| Leading by example

Your behavior as a team leader matters to your people. You can create clarity or add to confusion when it comes to collaboration software - even unknowingly. Here are some thoughts about how to use the best tools your company offers to make your team more efficient, competitive and happy. The rewards are immeasurable.

Welcome to Google Workspace

The story so far

During your Going Google phase, you may have had 1:1 sessions with senior leaders. Depending on your company's level of enthusiasm, you were promised the world of what Google would do - which it did, just not at the pace promised. That disappointed some and left a wrong perception of Google Workspace as unfit for business, while staff "grew up" with and embraced Google Workspace.

If you joined later, that may have meant no Google-specific knowledge at all during onboarding, as there is a perception that people "just have Gmail accounts" and can we please talk about expense reporting.

A legacy of tools

Many companies do not remove all competing tools. A first category of tools is required by experts for their job. A second category has not yet been removed because decommissioning is hard. A third category is kept because people like to have a choice, or because other tools are designed for the desktop age and do not yet integrate properly into Google Workspace.

This is expensive and confusing, but worst: Some people mistake this for a sign that Google Workspace is not "all the way there" or "limited" in some way. The truth is precisely the opposite. But the more people use the tools, the more everyone wins. This is where you are needed.

Catching up

All this talk might seem daunting. You know how to write, calculate, email. Here is how you can catch up:

• Google has good training material

• Your company may have even better material

• Ask your team to show you. It may sound silly, but there will be people delighted in training you.

• If you feel adventurous, this blog has a big archive.

What's in it for you

Google Workspace took your company by storm. The pace of technology is accelerating and the adaptability skills you learn today by embracing Google will help you later. Think of Google as your training ground for future proofing.

Also, consider that your team expects you to work with Google Workspace. Most leaders have embraced it as a competitive advantage, as has the next generation being promoted into leadership roles.

Sticktoitiveness

Best practice is to insist that your team submit all deliverables using Google Documents. Your meetings should be in Meet so you can take them on the go (or with clients) if required, or dial in, or record them. Whatever gets presented should be in Slides - it looks good, presenting in Meet is a breeze, nobody scrambles after the latest version. If someone loses the laptop, nothing is lost.

Every report should be in Docs so you can review it on your iPad, without sending emails. Analysis takes place in Sheets. Everything is stored in Drive (observe your business rules). The rule should be: The boss only accepts Google. This will do wonders for productivity in your team and will ignite their use of the tools. Your successor will inherit a well-oiled machine and your people will learn a lot about working as a true team (and have fun while doing it). Those smiling faces in the internet companies' ads are real, I see them every day.

This is why your company needs you, the leader, to go all in on Google Workspace and to drive adoption through the roof in your team, too. Google Workspace is a tool to make your team more successful. Use it to its fullest. Thank you for reading!