Due to the sudden shift to remote work in early 2020, numerous teams lacked previous experience or sufficient resources for effectively planning projects as employees working from home.
Today, it is still common for remote, hybrid, and distributed teams to be the standard, but now project managers and their teams have gained more expertise in planning and executing projects remotely.
If you are new to working on a team that prioritizes remote or virtual work, this article is designed to help you learn more quickly by allowing you to benefit from the experiences and lessons of previous remote projects.
What Is Project Planning?
Project planning involves creating a roadmap that outlines the necessary tasks, objectives, and schedules for successfully completing a project.
By providing clear direction and expectations, it assists in keeping all project team members and stakeholders on track towards achieving successful project completion.
In order to achieve this goal, it is important to consult with project team members and key stakeholders, taking into account their respective roles in the project. This consultation should occur before beginning any work or inputting information into the project planning tool, in order to create the final project plan.
By thinking step by step, you increase the likelihood of obtaining everyone’s agreement, reducing the need for major modifications to the project plan during its execution.
How To Plan Projects Remotely
When dealing with team members who are not physically present, there are certain aspects that need to be taken into account when planning a project. The primary focus of discussion should be on determining how tasks will be accomplished and the mode of communication that will be utilized among team members.
When teams are dispersed across different time zones, it is crucial to consider scheduling virtual meetings that accommodate everyone’s availability, including the project manager (who happens to be you), in order to promote a healthy work-life balance for all team members.
Before starting the project, it is crucial to plan for the needs of using available technology such as remote project management software, virtual whiteboards, video conferencing, and other collaboration tools. These tools can help reduce the distance between team members and enable activities like developers pairing or user acceptance testing and QA throughout the project.
5 Considerations For Planning Projects Remotely
When considering your next project, remember these five factors to improve the chances of successfully completing the project and maintaining a happy and united project team.
1. Working hours for your distributed team members
When organizing your remote team, it is crucial to consider the varying time zones, which can differ by 1-12 hours. This knowledge is essential for effective planning and scheduling of meetings as the project team takes shape.
Before scheduling meetings outside of team members’ regular business hours, always ask for permission, regardless of their preferences. This is an important topic to address during project planning to ensure awareness of people’s schedule flexibility and availability.
Once the project is in progress, planning meetings and project check-ins become easier. In cases where scheduling a meeting is impossible because of different time zones, we occasionally update each other or engage in asynchronous conversations using collaboration features found in certain project management tools.
2. Communication styles and preferences
When it comes to meetings, there are remote teams that have a lot of meetings, while others prefer to share issues and updates through alternative methods. That is why it is crucial to inquire about people’s preferred communication style when planning a new project.
When everyone is working together in person, it is easy to go knock on someone’s door or share a quick update during the day. However, remote teams, including both in-house and agency teams working with external clients, need to make an additional effort in planning their communication.
When planning for a project, it is important to consider everyone’s communication styles and preferences. The client’s preferences should be given a higher priority as they are the ones who are paying for the work.
If the project manager wants to ensure that heavy Slack or Microsoft Teams users are adequately supported and that the project progresses smoothly, they may need to communicate with them in the respective channel.
3. Tools and resources the team needs to complete project work
Whether working together in person or from a centralized location, it is crucial to consider the tasks that need to be completed and the approach the team will take when planning your project.
When planning a project for a distributed team, it is important to discuss tools such as project management software, communication tools, video conferencing, file sharing, virtual whiteboards, productivity apps, and tools for software engineers to pair early on.
When managing remote projects, it may be necessary to utilize additional tools as substitutes for office elements such as a whiteboard or other methods for visualizing work. Team members might also ask for extra monitors or other technological devices to enhance their productivity.
It is important to comprehend the budget for these items or how to request them prior to initiating a project, as it can have an effect on the project’s success.
4. Ways to manage feedback and performance through the project
Some teams find it challenging to manage performance and provide opportunities for advancement when working remotely.
Although some teams believe that being physically present is necessary for career development, it is not always the case. The crucial aspect lies in maintaining visibility, actively engaging, and effectively presenting achievements and prospects.
If you are a project manager in charge of remote project teams, you may consider discussing the project’s performance management plan and how to handle any performance issues with the people managers or HR team at your organization.
5. Team bonding
Although it is not necessary for every member of the team to be close friends or engage in activities like holding hands (virtually) or singing Kumbaya, it is essential to have a united team that cooperates effectively in order to achieve success in remote collaboration and projects.
When preparing for a new project and assembling a new team, it is crucial to establish occasions for remote workers to familiarize themselves with one another.
It is conceivable that this team is collaborating for the first time, and providing people with the chance to acquaint themselves with one another could potentially make the work less difficult and more enjoyable.
Instead of using clichéd and outdated icebreakers, consider sending out a survey to the team members before starting the project planning. This survey can provide insights into the commonalities within the team. For instance, it could be interesting to discover that 75% of the team members are night owls or that 58% of the team requires at least 2 cups of morning coffee to function properly.
