Digital tools are becoming more and more a part of how we work. Many of us are at different levels in terms of how comfortable we feel with using the tools themselves, and also in terms of dealing with the challenges of interacting primarily on-line. In this section, we talk about some useful digital tools, and we focus on how to tackle some of those challenges, especially related to building and maintaining trust, rapport and productivity in virtual teams, and how to keep virtual meetings interesting.
TOOLS FOR PLANNING AND SHARING
[To come]
TIPS FOR VIRTUAL TEAMS
Working virtually, and having virtual teams, is not easy. Teams can experience language barriers and in many cases the technology can pose challenges. Group dynamics are more difficult to manage, communication is not as straightforward, and messages can be more easily misunderstood. However, we all need to find ways to work together virtually more effectively. This section offers some tips for "getting it right".
TIPS FOR VIRTUAL MEETINGS
Virtual meetings and events (like webinars, seminars, conferences etc.) are more and more common. This section provides some tips for how to make them more interesting, engaging and successful.
WEBINARS
A webinar is a seminar or presentation conducted online with specific learning objectives and significant opportunities for interaction. A webinar can be useful when presenting new research findings, or organizational updates, and getting quick feedback; when you want to share country-specific experiences with a large audience or provide training or online demonstrations of new platforms or tools. Webinars can be recorded and shared after the event.
SOCIAL MEDIA
IFAD uses social media to reach out to a global audience and provide a wide range of content. Specific projects or programmes can do the same, and benefit in different ways: share results, reach a wide audience; or start discussions with partners, beneficiaries, colleagues, policymakers, etc. Social media tools can be relatively cheap, helping teams engage with many other persons in a short time.