Already using Google Docs to improve collaboration among team members? Great! Docs is bursting with amazing features that bring people together. Here are 5 great ones you may not know about…
The ability for teams to work together on a single document, in real time, no matter where they are, is certainly a major highlight of Google Docs. Docs is one of the many incredible productivity apps available in the Google Workspace suite. However, it offers a lot more than you may realise in terms of helping employees communicate better, collaborate seamlessly, and work together as one.
Here are 5 of the coolest collaboration features Google Docs has to offer:
1. @ mentions
Whether you’re writing a comment or you’re in the main body of a document, you can highlight a particular collaborator by typing ‘@’ followed by their name or email address. This is beneficial in a number of different ways. Firstly, any time you tag someone, a notification is sent to that individual. So this can be a great way to draw that person’s attention to a specific part of the document. Secondly, hovering over a tag brings up contact information for that user. This allows others to easily get in touch with the right team member if they have a question about a specific part of the doc.
2. Pageless documents
By default, Google Docs is set up as a standard word processor with margins, line breaks, and more. However, as different contributors may be working on different devices – including tablets and smartphones – this formatting can sometimes mean it’s difficult for others to read and understand the document. Particularly if there are tables or other visual elements involved. The good news is that you can set up Google Docs to create ‘pageless documents’ which allow users to continuously scroll without page breaks. So no matter who you’re working with, you can collaborate with ease.
3. Emoji reactions
Sometimes, you want to be able to share your thoughts on a particular piece of content, or on a particular comment within Docs, without having to spend time typing out a response. Google understands this, and offers users the opportunity to react simply through emojis, rather than text. In comments, select the text to react to, and click ‘Add emoji reaction’. In the main body of the document, use the ‘Insert’ menu to add an emoji. Reactions like this are a great way to motivate team members and let them know they’re on the right track, without creating any disruption.
4. Connected checklists
You may already know that you can use Google Docs to create checklists. Simply type up each different task on a separate line, highlight the text, and the ‘checklist’ button in the menu will instantly transform it into an interactive ‘to do’. What you may not know, however, is that it’s possible to share these checklists with other users, either by adding in email addresses, or by sending an accessible link. This creates a ‘connected’ checklist that your whole team has access to. They can tick off their own tasks when they’ve been completed, so you can keep track of what’s going on.
5. Google Meet integration
Pre-pandemic, it was the norm to create a presentation, and then show it off during a workplace meeting. Today, however, with many people still working from home, that’s simply not possible. Fortunately, Google offers a digital alternative. When you’re working in Google Docs, Sheets, or Slides, it’s possible to start or join an online meeting in Google Meet and share your screen with others. This recreates the in-person presentation experience in the digital space, making it easier than ever for teams to collaborate and work together on documents, spreadsheets, and more.
As this list shows, Google Docs is undoubtedly one of the best cloud-based tools for improving collaboration. For more collaboration-boosting tips and advice, keep an eye on our blog, or reach out to us for more information. From our base in Kent, we’re working with businesses across the UK and Ireland, empowering their employees to use great tech to work more productively and collaborate more efficiently.
