In recent times, the concept of remote work has become increasingly popular. In fact, a recent study conducted showed that roughly 99% of employees want to work remotely at least once in their entire careers. In such a scenario, establishing the right remote project management practices is key. Failure to do so can lead to financial losses, failed projects, and pure chaos.
In this piece, we talk about some remote project management practices that you can establish when working with virtual teams.
1. Trust your team
To many, this may seem like a no-brainer. However, this is something that is often overlooked by companies across the globe. The key here is to avoid micromanaging your team and instead respect their space and time as much as you'd expect them to value yours. Constantly checking on employees, monitoring their every task and activity will not only demoralize them but will also make them feel like you don't trust them.
2. Outline short-term and long-term goals
When working with remote teams located in different parts of the world, it isn't always easy to align them on common goals. And that's why it's important to ensure that they understand all the short and long-term goals of the company and how they can contribute towards achieving them.
3. Establish feedback loops
Feedback is crucial, irrespective of where your team is located. And so, as a manager, it is your responsibility to provide frequent feedback — both positive and negative. Ensure that your feedback is extremely specific so that your team understands your expectations clearly, and can align their tasks and activities to meet those expectations. Constructive criticism is key. But if an employee performs exceedingly well, it is important to recognize and appreciate their efforts too. This creates a feedback loop — one that can prove to be extremely beneficial when working with remote teams.
4. Use the right remote project management tools
When working with remote teams, communication and collaboration is paramount. And that's where project management tools are essential. The right remote project management tools will allow you to assign tasks to different employees worldwide, track project milestones and deadlines, automate business processes, and simplify communication channels. Some common remote project management tools that have gained popularity in recent times include Trello and Jira.
By following these simple yet effective practices, you are well on your way to building an efficient and productive remote team.
source:https://www.projectsmart.co.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=3800
With 35% of US workforce now classified as freelancers, businesses are adapting to the challenges of managing remote workers.
Collaborating with remote workers and building a unified team is difficult, but can be extremely rewarding and cost effective. You need to use the right tools and processes to maintain high productivity, morale, and creativity levels.
Communication and productivity tools are important for managing remote employees because they enable you to better organize the team and keep everyone on the same page. They also help employees to execute without you having to look over their shoulders all the time.
Project management, especially in a remote environment, can be very difficult and challenging.
Luckily, I've provided a comprehensive list of the best project management software tools to help you.
