10 Keys to Managing Remote Teams

In today’s technological society and business world, we have no choice but to adopt technology. Although one may argue that technology has complicated our lives, one also may argue that is has made us more efficient, helped us to become more organized, and even helped streamline our professional lives. As a result, we are able to perform business tasks and run businesses solely online. While this has become an added benefit to business, project managers encountered the challenge of managing teams remotely. Here are 10 methods to managing your remote team.

1. Get to Know Your Team – You should always begin by getting to know each other on your team. Unfortunately, one of the shortcomings of working with a remote team is that you most likely cannot meet in one conference room at one time and meet one another face to face. However, you can set up conference calls where you can voice chat via Skype where you can at least see the other people.
2. Set a Team Plan and Schedule – When you are managing different remote teams you should start by establishing a team plan. It is best to work out a communication plan and schedule. This is important since your team most likely consists of working with different team members based in areas all over the world. As a result, team members located in different time zones will work at various times and schedules.
3. Set Team Goals and Objectives – Project managers should also establish team goals and objectives and methods to achieve these goals. Each team member should be assigned a different responsibility and should tackle one area of a particular project. This way the work load is even and fair and is directed towards a team member’s particular skill set and experience level. When discussing team roles and responsibilities, don’t forget about yourself. Be sure to make it clear on what your role will be in the task and how you can be contacted if needed.
4. Set a Weekly Agenda – Setting a weekly agenda with your team should include different times of the day or week that you will be meeting to discuss projects in the pipeline and any issues or concerns that may arise. Use this time wisely. Be sure to stay on task and address any and all issues related to projects or the business as a whole.
5. Communicate – With working remotely, communication becomes even harder to maintain and manage. People may work at different schedules and different time zones which may be difficult for team members to ask you questions or your advice on addressing a particular issue. In order to address this, communication methods must be open at all times. Schedule a conference or video conference call often. Send out group emails addressing particular projects. Ask team members for feedback and updates on projects.
6. Leverage Technology – Project managers should use technology to their advantage when managing a remote team. It can be somewhat cumbersome to use email for the transfer of files and other data. It may be helpful to set up tasks using a web based project management tool, such as BaseCamp, in order to keep track of project tasks and responsibilities. These types of tools and systems also allow for comments and have chat features so you can touch base on team members on a particular task. You can also use Dropbox to update and transfer files easily. Many files are too large to send via email and it can be tricky when more than one person is working on a file.
7. Keep Detailed Records – While using technology and systems are great and work to your advantage, it is also pertinent for project managers to keep data and records of their own. You may choose to use your own program or spreadsheet to keep track of team goals and objectives, projects, budgets, etc. You can also choose to share this information with other team members via technology.
8. Don’t Micromanage – Project managers that are used to working in a physical, on site dynamic may have some difficulty transitioning to a remote team. As a result, it may be difficult or challenging to keep track of projects, deadlines, tasks, and team members that you can’t physically see each day. As a result, it can be easy to develop a micromanaging attitude. Do your best to avoid this. Micromanaging a remote team will surely result in failure if you are not careful.
9. Plan For Technical Difficulties – While technology created the ability to work remotely, it isn’t without its pitfalls. With relying on technology to work on a daily basis, it can also fail us. It is best to have team strategy put in place should technical difficulties occur. For example, no team members should be allowed to save crucial project data on their hard drives or machines. Computers break and crash all the time. They should be utilizing project servers, FTP sites, file sharing/backup services like DropBox, or other web based tools for storing files. If your team relies heavily on chat interfaces and email to communicate, have back up contact methods readily available, such as an alternate email or phone number.
10. Host Webinars – Host a webinar related to a particular project or training whenever possible. This may be most useful at the beginning of a project. By utilizing a webinar you can demonstrate strategies for attacking the project, important notes or points to remember, and analyze project specifications together.

Working remotely can be effective with these key points in mind. As a project manager, be sure that each team member is aware of his or her responsibilities and how much more important they are in working with a remote team. It is up to each member of the team to be proactive and responsible for his or her role in the project. Each team member should adhere to their roles and communicate with the one another when necessary so that each project is successful.

