The Big Three: How To Run A Remote Or Hybrid Team Using Trello, Slack, and Confluence

Remote and hybrid work are quickly becoming the new normal. Some companies are now choosing to remain remote long-term following the pandemic, while others are re-opening their doors with a hybrid approach. 

The thing is, running a remote or hybrid team is a different playing field than commandeering your typical corporate space. Managers of these teams are now faced with communication, collaboration, and transparency challenges that weren’t as prevalent in a solely co-located environment. With more online software tools available than ever before developed to help companies thrive in their newfound workspaces, it’s not uncommon to feel overwhelmed when searching for the right path to follow. 

Trello, Slack, and Confluence are three powerhouse tools that stand out among the crowd (and not just because of social distancing). These tools provide the opportunity for seamless collaboration, increased productivity, and streamlined communication to help your team flourish—no matter the work environment. 

Read on to find out how these three tools can provide guiding practices for your team that will scale your remote workforce productivity to new heights.

Use Trello To Move Work Forward

It’s time to turn in your old-school whiteboard for a digital board!  

Trello is easily the perfect choice for all of your project management needs. This collaboration tool draws on Kanban principles to visualize work from every angle, move projects forward, and prioritize continuous improvement. Used by thousands of businesses every single day, Trello will help your remote or hybrid team implement simplicity and high-performance across the board (hah, get it?).

Does your team need support with communication and flexibility? 

With Trello, you can easily see exactly what is being worked on, who the task is assigned to, what phase of the project the task is in, any upcoming deadlines or priorities, and so much more. Take advantage of Trello’s Power-Ups, automation, templates, and other best practices to make your team’s collaboration even easier! 

Not only does this alleviate potential miscommunication, it also builds in the opportunity to make adjustments as needed without creating blockers across the whole project. Trello’s flexibility has nothing to do with yoga, but it will help your team implement an agile approach to project management. 

This collaboration tool is a great way to build a solid foundation for your team. By fostering transparency, accountability, and autonomy through a visual workspace, Trello eliminates the need for managers to micromanage their teams, leaving employees far more satisfied. 

Go beyond your basic project needs! There are many ways to take advantage of the amazing capabilities that Trello has to offer. Save time with your 1:1 meetings by noting your talking points ahead of time, streamline your onboarding process with a new-hire board, and help your team maximize their efficiency by encouraging them to utilize personal boards.  

Trello can be whatever you need it to be. Once your company implements this powerful collaboration tool, your team will find just how easy it is to customize Trello to fit their exact needs.

Use Slack For Instant Connections

So, remote work has eliminated the awkward break room chats that always seem to revolve around how terrible the coffee is. Now what?

Welcome to your new virtual office: Slack. It’s is the perfect way to break down any communication barriers that may occur within your remote team. This communication hub provides a space to discuss projects, receive feedback, connect 1:1, and cultivate true culture, no matter where team members are located. 

Slack provides the option to create different channels so that conversations stay relevant to the designated topics and can be customized to fit any project needs. Employees can also take advantage of the private messaging feature if they need to sync with someone directly.

Slack has the ability to integrate seamlessly across a wide variety of apps, with collaboration partners such as Zoom, Google Drive, Zapier, Adobe, and more. 

Save time and increase productivity by automatically linking comments from Trello directly to any Slack channel! The Slack Power-Up for Trello makes it even easier to communicate with your team and optimize the functionality of both tools. Plus, the Slack Power-Up is a Bonus Power-Up that doesn't count towards the Power-Up limit.

Don’t forget to add in some fun! 

One of the most rewarding aspects of in-person work is the ability to form connections with your co-workers. It’s vital to implement that same opportunity for your team in a remote or hybrid setting so they can nurture the company culture and avoid feeling isolated in their job. 

To establish those connections, have your team incorporate additional spaces alongside the business-only channels where they are free to have fun and participate in casual office banter (we’re still not talking about the awful break room coffee, though).  

Remote and hybrid work require an additional layer of communication when it comes to the workplace. It’s important to understand how different mediums carry your messages. While other tools are intentional in professionalism, Slack is a great way to reconnect with your team through a far more personable approach. 

Use Confluence To Store Knowledge

We’d like to take a moment and chat with the Type A managers in the room! 👋

Confluence is your golden ticket to team organization, knowledge sharing, and file storing. This collaborative workspace acts as a single point of contact for all of the information that your team needs. Through the hustle and bustle of project management, Confluence expands beyond your crowded Google Drive to provide a categorized workspace, keep all team members informed, and ensure that all information is easily accessible.

The intuitive structure of Confluence is based on spaces and pages. 

➡ Spaces are the ‘folders’ in which you organize your pages.  

➡ Pages are the documents where your team creates, edits, and stores information.

Say goodbye to the lengthy email threads and Zoom meetings that still leave you feeling confused. When you build out your project in Confluence, it’s easy to create a project planning page that tracks all deadlines, assignees, tasks, and expectations. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and worrying about everyone being on the same page, Confluence helps you guarantee that now they will be on the same page—literally! 

Your team has the ability to like, comment, and engage with pages that are available to them, which validates the feeling of inclusion and reassures that their input is valued. Similar to the fun Slack channels, your team can create Confluence pages to share their favorite recipes, the 411 on puppy parenting, movie recommendations… you name it! 

From sharing knowledge to storing data, Confluence has every functionality your team needs for team coordination, collective knowledge, and streamlined project execution. Plus, the Confluence Power-Up is also a Bonus Power-Up that doesn't count towards the Power-Up limit.

Tying It All Together 

Trello, Slack, and Confluence all have the ability to integrate with each other to create the perfect remote collaboration tool trifecta. Your team will have an increased ability to stay on top of demanding workloads, communicate better than ever, and get the most out of what remote work has to offer.