Staying Productive in the Digital Age

From email to virtual meetings to Teams messaging, digital tools are essential to how government teams communicate and get work done. But when they’re not used well, they can create confusion, wasted time, and unnecessary stress.

During the latest Supervisor Community of Practice, we discussed easy‑to‑apply tips with Shawn Selleck, Principal, Civinno, LLC, to help supervisors use digital tools more intentionally. You’ll learn tactics you can apply right away to improve communication, run more effective meetings, and keep your team aligned — without adding new tools or processes.

Below are a few key takeaways from that session, as well as the recording in full.

1. Where do digital communication practices most commonly create friction and how can you overcome that? Selleck said that, in general, it’s important to start by “gauging where everyone’s level of expertise or comfort is, or I guess as I like to call it, they’re tech comfortless, as opposed to tech savviness, to make sure that if there’s a tool that we would like them to use, then we choose a level for the entire office that is accessible for each member.”
2. What unspoken expectations around responsiveness or availability have the biggest impact on team focus and productivity? Selleck said that he thinks “it’s important to start by understanding what the flow of everyone’s daily work is and to have conversations about when that availability is going to be highest. I mean, in some cases, the boss is the boss, and if the boss asks you to do something, then you just stop what you’re doing. But there are other cases where you need to have a conversation about what the norms are and how to approach people when there are more urgent items that might interrupt the normal flow of things.”
3. What is one small change a supervisor could make in how they use digital tools that would noticeably improve team productivity? “Start small and demonstrate that you, as a supervisor, will listen (and be responsive) to suggestions for process improvements in the office” Selleck suggested. “If staff feel your responses are inclusive, their appreciation can result in a regular cycle of collaboration.”
   

Ready for more tips to help you be a better supervisor? Register for our next CoP on Monday, May 26 at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT, Tips for Effective Communication.