While some businesses may have predicted that the “work from home” trend would taper off in a post-pandemic world, it appears that remote work - at least in some capacity - is here to stay. 

If your business was lucky enough to survive and stay afloat during the last few unpredictable years, it’s likely that you’ve already overcome the hurdle of learning how to manage projects remotely, so congratulations!

But whether you’re well versed in remote management, or new to the world, it’s always a good idea to brush up on strategies that can make the process even more successful. 

Read on for our top 3 tips for remote project management! 

Tip 1: Focus on Clear Communication & Collaboration

Working remotely, with a multitude of team members in different workspaces, living situations, and even time zones, can create an environment that isn’t conducive to high productivity. But potential issues that may arise as a result of these inconsistencies can be mitigated by ensuring clear and effective communication.

Here are some ways to support a communicative, productive work environment:

• Engage in regularly scheduled team meetings. Team meetings help to remind remote employees who are otherwise working solo, that they’re not in it alone. They create a sense of consistency, and encourage a safe space for check-ins, questions, and concerns. Prioritize them and watch your team communication evolve! 
• Make space for impromptu individual meetings, and remain available and responsive whenever possible. When working remotely, team members lack the ability to pop into a leader’s office for help, and can feel lost if an emergency question comes up. Simply letting your team know that you’re available to them during the work day makes them feel supported, and can help business operations run more smoothly.
• Utilize video conferencing tools like Zoom, Google Hangouts, Uberconference, etc. These tools offer a great opportunity to let team members see your face, which in turn helps them to feel more connected during collaboration. A little bit of "face-to-face" time - even virtually - can go a long way. 

Tip 2: Utilize Data Centralization

Having a central hub where team members know that they can find project files, contacts, and  other pertinent resources, will help projects to flow more smoothly. No matter the CMS that you choose to use, prioritize data synchronization, and make sure that your team has the ability to pull the most up-to-date files, in order to ensure accuracy across your projects.

Tip 3: Efficiently Monitor Projects

A good leader has their finger on the pulse of every aspect of a project. So, be sure that you are seeking to empower yourself with the most up-to-date steps of a project’s progression on a daily/weekly basis. With a good data centralization tool, you should be able to achieve efficient reporting, and your monitoring and centralizing systems should be synchronized so that you get real time information. With these tools at your fingertips, you should have the ability to take immediate action when necessary, and jump into any step of a project with ease if a team member needs assistance. 

Conclusion

When working remotely, adaptability is key. Afterall, the concept of remote work is a result of adaptability in its purest form! And as this type of work continues to grow, the team management tools that become available to you as a leader are sure to evolve along with it.

So stay on top of the latest communication trends, follow our top tips for successful remote project management, and in spite of physical distance, we’re certain that your team will feel comfortable, connected, and as a result: productive.