The COVID-19 pandemic has forced many changes regarding business operations and functioning, and switching to working from home mode is probably the most significant one of them all. To adapt quickly and maintain business productivity at the same (or even better) level, it is crucial to organize a smooth transition and workflow for your remote teams.
In this article, you will find six tips that will help you establish an effective workflow, ranging from using the right software for remote integral communication and collaboration tools to setting clear deadlines and objectives and prioritizing feedback and recognition, among others. Read on and get your teams organized and efficient!
Use a Remote Collaboration Solution for Easier Communication and Workflow
When working from home, it is crucial to find the right collaboration solution to enable you and your coworkers to communicate freely and work seamlessly. Without an effective tool, you will find yourself struggling to keep up with everything, despite being in the same location.
So, before you start working remotely, make sure you choose the right tool for your team. Some of the most popular solutions include:
Slack is a well-known communication tool used by over 7 million users around the world. It allows for creating numerous channels and inviting people to join the ones they are interested in. Slack has a clean interface which makes it easy to use and navigate. It also promises encryption of all data to protect it from any unauthorized access.
Asana is another great choice for project management as it allows for setting clear deadlines, objectives, and tasks. The platform also offers a built-in calendar that makes it easy to sync everyone’s schedule with ease.
Adopt Unified Communications
What is unified communications? Unified communications is the integration of voice, video, data, and other services in a single system. It has gained popularity in recent years due to advancements in technology that allow for more efficient use of resources and cost savings for businesses. Unified communications can provide various benefits, including reduced costs and increased productivity through real-time collaboration across multiple devices.
Set Clear Objectives and Priorities
If you work from home or remotely full-time, your personal life can easily interfere with your business productivity. And this is exactly what you need to avoid at all costs! One of the best ways to avoid distractions or burnout is to set clear objectives and priorities for your business. One way to do this is by tracking your daily progress.
For starters, your weekly goals and objectives should be based on the big picture goals – what you have planned for the following month or year. After that, set your daily goals according to the weekly ones – this way, you won’t get overwhelmed in a long list of objectives and won’t lose track of what needs to be done next to achieve them.
Make Sure Your Employees Get Recognized and Have Regular Feedback
Being recognized for good performance or specific achievements can make a huge impact on the motivation levels of your remote employees. And when this happens regularly, even more so! So, how can you ensure this occurs? By regularly giving positive feedback and recognition!
For starters, starting with a regular schedule for one-on-one meetings can help you maintain more balanced relationships with your team members. These meetings allow you to check on their progress and discuss issues they might be having at work or any other matters that need addressing. Remember to use these meetings as chances to not only inspect but also praise performance!
Prioritize Results over Time Management
The benefits of remote working are numerous, but one thing that often gets overlooked is its ability to change your mindset from time management toward results management. This shift in focus can have a great impact on speediness of work and overall business productivity. So, how exactly do you make this switch? By focusing on results rather than on time spent working!
You can start by ensuring there are no interruptions during work hours. Establish strict rules about not disturbing remote employees unless absolutely necessary – this will help them stay focused and get more done. Then, make sure they always have enough time to finish their assignments before presenting them – this way, they won’t have to rush them, causing subpar quality of work or mistakes in the end product.
Create Accountability through Deadlines and Milestones
Finally, it is important to make sure you don’t forget about deadlines and milestones when working remotely. If there are no clear deadlines or milestones set up, remote workers will often slack off or put things off until later. That said, it is essential to create accountability by setting concrete due dates for assignments so that employees don’t forget about them or delay them until later. And if they are finished earlier, make sure they know that they should prioritize reviewing their work carefully before presenting it.
In Conclusion
Having team members working remotely has its challenges. Communication between team members can become less effective with time, and it’s easy for people to feel isolated from their peers. These tips on creating a smooth workflow for remote teams will help ensure everybody is performing at their best.
