Whether you are managing a team in person or remotely, organizing the documents that you work with are key factors in maximizing your productivity and avoiding clutter, lost documents and unnecessary duplicated documents.
One of the best ways to take advantage of shared folders is to create a structure that enables project or department managers to see all information related to the team, enable team members to have their own space to organize their documents (this avoids confusion for other team members as well as interference) and create a team folder that everyone can access.
The image above shows a possible structure that could allow you to set a foundation for having all of your documents to be easily organized.
Step 1) Create a root folder for your project
The root folder can be the name of your project. In this folder you'll have all of the information related to this project including the individual contributions of each team member. This folder will hold information that should be accessible to all team members but also have individual folders that are only accessible to each member of your team.
Sharing: Do not share this folder
Step 2) Create a folder just for you (the Project Manager) in the root folder
Inside the root folder we recommend that you create a separate folder just for you. This is where you will save information that is only for your eyes. For example, the resumes of your team. The hours log of each team member. Weekly reports. And any other documents that you are using related to your responsibilities during the project.
Examples of files for this folder: Resumes of your team, personal research
Sharing: Do not share this folder
Step 3) Create a folder for each team member in the root folder
A folder should be created for each team member and share with the team member only. In this folder the team member will have a logging sheet to keep track of hours dedicated. Keep in mind that as the project manager and creator of these folders you will also have access to the information. Each team member will be doing work independently but also contributing to the project. The information gathered could be placed in this folder.
Examples of files for this folder: Login sheets, personal documents collected for investigation, spreadsheets for analysis
Sharing: Create a folder for each team member and share only with that person (enable editing capabilities)
Step 4) Create a team folder in the root folder
The team folder should be shared with and made accessible for everyone on your team to not visualize and edit the content in these folders.
Examples of files for this folder: Collaborative report, collaborative presentation slides, company documents
Sharing: This folder should be shared with all members of your team (enable editing capabilities)