Working remotely as an online team can be daunting for those who have never had any experience with it.
However, with some simple processes you can ensure everyone within your online team has structure, purpose and a sense of belonging when they are working remotely.
Online team members may be wondering:
- How am I going to be productive at home with so many possible distractions?
- How am I going to track my workload and stay on top?
- How do I know if my colleagues and my team are working, and being productive?
Online Project Management
Using an online project management tool like Trello or Asana is important for managing online teams. Whether they are working on a desktop, iPad or iPhone they can take your these tools with them, wherever they go.
Online project management tools also allow for better collaboration with your team, from beginning to end. They also help ensure everyone is accountable for their work and that everyone feels as though they are working towards common goals.
And integrated with a time management tool like Everhour, they will enable project and task time tracking and a user-friendly widget and interface allowing users to clock on and off, and schedule breaks where needed.
Other digital management tools that help drive productivity in online teams include:
- Google Meet or Zoom: freemium online videoconferencing apps for video and audio conferencing are critical for remote team bonding.
- Slack: a freemium collaboration tool that provides everyone on your team a shared view of progress and purpose
- Google Docs or Office 365 enable smart editing and version tracking to make it easy to track progress
- Vidyard: a freemium online video platform allowing you to record your screen and yourself at the same time, so recipients can easily understand what you are discussing
These are only a few. The idea is to find the best tool suited to you and your team, which aligns with your key drivers.
Staying productive for online teams:
Firstly, ensure you and your team have set and are managing your intentions for the day.
- Set a clear focus
- Have a dynamic task list
- Prioritise your tasks
- Minimise interruptions
- Control your time
- Review your day
Also check out this video for guidance on how to set up your working space
In your daily plans, be sure to include breaks where you:
- Move: dance around your kitchen with the music blaring – Ziggy Alberts is my go-to at the moment – or even head to your balcony and get the neighbours involved!
- Drink plenty of water
- Nourish your body with nutritious food
- Stop and breathe
- Exercise
During tough times, it is vital to ensure you are kind to yourself. Give yourself the breaks you need in order to be productive to keep on track with business goals.
Connect often:
Even a simple one-on-one phone call is often worth making as a video call through a platform like Facetime or WhatsApp.
The importance of human connection cannot be overstated, think traditional lunch-time chats in the office, team exercise or Friday drinks. This shouldn’t stop and teams should video call colleagues as often as they can
Stay happy, stay productive & stay connected!
And if you would like some assistance in online team building, check out our range of specifically design remotely run programs.
Event and team building extraordinaire based on the beautiful Gold Coast, Vanessa Mullen brings unparalleled organisation, professionalism and most importantly buzz to each and every client. Her passion lies within ensuring every client and delegate leaves a Be Challenged event feeling empowered, inspired and supported. Over the past 5 years at Be Challenged, Vanessa has used her fun loving nature, positive attitude, and grit to provide a memorable experience for all.
Vanessa uses her creativity and innovation to ensure productivity, teamwork and development is always top of mind even in an everchanging landscape.