15 Tips For Building Successful Virtual Teams in 2023
The success of a virtual team is greatly influenced by certain factors. These factors comprise communication, emotional intelligence, resilience and adaptability, motivation and self-discipline, clear goals, as well as a sense of purpose and belonging. The subsequent section provides a detailed explanation of each element.
1. Communication
Communication is important to ensure that all team members are working together towards a common goal. If there is a lack of communication, it can lead to confusion, wasted time, and frustration. Since remote team members are not in the same physical location, communication becomes less frequent and requires more deliberate effort.
Virtual communication is evolving with new methods. Instead of making a phone call or stopping by someone’s desk, remote teammates now use instant messages and emails, arrange video meetings, and manage tasks in project management tools such as Trello and Asana.
The communication methods used in remote work differ from those used in an office setting, but they are equally important for a team’s success. In virtual workspaces, effective communication becomes even more crucial as employees generally work independently from their homes. Regularly exchanging ideas and providing updates is essential to ensure alignment with the rest of the team’s actions.
2. Emotional Intelligence
Even though it is not always perfect, remote communication holds significance. One disadvantage of virtual communication is the difficulty in conveying intent. Video calls do not offer physical presence or body language cues. Text in chats or emails can be misinterpreted by employees in terms of tone. Having a strong emotional intelligence level assists teammates in deciphering the actual meaning and intent behind a message, thereby averting misunderstandings and conflicts.
It is more difficult to detect variations in colleague’s temperament when working remotely. Colleagues who are sensitive and empathetic in virtual offices are better at recognizing changes in their teammates’ moods and providing necessary support.
3. Resilience and adaptability
Remote work can be compared to the wild west of workplaces in various ways. Despite established literature on traditional workplace practices spanning decades, working from home presents a completely uncharted territory. Innovation is commonplace, and there is a continuous formation of new regulations.
In the age of internet work, virtual employees must possess flexibility and a willingness to experiment, just like managers and industry experts who rely on trial and error. Remote teammates need to be open to enduring challenges, overcoming obstacles, and gaining knowledge from mistakes in order to adapt effectively. As the internet landscape progresses and the world of work rapidly transforms, successful virtual teams are those that embrace change and gracefully adjust to evolving conditions.
4. Intrinsic motivation and discipline
Remote work requires individuals to have strong self-discipline and a proactive work ethic due to reduced monitoring and supervision. In order to thrive in virtual settings, teams must possess the ability to stay motivated and focused on their tasks, even in the face of potential distractions and temptations that arise while working from home.
Virtual offices do not provide the same level of reassurance and immediate feedback present in physical offices. This implies that employees must possess skills to overcome uncertainty and complete tasks without the daily encouragement from colleagues in person.
In order for remote teams to be effective, they should have a strong sense of connection to the company’s mission and be motivated to complete work, even when working in isolation from the comfort of their home offices.
5. Clear goals
In virtual offices, the work huddle appears different. In remote teams, formal check-ins occur less often because scheduling meetings is necessary and impromptu interactions with bosses or colleagues cannot happen. Consequently, it is important for all employees to have a clear understanding of the goal from the start to ensure a smooth and frictionless process. By providing clear instructions and purpose at the beginning of a project or assignment, remote leaders ensure that each team member has a straightforward roadmap to follow. Visualizing the end result aids teammates in successfully achieving objectives.
6. Sense of purpose and belonging
Having a clear understanding of the purpose behind their work is more important to most individuals than having a specific task to focus on. Employees desire meaningful and purposeful work. In a home office setting, it is crucial for the worker to comprehend how each individual task aligns with the overall goal, as there are no managers or coworkers present to emphasize this. If leaders provide explanations on how assignments contribute to the overall plans, and if remote employees show appreciation for their teammates’ contributions, then employees will have a greater understanding of the significance of their efforts.
Triumphant teams experience a strong sense of connection not only to their work and company culture, but also to one another. Numerous remote workers express feelings of loneliness and isolation, resulting in decreased engagement and productivity, and ultimately greater employee turnover. The most thriving virtual teams consider themselves as colleagues, despite not sharing a physical office space. These individuals forge bonds by sharing a common workload and set of values, while also cultivating relationships that extend beyond their job responsibilities.
How do virtual teams work together?
From the perspective of someone outside, online collaboration and solo remote work seem very similar because they both involve an individual using a computer to type. However, remote teams have specific ways of working together online, which include delegation, the use of technology, and conversation.
7. Delegation
In the case of virtual teams, teammates are separated by many miles and borders, but they still consist of separate parts working towards a common goal. Due to the nature of remote work, virtual teams need to delegate effectively and assign a manageable workload to every team member, as there is a greater emphasis on independent work.