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The Importance of Managing Resources for Ensuring Project Success

Suppose you are a project manager, working sincerely and whole-heartedly for making the project successful. After the completion of some necessary activities, e.g., project planning and scheduling, your main focus will surely be to find out the resources that you will require for carrying out the project activities properly.

Resources can be of different types, such as people, materials, equipment and other supplies. For instance, in a software development project, you will need programmers, software engineers, system analysts, office staffs, as well as a convenient office place, computers with high configuration, internet facilities etc. The project manager must ensure about the availability of these resources.

In some cases, the project manager identifies that the project is heading in a wrong direction. Deadline is approaching very fast, available budget is getting exhausted; however more than 50% of project activities are still unfinished. In this moment of severity, the project manager has two options; he has to make arrangements for the appropriate training for the team members to enhance their capabilities, or he needs to hire skilled personnel. Promptness in decision making is largely required in this case for the project manager.

Again, choosing right people for the right job is not a very simple task. The project manager must have the capability to determine the appropriate skill level necessary for a particular activity in the project, and also to match people to those skills. To hire the perfect staff, the project manager should make sure to define the roles properly, arrange interview and test the candidates. He should also be careful about the budget, because hiring skilled people may not always be achieved in a cheaper way.

The project manager must guarantee that the team members are respected properly. Without getting proper attention, admiration and respect, the team members in a project will not try to give their 100%. Furthermore, the project manager will have to utilize his motivation skills properly. He must encourage his team members to render their best effort, and remunerate them whenever they do something special. He must also try to empower the team members and ensure their participation in all sorts of decision-making process. This will ultimately increase the overall productivity and the project will lead towards success.

Ensuring better workplace environment is another important thing that must be carefully taken care of by the project manager. Experiments have suggested that people’s performance and their job satisfaction are seriously affected by the room size, furniture, equipment, temperature and humidity, brightness and quality of light, noise and most often the degree of privacy available. If the project manager fails to ensure good working condition, it may become really costly for the project. Staff turnover will increase, and more money should be spent on recruiting and training of new staffs. There will be the possibility that the project will not be finished in time.

The project manager must also ensure the optimal utilization of the available resources. Sometimes it is seen that some members of the project team spend their official time sitting idly, while other members work incessantly and find very little time to relax. The project manager has to set the duties and responsibilities of every member of the team and continuously monitor them. He must also ensure that all the members of the project team are 100% committed to achieve the project goals and objectives.

The project manager should also be careful about utilizing non-human resources. He must make sure about the regular supply of materials and equipment required for the project. He must also confirm about the better quality of these resources, which is extremely necessary in a project.

The project manager has to communicate well with the project sponsor to make sure about the availability of funds. The sponsor must be knowledgeable about all the potential obstacles, risks and other necessary issues on an on-going basis. This will make sure about the availability of the resources in a timely manner.

Lastly it can be mentioned that managing all sorts of resources in a proper manner is absolutely necessary to ensure the overall success of the project. The project manager must give appropriate attention in this regard.

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Leadership in Project Management – 14 Key Principles

William Deming first introduced the fourteen key principles in his book Out of the Crisis which was published in 1986. These principles still apply to business and project management today. From long standing companies to small businesses just starting out, these principles are key components in successful business and project management objectives and endeavors.

