The first step is “the email game”. I see it as a game, because we spend so much time playing and responding to each other. Everyone seems to have its own strategy : no response, short response (i.e. : “OK”), endless response, new threat, etc. However, in the end, we never really know who win and who lose. The problem is we also lose so much time. Remember : email is a communication tool, not a sharing tool.

For example, when we work on a project, every time someone update its part, we receive a copy by email. If two people work at the same time on the same version of a document, then the email system fail.  You might also hear : “My file is too heavy, I can’t send it by email”, which gives me headaches every time.

What can be done ? There is no perfect solution. But, productivity should be enhanced by using web-services like Drop.io, where you can upload attachments (up to 100MB) or Google Docs, where everyone can share and work on the same documents. If you like real-time collaboration, you will definitely enjoy Google Wave. The key is to think about sharing and collaborating, instead of simply communicating. How about having only one document to work on, instead of multiplying the parts every time you send a email ? It is a little thing that should make you work differently, but make your teamwork’s life easier.