Working remotely has its benefits. For one thing, you don’t have to put as much of your hard-earned money toward gasoline for your vehicle. For another thing, you can probably sleep in a little longer than you’d normally do because you don’t have to worry about a long commute.
But even though it has a lot of benefits, remote working also has its challenges. This is especially true if you manage a team of people remotely. When you’re not together in the same space, it can be hard to keep projects on track.
3 Project Management Skills for Remote Work
From learning how to set up a Google Meet office background to taking breaks, here are some of the best remote project management skills you can utilize for greater success.
1. Eliminate Distractions
One of the key actions all remote workers should do is eliminate distractions before beginning their tasks for the day. Distractions come in so many forms when you’re working from home or from any other remote location. For example, pets can easily become a distraction if they require a lot of attention or if they get in a playful mood and race around your home office.
If you’re traveling while working remotely, the noises of city life outside your window can be distracting. Keep in mind that anything that’s distracting for you will also be distracting for anyone who is on a conference call with you. If you need to meet with your team, it’s a good idea to set up a custom Google Meet background so your distractions don’t become your coworkers’ distractions.
2. Allow Yourself to Take Breaks
When you work remotely, it’s easy to forego breaks and continue working even when your mind and body need a rest. When you’re at work, you probably get up fairly frequently to go talk to coworkers and get drinks or snacks in the breakroom. You probably also leave the office to go to lunch. These little breaks can be very rejuvenating and help you focus more effectively when you return to your professional responsibilities.
Unfortunately, when you work remotely, it’s very easy to forget to take regular breaks. No one is there to distract you and if you need to talk to your coworkers, you probably just email them without even leaving your seated position at your home desk. To help you get the small breaks you need, try setting a timer on your phone for every 30 minutes or so. When the timer goes off, do something away from your desk. You might go get a drink, walk up and down the stairs a few times or simply stretch before returning to work.
3. Always Put Your Best Image Forward
When you work remotely, it’s easy to be caught off-guard by a last-minute meeting request from a client or coworker. To make sure you aren’t caught on video with a cluttered desk or any other type of embarrassing background, make sure you have virtual office backgrounds already installed and ready to go at a moment’s notice. That way you can always put your best image forward, no matter what’s actually going on around you.
Succeeding at a remote job can be challenging, but it’s quite possible. Follow the suggestions above to keep on task and successfully manage your remote projects.