1. The focus is to remain constant with the purpose or goal of your business. Project managers as well as business managers should continuously seek methods to improve your product and your overall service. This is absolutely important for project managers to consider. By continuously striving to improve your product and customer service, you will stay one step ahead of your competition. As it should go without saying staying in business is very important particularly in today’s economy. Staying in business will provide jobs for others.
2. Life is always changing. Things grow, develop, and die to make way for new methods and new life. The same goes for business. Project managers should stay abreast of the new challenges and changes in the business environment. Some new challenges that business face every day is technology. It is difficult to stay on top of the new systems, technological gadgets, and updates that are constantly at our disposal. The challenge of staying current must be accepted. As a project manager you must be flexible and open to new challenges and changes and must act as leaders.
3. Business is constantly susceptible to inspection. This ensures your business is up to code and compliant with local, state, and federal laws and regulations. However, you shouldn’t rely on these inspections to improve your business. You need to study and be aware of the new or changing trends and practices. Do not wait for an inspection, or until it’s “too late”, to implement a new change or make improvements.
4. While cost is important for businesses, and is even more of a key component in today’s economy, the bottom line can’t always be the price tag. A key to business is not the higher price. Instead it is to minimize total cost in order to stay in competition with other businesses. One supplier for any one item can build a long lasting business relationship of trust and loyalty.
5. Project managers and business managers should always have costs and budgets in the back of their minds. While it seems as if this point may conflict with the previous principle, it is important to remember to constantly attempt to improve production and service. However, it is also important to decrease overall costs. Remember the better the production and service the less you will pay in total cost.
6. To make productive and informed workers it is necessary to have on the job training for your employees. Training should be held regularly as business grows and as practices change. This will definitely help employees stay well informed and be successful in their roles. As a project manager or business manager you should stay on top of your employees’ overall performances and address training in areas where needed. Not only will this show your employees that you care about their future at the company but that you are a leader they can count on.
7. Leadership is probably one of the most important areas of project management and business management. A project manager must possess outstanding leadership skills. A good leader should be there to supervise the employees and oversee operations in order to maintain productivity. Today leadership doesn’t stop at just employees but rather it extends to technology as well. Project managers should help improve users’ knowledge and skills as well as oversee the functionality of technology as a whole.
8. Recognize that fear is not an option. Effective leaders should work with employees and team members to remove the fear of failure and the inability or fear of completing tasks or taking on new challenges. If team members feel confident and encouraged they will ultimately be more effective and productive as well as successful in their roles.
9. Tear down walls, figuratively and literally. There should be no barriers between departments. All areas of the business to need to be able to work and communicate with one another effectively to reach one goal: get the job done. As a project manager or business manager, it is an essential part of your job to make sure tasks and assignments get done. Teamwork is the most effective tool in a business setting. In addition, you can also tear down the walls in a literal sense. More and more companies are even instituting an open floor plan which reduces segregation among supervisors, coworkers, and teams. Not only does this open up the doors of communication studies have also shown that employees feel more comfortable in an open floor plan.
10. Teamwork cannot be competitive. Do away with targets and inter-business competitions. This only drives team members and coworkers away from one another and ultimately decreases morale. Reward equally and allow praise among all employees.
11. Leadership is the ultimate key to production. The old fashioned system of setting up goals and standards is obsolete and outdated. Quotas have statistically failed in business in the past. Successful project managers can institute measures and practices of leadership and display those skills to ensure productivity rather than succumbing to quotas and standards.
12. Another crucial component that a project manager must focus on is quality. There are many different ways you can go about establishing quality in the work place. Remember that a team member will always take pride in his or her accomplishments. Do not hinder these feelings among your team members. Quality is absolutely the key to business, but creativity and craftsmanship in your team members will ensure more productivity and a happier work place.
13. Human beings by biological nature have the desire to learn. As people we want to learn, grow, and develop. This goes for our careers as well. Education and self improvement should be constantly emphasized in the work place. Project managers should show team members how they can grow personally as well as professionally. By investing and encouraging team members to learn and grow, the company ultimately grows as a business.
14. All effective members of a business are responsible for the transformation and growth of the business. The company is only as strong as its weakest link. By instituting attitudes of leadership, encouragement, and new philosophies, each team member will do his or her own share of work to help transform the company.

William Deming’s fourteen principles of business management are still very effective in the business world today. So what do most of these principles have in common? Leadership. By extending leadership qualities to team members and by applying these principles to all areas of the business, reaching company goals and objectives, regardless of how large or small, will become more visible. These principles begin at the management level and will trickle down.