Tools I’d choose again and again…
At SEES, we love a good tool. But what makes a tool great? For me, it’s the ones that reduce explaining, hold context, and work inside the ecosystem I’m already in. Now we know that as tech evolves, there are new shiny options dropping every day. Buuuut, here’s what’s currently doing the heavy lifting for me.
Ah, Google. My entire ecosystem. Email, calendar, docs, shared drives. It’s where communication happens and where decisions land. I prefer systems that don’t require constant translation between platforms. When work lives in one ecosystem, clarity sticks, files don’t float, and context doesn’t disappear. This tool is the baseline that makes the rest of my tools usable. And for collaboration without a learning curve, you just can’t beat it.
2. Google Vids
Ok, I know I already mentioned Google Workspace, but friends… have you explored Vids?! Like many of you, I was a Loom fanatic at one point. But Google dropped several upgrades to its Vids platform and it has become my go-to for system documentation and internal walkthroughs. Videos live next to the document or process they explain. Onboarding videos don’t vanish into inboxes or Slack threads. I primarily use it to create video walkthroughs, but the usefulness is honestly limitless. If I wanted to, I could have used it to create an Ai generated avatar to deliver this blog post! Best part? It’s now free for most folks with a paid Google Workspace account. Winning!
3. Asana/Monday.com
For structured, thoughtful project flow, I highly suggest a tool that is designed for project management. My personal favorites are Asana and Monday.com. Asana is my preferred tool when projects need clear sequencing and intentional planning. Monday.com shines when teams need shared clarity quickly. Many folks tackle project management via spreadsheets. If that works for you, great! But if you’re ready to move past spreadsheets and move towards a more robust solution, these are two great options.
4. Scribe
For SOPs that show instead of tell, I don’t want to write paragraphs explaining clicks. For that reason, I am quite obsessed with Scribe. Scribe records workflows as they happen and turns them into clean, visual SOPs. It’s especially helpful for repeat tasks and team handoffs where small steps matter. This tool reduces follow-up questions without creating heavy documentation. I say “I’ll send you a scribe” at least once per week. (To my clients, not my team! If you’re sending tons of scribes internally, you probably have a systems problem. *gentle side eye)
A final thought…
Good tools don’t demand loyalty…they earn it by making work feel lighter instead of louder. The right ones reduce friction, protect focus, and support follow-through. The wrong ones quietly exhaust you. So, pay attention to the tools you resist! They’re usually telling you something. :)
