WWW… Wednesday! Volley

Communication is dynamic, responsive, and most importantly, communication is an exchange. Like a liquid, capable of taking the form of any vessel it’s poured into, communication, too, is fluid, changing forms depending on context. Much of the rich nuance we rely on to detect the appropriate tone for effective communication takes place outside the contents of the message itself. Things like body language, rhythm, and intonation all play an important role in the sending and receiving of messages.

While written communication has some distinct advantages, like flexibility in regards to time, these benefits come at a cost. By allowing us time to collect and refine our thoughts, we miss out on some of the aspects of communication that can only be experienced face to face. While we may benefit from having additional time to pore over a document and carefully consider our response, we also often lose clarity. Without the author of the message present to answer any questions, we’re left guessing as to a message’s meaning should we run into anything that isn’t clear. In person, such an issue might only take a minute to resolve, whereas a back and forth via email can take substantially longer.

An easy solution to this problem is video. While working remotely, video calls have proven to be an effective means of maintaining some sense of proximity to our coworkers. However, while a group video call might be ideal, when working with teams across different time zones, it can be difficult to organize meetings around everybody’s schedules. For many, this distance has been hard to overcome.

Volley solves this problem by introducing the Snapchat-like short video format to the workplace. By combining the strengths of short-format video with the collaborative features found in tools like Slack and Discord, Volley makes it easy for teams to overcome any distance and stay connected. Because videos are able to capture the nuance and emotion of communication in a way that written communication cannot, it becomes easier to get a sense of who you’re working with and how best to communicate with them.

Volley also reduces the need for meetings because members can simply send videos on their schedule for the rest of the team to watch at their convenience. With both a mobile and desktop app, Volley is with you wherever you are, making it easy to keep up with the latest and build adherence with the team. Volley is great for both teams and one-on-ones. For the introverts—don’t worry. Volley doesn’t use video exclusively, there are several different means of communication you can choose from.

In addition to short video clips, you can also send just audio or plain old text. Video has a few added utilities that make it particularly useful for teams, though. While videos like those self-shot with a front-facing camera will likely be the most commonly used, you can also share screen recordings, which is particularly helpful in the case of reporting bugs or providing instructions. This feature combined with Volley’s ability to share documents makes it a great option for providing easy and personal onboarding, where answers to any questions are just a video away.

Volley is available for iPhone, Android, Mac & PC. You can learn more and try it for free here.