of Americans recognize the Microsoft Teams brand by its logo (2). An integral feature of Microsoft Teams that enhances its collaborative prowess is guest access. This functionality allows organizations to invite external users, such as partners, clients, or freelancers, to join their Teams environment, providing a seamless avenue for collaboration outside the conventional organizational boundaries. Guest access is distinct from external access (the latter being the topic of a separate piece), which is more about federated relationships between different organizations. Unlike external access, which allows users to see presence, send messages, and make calls, guest access integrates external users more deeply into the team’s workspace, allowing them to participate fully in projects, access files, and join meetings. ...

Corporate event planning is a multifaceted discipline that involves creating, managing, and executing events for businesses. These events range from small team meetings to large international conferences, all aimed at achieving specific business objectives. Whether it’s fostering team cohesion, enhancing marketing efforts, bolstering sales, or engaging stakeholders, each event is meticulously planned to ensure maximum impact. But what is corporate event planning truly about? At its core, corporate event planning is about organizing experiences that align with a company’s internal and external communication goals. This could involve anything from product launches, corporate anniversaries, and networking events to large-scale conventions and international summits. All of those serve as crucial platforms for team building, client engagement, and strategic marketing. ...

The organizational powerhouse behind any thriving company is an adeptly managed corporate events calendar. Unlike a business calendar, which is typically earmarked for individual or departmental planning (something we’ve extensively explored in our specific guide on the topic), a corporate calendar’s reach is expansive. These shared company-wide hubs chronicle milestones affecting most employees—from meetings and conferences to holidays, retreats and more. The nature and frequency of these events can vary widely, with some organizations regularly scheduling shareholder meetings and others punctuating their calendar with less routine, yet equally crucial events. Regardless of form, there’s no ceiling in sight for corporate event frequency or attendance. Case in point—65% of firms increased events budgets in 2023 alone (1). And by 2032, the global corporate events market will reach $1.17 trillion, expanding nearly 11% annually (2). Event organizers are also increasingly leaning into a variety of event formats—physical, virtual, and hybrid. In fact, 73% of professionals report growing satisfaction with online experiences—proving digital adoption will likely persist across enterprises (3). These striking statistics underscore the demand for centralized scheduling as more happenings unite flexible workforces. As both in-person and virtual events multiply, consolidated scheduling prevents conflicts and confusion. ...

Project management’s complexity has intensified as business quickens its pace—leaving multi-tasking managers struggling to stay afloat across mounting priorities. Recent statistics indicate a growing trend in this area: according to research from the RGPM, a staggering 85% of project managers are running multiple projects at the same time (1), with 59% managing between 2 and 5 projects simultaneously (2). Meanwhile, a study by Wellingtone (3) flags multi-project management as the top challenge facing project managers today. ...

Project management (PM) continues growing in criticality, with 70% of organizations depending on PM practices and technology to steer initiatives (1). When executed well, organizations enjoy up to 92% project success rates (2), meeting targets and milestones. Central to project management success are project calendars. These chronological visualizations sequence key activities, synchronize resources, and anchor collective focus as the launch dates approach. Selecting and implementing purpose-built calendars makes meeting deadlines three times more achievable. ...

Calendars run the world—quite literally. In fact, digital calendars steer the ship for roughly 70% of humanity daily (1), and they do so for a few good reasons. Beyond just boosting personal productivity, optimized calendar management unlocks game-changing advantages for businesses seeking to thrive. It acts as a backbone for team alignment, providing transparency around availability to cut down on wasted time and fosters an environment where productivity and creativity can flourish. Yet the benefits extend far beyond output alone. Harmonious work-life balance hangs delicately upon the calendar’s ability to find and protect white space needed for rest and renewal. ...

Group calendars are indispensable tools that bind the threads of teamwork together. They provide a birds-eye view of collective deadlines, meetings, and milestones—vital for synchronized efforts. With a mere 20% of individuals feeling a sense of control over their daily workloads (1), the clarity provided by a well-maintained group calendar can be transformative. Fortunately, popular platforms like Google, Slack, and Outlook now provide group calendar capabilities to streamline scheduling. Outlook is a dominant choice given its trusted email and calendar tools deeply integrated into countless businesses. With over 400 million active users, it provides a robust foundation for managing a shared calendar. Outlook’s widespread enterprise adoption makes it an ideal platform for cross-organization alignment. ...

With only 24 finite hours in a day, knowing what happens where and when is not just a convenience but a critical component of professional success. Responding swiftly to customer needs enables your team to build trust and loyalty with clients. Yet by one estimate, the average employee loses up to 9% of their time, nearly 200 hours per year, toggling between different apps and calendars (1). This fragmentation comes at a major cost to efficiency. That’s where a master calendar can save the day. ...