5 Remote Work Productivity Tips For Your Team
“Focus on being productive instead of busy.”
– Tim Ferriss
In 2021 working from home is the new normal. Businesses are now taking advantage of remote work and it’s becoming more convenient for most of us, as now it is easier to manage our time and have an actual work-life balance. And if during the ongoing pandemic the massive transition to remote work for a lot of businesses was a necessity, then now the majority of those businesses prefer to continue working from home even post-pandemic. Some HR departments have even created new teams just to support employees and share remote work productivity tips.
“Technology now allows people to connect anytime, anywhere, to anyone in the world, from almost any device. This is dramatically changing the way people work, facilitating 24/7 collaboration with colleagues who are dispersed across time zones, countries and continents.”
– Michael Dell
If your company has made the big decision to switch to remote work, then it’s time to think about the ways by which you can increase and maintain productivity in your remote team. It’s important not only to consider facing the challenges of remote working. You should also consider how to keep the team happy, fulfilled, and satisfied while working from home.
Here we’ve got the ultimate remote work productivity tips to help you and your team stay productive, efficient, and achieve collective goals while working from home. Let’s dive in!
5 Best Remote Work Productivity Tips in 2021:
1. Set clear goals for your remote team
One of the most important remote work productivity tips is setting clear goals for your team. Even though working from home seems to give greater freedom, there’s no doubt that it also leaves room to get out of focus. That’s why your team members need to have a clear direction from the manager in order to be productive. All remote workers have to meet and exceed their goals, and if there’s not much direction from the manager, it gets harder to complete the work. You can start with setting clear goals and rules, with specific metrics, timelines, and check-ins.
Whether it’s a startup or an established company, every organization has its own way of setting goals. However, there are certain key factors that can be useful when creating benchmarks and milestones you and your team can track in order to achieve the desired results from remote work. Here are some great ways to set clear goals for your team members: create a board of tasks, give specific instructions, set milestones, and track the progress. And remember that goal management is one of the main key aspects of a successful remote team.
2. Use the right tools for communication
Until last February, most of us only had Skype or Facetime installed on our devices. But when the COVID-19 hit, all of us became well-versed in video calls. Pandemic has made many people become more familiar with technology and the way in which we communicate has changed a lot since that. We now have more programs and collaboration software to choose from and need to learn how to use them effectively.
Communication and collaboration technology is helping to make working remotely so much easier, which makes it possible for companies to always stay connected with the team. Team messaging and video conferencing help employees to collaborate and communicate regardless of physical location and break down geographical and cultural barriers and companies hire more people from across the globe.
The range of communication tools is huge, the most commonly used are Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts, and Slack. But there are many other communication tools out there on the market, that you can choose from – paid ones and free, for big companies and small teams. Pick the best option for your team and see your team’s remote work productivity increase.
3. Use the right collaboration software to organize team projects
After finding a way to communicate with your team, it’s now time to decide which tool you are going to use to maintain productivity. The more efficient your workflow is, the better for you, your employees, and your customers, so focus on what will increase your team’s productivity. A FlexJobs study showed that 55% of workers said that their productivity has increased while working remotely, and about 33% said their productivity has remained the same. So make sure your teammates are among these numbers.
In 2021 remote team collaboration software is the key to boosting productivity. The tool that you will use is going to make a huge difference in how effective your remote work is. There’s no other way you can keep your team focused and productive than the Kanbanchi tool.
Kanbanchi is the online project management/task management/collaboration software with Kanban Board, Gantt Chart, and Time Tracker. It’s integrated with Google workspace so you can easily start using Kanbanchi after signing up with a Google account. It helps you to collaborate with your team in real-time and manage your ongoing projects visually using project boards and cards. You and your teammates can create and share an unlimited number of boards and cards, share them, attach files from Google Drive and Shared Drive, easily sort and filter cards and leave comments. It’s a perfect tool for remote teams to collaborate and maintain productivity.
4. Accommodate Flexible Work Schedules
While pay and healthcare used to be the most important factors when choosing an employer, in 2021, people are looking for flexibility above other benefits like health care and extra pay. A recent survey by McKinsey and Co. found that 52% of workers would prefer a more flexible work model as opposed to their current one.
People look for flexibility, work culture, and values, among other things. If your employees are allowed to work outside of the office, then it is counterproductive to assign a fixed schedule. Allowing your employees flexibility fosters clear communication and trust. So it’s better to accommodate flexible work schedules for your remote team.
5. Promote the company culture
One of the main tips on how to keep your team productive is to keep them happy and fulfilled. And in order to do that you need to boost your team spirit and promote the company culture. You need to build trust with your teammates and keep the proper communication, also acknowledge their struggles, and appreciate the work that is done.
But in my opinion, the most important part of remote work culture includes non-work-related meetings. Create a virtual lunch room, book club, or happy hour club on Fridays. Workout and meditation sessions will also do a job. You can go further and organize a Counter-Strike or any other online game tournament. There are plenty of options, choose some that fit your colleagues. A mix of fun games and proper communication and recognition will grow your company culture and boost team spirit. And companies with a stronger team and a support system are more likely to bring productivity output.
Conclusion
A Regus forecast predicts that by 2030, the U.S. economy could expect a $4.5 trillion boost due to remote and flexible working. And the past year has taught us that almost all businesses can shift to remote work. If you will try implementing these tips, you are more likely to end up with a productive and happy remote team. Take time and develop good remote work habits for your team members by using these remote work productivity tips. By doing this you’ll help your employees succeed and grow at work, and help your company stay profitable.