Embedded Files
You have been assigned to a new project. There's a bunch of people that will be with you on that adventure. Probably that list of people will grow and fluctuate over time.
How can Google Workspace help you get those people organized? Here's what pros do.
Google Workspace is the cat herder's best friend.
1. Set up a group
1. Set up a group
Create a new group - this will be the basis for many things you'll do later. Everybody can (and should) create groups as it suits them - groups are free and a great way to get organized.
Best practices for creating groups
The group name ("title") does not need to be the same as its email address.
2. Create a chat room
2. Create a chat room
Chat is the most transformational experience I have witnessed in my career, second only to simultaneous document editing. It's my favourite Google Workspace service (ties with Gmail, perhaps). You will want that experience for your new project.
Go to chat.google.com
Click "Person, room or bot" and select "Create room"
Give your room a nice title.
Add your GOOGLE GROUP to it. Your earlier work starts to pay off.
People will get a welcome mail (unless you choose not to send one). When you add people to the group later, they can join your room (it doesn't auto-add them). Removing people from your group does not automatically remove them from the room (but enables you to kick them out).
YES, you will see bots soon.
Best practices for creating rooms
Add groups, not people. (You'll see why)
You can use icons in your room's name
Naming standards keep things clean. We mostly name our rooms "Project - XYZ". Prefixed by a witty icon, of course!
Send a nice welcome message.
3. Create a Shared Drive
3. Create a Shared Drive
The question "what happens when my colleague leaves" is the most frequently asked question in PwC's G Suite land. In the future, it'll likely be joined by "what happens when my colleague is from a territory where somebody has implemented crazy short file retention policies". The easy answer is: You may suffer if you don't use Shared Drives (née Team Drive). So use them.
Create a Shared Drive.
Give your Shared Drive a nice title.
Add your GOOGLE GROUP as a member it.
People will get a welcome mail (unless you suppress it). Adding and removing people from your group will instantly make your Shared Drive appear or disappear for them.
Best practices for creating Shared Drives
If your team is composed of (sane) equals, make all members "managers". If you have people with less privileges, like interns, give them lesser roles, like contributor (editor) or viewer. You cannot downgrade roles on individual files/folders. Read more
Add groups, not people! (unless you have people who can't access the same stuff others can)
Name your Shared Drive like your chat room.
Give your Shared Drive a colorful theme.
4. Create a Calendar (optional)
4. Create a Calendar (optional)
Creating a separate team calendar is a great way to track deliverables, milestones, general announcements, vacation times etc. Remember that putting something on your secondary calendar does not block time on your primary calendar though.
Open Settings
Create a calendar.
Adding a group to a calendar will make the calendar visible for everybody in that group. Adding and removing people from the group will immediately add or remove the calendar from their view.
Best practices for creating Calendars
Make your calendars editable by your team members - this is the only way they can add events.
Calendars are visible for all of PwC IF people have the link. Think "everybody with the link can view".
There are a ton of options specific for your calendar. You can get an email every time somebody adds or changes events if you need to keep a close eye on it.
Calendar colour is set per person, the calendar name is shared for everybody. Here's how to get your calendar fields right in general.
You're all set! I tried to show how Group integration varies slightly between the services, but is the glue that can hold them tighter together. Hopefully setting up your next project (or fixing your current one) will be a breeze. Thank you for reading!
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