Collaboration Tools
Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) are reshaping the way we think about organizational structures. Unlike traditional organizations bound by geographical locations and hierarchical setups, DAOs operate in a digital, global, and remote-first landscape. This decentralized nature, while revolutionary, brings forth a unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to collaboration. The absence of physical offices, the diversity of time zones, and the reliance on digital tools make collaboration in DAOs vastly different from what we see in conventional organizations.
Challenge 1: Scheduling Meetings with Global Participation
In a DAO, it's not uncommon to have a member in San Francisco collaborating with another in Singapore. This global dispersion is both a strength and a challenge.
The Problem
Coordinating across multiple time zones means that there's rarely a "perfect" time for everyone to meet. This can lead to members feeling left out or having to compromise their personal schedules.
What is needed?
A multi-pronged approach is needed. Utilizing scheduling tools that display global time zones can help find overlapping hours. Additionally, rotating meeting times and recording sessions for later viewing can ensure inclusivity.
See our articles on how to solve these problems:
How to Use lettucemeet: The tool to make your global scheduling as effortless as possible. We tested out so many tools to fix this problem. This is the one.
Syncing Time Zone on Discord: Discord is the hub for communications for DAOs. Make sure everyone knows what time your meets are by setting it all up properly.
And for your one-on-one meeting scheduling, use the free version of calendly.
Challenge 2: Effective Online Collaboration
The entirety of DAO operations happens online. While this offers flexibility, it also presents challenges in ensuring productive collaboration.
The Problem
Digital meetings, without the nuances of face-to-face interactions, can become directionless. There's also the risk of digital fatigue and the challenge of ensuring that online brainstorming sessions are as effective as in-person ones.
What is needed?
The key to effective online collaboration is facilitation. The Facilitator's Collective is the place to go for learning this art of communication.
This video on How To Be A Great Facilitator is another great resource to start learning facilitation.
Regarding the tools, Miro is our choice to turn your meetings into collaborative experiences. See below our various articles to get started with Miro.
Challenge 3: Running Effective Meetings
For DAOs, there are so many options when selecting where to meet, how to organize the meet, and what tools to use within those meetings.
The Problem
Deciding on the best platform for meetings, organizing them efficiently, and ensuring they're managed well. There are many options out there that can be considered, and as the organizers you are responsible for selecting the tool, making sure everyone can join the meeting, organize the chat, administer the meeting, make sure its safe against spammers, and attackers and more.
The Solution
One size doesn't fit all in this case. You need to run a 100 person event where there is one main presenter, Zoom is probabaly your best bet. You need to run a collaborative workshop with a small group, again Zoom may be the choice. But when you want a more natural space, where people can move around, play games, and have fun, then maybe explore other options.
Your choice of meeting tool, as well as the tools you use within need be selected according to your needs. We have considered a variety of tools for different use cases. See our research below:
Zoom Best Practices - This article covers Zoom but a large part of it applies to running digital meetings on any tool.
Ready to use Metaverses for Community Gatherings - Wanna have more fun in your community events? Check out these metaverses.
Challenge 4: Enabling Asynchronous Collaboration
DAOs are global and remote, so they run a lot of online meetings. Yet most of the work happens outside of the meetings, whenever the DAO members are alone. While traditional organizations have the office space for all the work to happen, DAO members need to be able to communicate and collaborate asynchronously, allowing members to contribute at their own pace.
The Problem
DAOs operate in a continuous cycle, with members spread across various time zones. While online meetings provide a platform for real-time discussions, the bulk of the work happens outside these sessions. Unlike traditional organizations that have physical offices where collaborations occur in real-time, DAO members often work independently, at different times. This poses a challenge: How do members effectively communicate, share updates, and collaborate on tasks when they aren't online simultaneously?
What is needed?
Asynchronous collaboration tools become the backbone of DAO operations. Platforms like Notion allow members to document their work, provide updates, and set tasks that other members can pick up and continue, irrespective of when they log in. This ensures a continuous flow of work, with members contributing at their own pace. It's essential to establish best practices for asynchronous communication: clear documentation, setting expectations on response times, and regular status updates. This way, every member, regardless of their time zone or schedule, can stay informed and contribute effectively.
As any DAO, to pursue asynchronous collaboration well, you need a great documentation, and a great project management system. Here are our research on these topics, but we suggest going with Notion for all your needs here:
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