Useful Tips For Remote Project Management
The physical presence of a project manager at the facility or production floor is very important, as they have to take regular updates about the project, motivating team members, and ensure that the team members are meeting their work deadlines. But sometimes the project managers may not be available on the production floor due to various reasons, in such scenarios, project managers can still manage their team effectively and efficiently. In this article, we will focus on the methods that a project manager needs to employ to manage their team efficiently even from a different geographical location. Listed below are tips that project managers can employ to manage their team remotely.
Tip 1. Understanding Your Team
It is very important that the project managers have complete information about their team members. This is important because they can share few responsibilities to the senior team members or members who are well versed with project requirements. Project managers can also take the advantage of the latest technologies that are available to them such as, conference calls, video conferencing and other modes of interactive communication.
Tip 2. Develop A Team Plan & Schedule
Project managers have the responsibility to devise a team plan and schedule, so that all the team members are well aware about the tasks they are assigned and their completion dates. This is very important because if project managers are working from a different geographical locations, there will be a time difference because of different time zones. By preparing the team plan and schedule in advance the team members will be noted in advance and they can schedule their work according to the planner.
Tip 3. Assigning Roles And Responsibilities To Team Members
Even when project managers are away in a distant location, team members must be aware of their goals and objectives. To ensure that things fall into right places, project managers must create documents which states the goals and objectives for their team members. It is always advisable that each team member is assigned different task, as there are possibilities that team members completely concentrate on one task and eliminates the possibility of an ambiguity error, as one task is not assigned to two different team members. Project managers can assign tasks to team members depending upon their team members ability and experience.
Tip 4. Scheduling Weekly Team Meets
To ensure that the project work is progressing in the right direction, project managers have to schedule team meetings every week through video conference or by setting up a telephone conference. Before setting up a call, project managers are advised to make a checklist regarding all the aspects of the project and ensure that each aspect is addressed in the meeting.
Tip 5. Communication Mechanism
Communication plays a crucial role when the project managers are managing their teams from a remote location. It is important that project managers notify the mode of communication in case there is an emergency situation that might hamper the smooth flow of the project. They have to send mails to all the team members that includes their contact information and how they can be reached during an emergency situation.
Tip 5. Tracking Project Work Status
Project managers must record all project related information and must keep a complete track of the project status. They also have to record changes if there any. Sometimes the client might send request for some changes, in that scenario they have to make necessary alterations to the project plan and ensure that the project is delivered to the client on the delivery date.
Tip 6. Mentoring Team Members From Remote Location
The project managers can mentor their team from a remote location by hosting a webinar about the project or offer training to the team members if the situation demands. By hosting such webinars, team members will gain a clear understanding about their project and work towards delivering better results.
Conclusion
Project managers have to employ the above tips in their work, in order to efficiently manage the project team from a distant geographical location. Another point that the project managers must make a note of while working from a remote location is that they should always prepare a backup plan, in case the primary project plan fails. The success of the project also depends upon the contributions made by each team member, so it is also the responsibility of each team member to execute their roles and responsibilities as per the guidelines specified by the client and the management team.