Project managers are key players in helping companies pursue their ventures in such unstable times business-wise. They are the people responsible for planning, executing, and closing projects. They manage not only teams but also expectations, which is why it is so important for those people to continue keeping up their level of productivity the same as it was before all of us were pushed into remote working.
In these hard times for business all around the world, project managers, more than anyone else, should stay organized and continue delivering high-quality results. In this article, we want to give our fellow PMs some useful tips on how to stay efficient and enhance the productivity of their teams.
Let your team know you’re there for them
With the abrupt changes over such a short time, some of your colleagues might find themselves to be a bit lost. Even if you, as a PM, have a lot of experience with working from home and using different software to communicate and deliver results, have in mind that some of your fellow workers don’t. There might be a lot of changes that they cannot quite grasp so there will be a lot of questions. It is a confusing time not only for the employees but for clients as well. Be patient and try to be available for all kinds of questions. Letting your linguists know you’re there for them might really smoothen the work process within your team!
Exploit the pros of working from home
By saying that you should exploit the benefits of remote working we don’t mean that you should slack off and watch Netflix! Having to work from home means having to adapt to new software or changes in your work process. Use this opportunity to explore new programs that might make delivering results easier and quicker. Try playing around with different communication platforms in order to organize your team’s communication and help your team members get ahold of one another reliably.
Another plus of the home office is that you might finally have a proper reason to change your technology apparatus. Investing in proper hardware will surely increase your productivity, which, on the other side, will help you enhance your team’s productivity as well.
Make yourself comfortable
It is no secret that most managers have a certain way of organizing their working spaces. Working from home often means one thing – distractions. Small things such as an uncomfortable chair, a different lamp, a lack of dual monitors, or a wireless mouse might make a PM completely unable to perform.
In order to remain productive and focused on your projects, make sure to find the best working spot. Carve out a comfortable area in your home and turn it into the perfect working space. Add anything you need and remove anything that stays in your way of concentrating.
Draw the line
Home office, comfortable as it may be, might also turn out to be very tricky. The problem is exactly that – it is too comfortable! The lines between work and rest get blurry and you might spend hours checking “just one more email”.
Drawing the line shouldn’t have to be too formal or too harsh. It might be something as simple as putting on an office attire while you are working and then changing into something more comfortable when you are done. Remember – at some point, working overtime stops being fruitful and starts being a headache instead.
We hope this article turns out to be useful to project managers out there. Certainly, it is not only the translation industry that has the need for efficient project management at the moment. A lot of companies are going online and are trying to fit their business to the home office environment, so we’d be happy if our experience helps.