The Coronavirus pandemic has changed the way business is done on a daily basis all over the world. Tech giants like that of Twitter have already announced they will operate an entirely remote workforce going into the future. Companies in all niches have felt the impact of the pandemic but luckily some businesses are far easier to shift totally online than others. Keeping teams on track has taken time as the adjustment for many employees has been immense. People with children not only have to stay motivated while working from home but also have to play teacher. The workload for certain people has shifted immensely which is something that needs to be kept in mind. Remote tools can be great solutions that can make this adjustment far less of an issue. The following will cover how to use remote tools to keep your team and yourself on track while working from home.
Project Management Platforms Should be Used to Set Daily Agendas
Without managers looking over the shoulders of staff there can be a tendency to slack off if a clear agenda is not set. The ability to set daily agendas will allow an employee to get to work once they clock in. Most employees will be able to set their own agenda as long as project deadlines are hit and productivity numbers are sufficient. Automated reminders of deadlines for tasks should be turned on for all employees. Do not let projects fall behind and address lagging areas immediately as this gives hope the original deadline will be hit.
Do a Video Meeting Announcing Big Wins for the Week
For certain companies, there could be an influx of business for one reason or another. Recognizing those that have been doing a great job or a milestone that has been hit is important. Feeling valued as an employee is important to many professionals and can help get the best out of a majority of the staff. Birthday celebrations during this can be a nice touch. This is important due to social distancing making it difficult to have a party that includes a number of people.
For others, this could be a time to make sure the business comes back as strong as ever. The last thing a company wants to do is to stop marketing and be forgotten by the time life returns to normal at some point in time. Using these meetings to highlight efforts or great ideas for revamping the company website is important. Morale can be tough to maintain especially when work is tough without end in sight. Weekly calls where the team is bought pizza that is delivered to their home can allow them to socialize as many coworkers become close over time.
Time Tracking Software Should be Used
Time tracking should be used for those that might be struggling to meet production goals and others in production-based jobs. There could be lessons to be learned from top performers as they might be using tactics/shortcuts others are not. The last thing that a business warns during an economic downturn is to not be operating on all cylinders. Being able to survive and thrive during this time is a blessing as companies in all industries have been forced to close their doors. Time tracking for employees that consistently perform can be eliminated as many of these employees might think of it as being spied on. Tracking employees that are only paid commission is far less important overall.
Don’t Forget Team Chat Apps!
Being able to leave a message for someone that can be immediately responded to is imperative in business. Calling the same person within this app allows for meetings and screen sharing to transpire. The ease of walking someone through a process through screen sharing cannot be matched. Typing out instructions to help someone to find a file can take quite a long time. Showing them allows them to see where they should look in the future.
Storage on the Cloud
The ease of collaboration that the cloud makes possible is perfect for a company that has their entire staff working remotely. You can have people filling out production numbers or even something like contact information. There are power surges and staff forgets to save things all of the time so using the cloud is a safeguard to losing work that has already been completed. Embracing the right cloud platform depends on the needs of the staff and the amount of storage that a company requires.
Keeping your team and yourself on track is going to take adjusting your methods but it is possible. Use this as a learning experience as remote work could be the ultimate future of a large number of businesses globally.
