Work together when we're apart. The next, next phase.
Berkeley Lab Collaboration Tools
The Lab transitioned to remote work quickly in March 2020, and we settled into an uneasy new normal. Zoom dominated the workdays for many of us, and we learned new techniques to work together when we were apart. As people began to come back to the site for hands on work, our normal was changed again, with a mix of onsite and distributed workers. Then, as we entered the Fall, there were new pressures to make sure that "team science", so core to our Lab's DNA, was nurtured during these unusual times. Now, as the lab looks at the fall of 2021 and beyond,, we're focused on working together within hybrid teams. Collaboration tools can help nurture the formal and informal relationships that make Team Science work. Learn more below and, of course, feel free to reach out for advice or to share your ideas at collaborate@lbl.gov
What's New?
Sept 2021: You can now show your work location (home, work, etc) in google calendar, allowing your colleagues to schedule meetings based on your location. More>>>
Sept 2021: Google Spaces has launched, but as of this writing isn't available in the LBL domain yet. Learn more about Spaces here>>>
Sept 2021: Google's white paper on hybrid work offers great tips for creating productive inclusive teams using Google Workspace. Read it here>>>
Summer 2021: The AV Showroom is open for division leadership teams to tour advanced conference room technology. The Lab is upgrading ~100 conference rooms with advanced technology for hybrid teams. More>>>
Chat is one of the most powerful collaboration tools, allowing teams to communicate simply in real-time, or asynchronously. The New Google Chat keeps your team in sync. Learn how to create rooms, add documents, assign tasks, and more - all without leaving Gmail. Learn about other Chat products as well, including how Chat compares to Slack. More>>>
The kitchenette may have been replaced by your kitchen, but you can still get the watercooler experience with asynchronous social sharing. See how Currents can help your team stay close with work and work-adjacent talk and sharing. More>>>
Seeing your team together and having realtime video and audio has become second nature to most of us during this time (maybe to the point of fatigue). IT offers both Zoom and Google Meet. Learn more about how to get the most out of these resources and make them interesting again. More>>>
Working together in realtime or asynchrosouly across Docs, Sheets, Slides, Forms, and Sites is a powerful tool for teams. And with Overleaf, you can even work collaboratively in LaTex. More>>>
From whiteboards built into Zoom to more advanced whiteboards that can operate in or out of realtime meetings, IT has tools to have you drawing on the virtual board in no time. More>>>
With Jupyter-based notebooks, you can work together with others in realtime with live computational jobs and interactive calculations. IT provides access to Google's Collaboratory notebooks, as well as our in-house Jupyter-hub based services connected to Lawrencium. Learn More>>>
Informal project management can be harder when teams are apart. Lightweight project management tools like Google Tables, Smartsheet and Google Tasks can help everyone stay in sync. More>>>
Zoom and Meet work great for day to day meetings, but sometimes you need a different tool for larger meetings, social gatherings, poster sessions or ? IT has specialized tools and recommendations for your use cases (including the ones you might not have thought of yet!). More>>>
Can't Wait? Start Here - 5 Things To Try Now
Coming Soon...
How Teams Across the Lab Are Staying In Sync
We're working to build vignettes about how teams at the Lab work together remotely. Interested in sharing your story - drop us a line at collaborate@lbl.gov