Welo: A Virtual Office Space That Bridges the Gap for Remote Teams
As we continue our series of exploring valuable tools for teams, I would like to share a hidden gem that I believe holds immense potential for small businesses, nonprofits, small schools, and any team with remote members. This tool offers a unique approach to virtual connection and collaboration, providing a "Virtual Office Space" that goes beyond the limitations of traditional video conferencing platforms like Zoom or Google Meet.
While those options certainly have their place, this particular tool – called Welo – offers a richer and more immersive experience. In fact, it's so much more than just a meeting platform that I've decided to dedicate a two-part series to exploring its capabilities. This first part will focus on introducing Welo and its key features, highlighting what sets it apart from standard virtual meeting tools. The second part will delve into specific use cases and demonstrate how Welo can transform teamwork, collaboration, and connection for remote teams.
What is Welo?
Welo is a virtual space designed to connect and improve productivity for team members. Within this virtual world, you can interact with colleagues in a way that mimics the dynamics of a physical office. You might be wondering why you can't just use email for this purpose? It's a great question, and the answer lies in the nuances of human interaction.
How often have you hesitated to send an email because you weren't sure if you were interrupting someone or if they were even at their desk? Welo provides a sense of presence and awareness that an email simply cannot replicate. Imagine a colleague is in another room and you notice they're alone. In a physical office, you might casually walk over and ask if they have a minute to chat. Welo recreates this dynamic, allowing you to quickly send a message or initiate a video call with a colleague, fostering a sense of connection and spontaneity that's often missing in remote work environments.
Remote work has become the norm for many businesses and organizations. While remote work offers numerous benefits, it also presents unique challenges. One of the biggest challenges is maintaining a sense of connection and camaraderie among team members who are geographically dispersed. This is something that I have seen in multiple situations throughout my time of using traditional communication platforms for remote work, with both clients and projects.
Traditional communication tools like email and instant messaging can be effective for conveying information, but they often fall short when it comes to fostering a sense of community and belonging. Video conferencing platforms like Zoom and Google Meet have helped bridge the gap, but they still tend to focus on scheduled meetings rather than the spontaneous interactions that can occur in reality.
That's where Welo comes in. Welo provides a virtual office space for remote and hybrid teams, replicating the dynamics of a physical office in a digital environment. It goes beyond a simple video conference to create a persistent virtual world where team members can connect and collaborate throughout the day, regardless of their physical location.
Key Features and Benefits
Spatial Awareness: One of Welo's most unique features is its ability to provide a sense of spatial awareness. You can see who else is present in the virtual office; represented by icons at their virtual desks or in meeting rooms. This allows for spontaneous interactions and quick chats, just like in a physical office. You can even "walk over" to a colleague's virtual desk to see if they're available for a quick chat or to join an ongoing conversation. Instead of distracting video game like animations I have seen from others, Welo uses a simple and professional visual representation to convey presence and availability within the virtual space.
Resource Accessibility: Just like in a real office, Welo allows you to access important resources within the virtual space. You can include links to shared files, calendars, email, and other essential tools, ensuring that everything your team needs is readily available. Resources can be assigned to a specific room to make it easier to find specific resources. This eliminates the need to switch between different applications or platforms, keeping everyone focused and productive within the environment.
Seamless Communication: Welo offers a variety of communication tools to facilitate both synchronous and asynchronous collaboration. You can hold video conferences with individuals or groups, using popular platforms like Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Google Meet or Welo's Amazon Chime integrated video system.
Lets expand how this leads to an enhanced collaboration
Welo takes collaboration to the next level by providing a shared virtual space where team members can work together seamlessly on documents, projects, and ideas. Below are some features to highlight:
Co-edit documents in real-time: Reduce emails going back and forth or struggling with attachments of reversioned files. Welo allows multiple users to simultaneously edit documents like Google Docs, spreadsheets, and presentations, fostering a truly collaborative workflow. With the Google Docs integration, you can see each other's cursors, track changes, and provide instant feedback, just as if you were sitting around a table.
Brainstorm on a virtual whiteboard: Need to generate ideas, map out a project plan, or visualize a complex concept? Welo has integration features with Miro and Mural (with your account integration). Team members can contribute ideas, draw diagrams, and organize thoughts together, ensuring everyone's voice is heard.
Share screens and presentations: Easily share your screen or present slides to your team within the Welo environment. This is ideal for presentations, demos, and training sessions, allowing for clear and engaging communication.
Facilitation Tools
The Welo space offers a range of tools that empower facilitators and team leaders to conduct productive and engaging virtual meetings and workshops. These tools include:
Timer: Keep meetings on track and ensure efficient use of time with a built-in timer that's visible to all participants. This helps maintain focus and prevents meetings from dragging on unnecessarily.
Breakout Rooms: Divide participants into smaller groups for focused discussions or brainstorming sessions. Facilitators can easily move between breakout rooms to monitor progress and provide support. Facilitators/Administrators can call back into the main conference room once time has expired.
Screen Sharing and Control: Share your screen. Facilitate presentations, demos, and collaborative work sessions. This can help with facilitation without the need to leave the virtual office.
One-on-One Sessions: Need to provide individual support or have a private conversation with a participant? You can easily invite participants to another room for one-on-one interactions. You can “lock” the room to prevent others from entering, ensuring confidentiality and focused attention.
With these collaboration and facilitation features, Welo can help create an engaging virtual workspace that empowers teams to connect, collaborate, and achieve their goals, regardless of their physical location.
Beyond the Virtual Walls
Welo is more than just a collection of features; it's a platform that fosters a sense of belonging and connection among remote team members. It bridges the gap between physical and virtual workspaces, creating a more engaging and collaborative environment for everyone. It can help reduce feelings of isolation, improve communication, and boost productivity.
I have had the pleasure of meeting with several Welo team members and one of their founders, Cliff Pollan. They have shown how effective the platform has been for them, and I hope this blog helps others see the potential of this tool and how helpful it has been in my experience.
In the next part of this series, we'll explore specific use cases for Welo and demonstrate how it can transform remote teamwork across various scenarios. We'll examine how Welo can be used for onboarding new employees, facilitating team-building activities, conducting training sessions, and much more. Stay tuned to discover how Welo can help your remote team thrive!
Do you already have Welo but could use a hand?
We are happy to help you get the most potential out of your Welo experience! We have been using the system not only for our team but for various projects and have gotten the opportunity to utilize the system for different situations.
