Tips for project managers to nail remote working culture during COVID-19 phase

The age of remote working 

So, here we are, working with colleagues whom we might or might not meet in our life time. Welcome to the era of remote working! Here pyjamas become your office suit and your dog Tommy can turn out to be your only colleague. This year, we are all aware of both the positive and negative effects the word “Work from Home” invoked in our daily life. Some might have been a Panglossian, expecting a lot of output and productivity out of work from home. But it would have turned out to be a dud- with every day turning out to be rather muddling. Sometimes, a 5-min phone call could solve the trouble compared to that hour-long chat.  

Look at these tips to understand how you can bring more productivity into work from home: 

As of 2018, around 70% of employees reported that they are working remotely at least once in a week. Now, it is a regular routine. As a project manager, your duty would be to rise the morale of your team. How do you do that? 

We have top 6 tips to help you out: 

• Organise your workspace 

Charity begins at home. This adage would fit well in your workspace as well. Before you organise the chaos in your team, it is best to start organising your table. Many project managers do take it lightly. But they should ensure that they arrange their stuffs before they start out working. Be it that desk lamp or printer, they must possess a clean office area. 

• Create more boundaries 

Every remote worker would need to create their own boundaries while segregating their home and work life. Many project managers have trouble working long hours, rather than their employer’s fear that their employees would end up Netflixing and chilling. To avoid burn out and unproductivity, create your own boundaries. 

• Get access to human interaction 

Being a project manager is not an easy feat. It is a must to take your eyes off that screen and focus on interacting with your co-workers productively, but out of work. Take some time out, talk to your friends and get that frustration in your head sorted out. Do not sit alone throughout the day. Get some fresh air and chill out! 

• Take some time to work out 

Do not limit yourself to working from home. Take some time out to do some exercise, work out as per your convenience and save yourself from becoming a recluse. Be it taking up Taekwondo or Yoga, it is a must to enrol yourself in some physical activities. 

• Get the maximum benefit out of Work from home 

Work from home is not so bad, by the way. It has its own benefits which you cannot deny. Sometimes, it would have all the abilities to turn out to be an offer you cannot refuse. In that case, you must be willing to explore it further, without any ado. Enjoy it with your team, take it lightly, plan your project related activities and ensure that you are on the right track. 

• Use the best tools 

A few tools like SAP or Trello can do magic to your project management activities. Try to automate as many manual tasks as possible with these tools. 

To sum it up 

It is important to set up your workspace, create your own boundaries, make some time to talk to people and get the most out of work from home. Being a project manager is a huge responsibility. You can definitely make it more productive during this remote working phase.