Leaders frequently assign tasks and projects, but many teams also proactively choose or allocate responsibilities. Remote teamwork requires a significant amount of trust, yet most virtual employees acknowledge the impossibility of achieving company goals single-handedly and value the abilities and knowledge of their online colleagues.
8. Technology
In traditional office settings, collaboration commonly occurs through employees coming together around a conference table, standing close to a computer screen, or gathering in a hallway, kitchen, or communal area. In contrast, virtual offices rely solely on screens to facilitate collaboration, supported by software and technology.
Virtual teams effectively complete tasks by utilizing project management programs such as Trello and Asana, communication platforms like Slack, video conferencing software such as Zoom and Skype, and cloud-based sharing software like the G-suite. These tools aid team members in resolving queries and concerns, clarifying concepts, brainstorming, and providing updates on progress while minimizing disruptions to the workflow.
9. Conversation
Virtual teammates collaborate by exchanging ideas through efficient online conversations, whether they are discussing concepts on video calls, asking and answering questions via chat, or brainstorming through whiteboard or Google Docs.
Workers in virtual workplaces tend to communicate more effectively due to the fewer opportunities they have for professional or casual conversations compared to those in physical offices. The conversations conducted by remote teammates are limited but result in increased productivity and efficiency. Colleagues are required to adapt their discussions to text, emails, or web meetings, which leads to them condensing conversations to only include the most important aspects and getting straight to the point.
How do you manage a virtual team successfully?
In our post on managing remote teams, we provide a more detailed explanation of the modified approach needed for virtual leadership. The following list presents the steps leaders can follow to guide virtual teams towards optimal online collaboration. Further information on virtual team leadership can be found by clicking here.
10. Provide the proper tools
One of the main duties of a manager is to ensure that employees have the required information, skills, and tools to accomplish their tasks. At the very least, make sure to provide your colleagues with the necessary software for their daily responsibilities, which may include a business email address, access to a shared Google drive, communication tools like Slack, and video conferencing software such as Zoom or Skype.
By ensuring that your remote teams have sufficient cybersecurity measures in place, both clients and employees are protected. It is also advisable to provide your team with the necessary hardware and equipment that aids in their job performance. Some companies provide remote teammates with office furniture, computers, routers, and may even allow employees to partially reimburse their phone and internet expenses. Equipping them with the essential tools allows remote employees to concentrate on their work rather than the logistical aspects.
11. Set clear expectations
To ensure the success of remote employees and teams, it is crucial for leaders to establish unambiguous expectations. This involves managers effectively communicating the degree of flexibility in working hours, quality standards, anticipated response times, guidelines for using company branding or equipment, and any other policies or procedures that may impact an employee’s daily tasks. By setting clear protocols and clearly defining the desired outcomes, leaders enable remote employees to confidently execute their work. With explicit expectations in place, favorable results are more likely, uncertainties diminish, and all team members can rely on each other with greater ease.
12. Schedule regular check-ins and be available
Even though remote work requires individuals to be self-directed, it is still important for leaders to monitor the organization’s progress. As a virtual team leader, it is recommended to schedule regular check-ins, either on a weekly or biweekly basis, with both teams and individual employees to ensure that everyone remains on track. Even if there are not many updates to share, these meetings help reinforce the sense of unity and the idea that remote workers are part of a larger team. In between meetings, you can stay in touch with teammates through messages and project management tools, while occasionally checking in with a simple “how’s it going?” to remind them that you are available for any questions or support.
It is possible that employees may require assistance at the exact time when you send a message or plan a meeting. However, even though you have a busy schedule and tasks to finish, it is important to be accessible to your teammates. By setting specific times during the day when teammates can reach you instantly and promptly addressing all inquiries, you can avoid delays and enhance the feeling of working together as a team.
13. Make connections and impart company culture
As a manager of a remote team, your responsibility extends beyond individuals to the entire group. Establishing strong connections between team members is essential as they rely on each other. As the leader, one of your duties is to encourage interactions and cultivate relationships. This can be achieved by creating online platforms such as chat channels and groups, as well as organizing regular virtual social events.
To ensure that remote team members stay connected to the organizational culture, it is important to consistently share updates and effectively communicate the values and missions of the company.
By establishing connections with fellow employees and assimilating into the organizational culture, remote employees are inclined to perceive themselves as integral members of the team rather than solitary workers.
14. Engage employees
Employee engagement is crucial even in virtual offices, despite being less easily observed. Disengagement can occur when there is a lack of connection, but implementing virtual engagement strategies can enhance performance and morale. While remote employees cannot have direct interactions with colleagues, online experiences can foster face-to-face communication, strengthen the company’s culture, and greatly enhance the virtual work experience.
Successful motivational techniques for virtual teams
Motivating remote employees can be quite a task, primarily due to the significant differences in energy levels and environments across home offices. However, the techniques provided below can assist in invigorating and involving virtual team members, ultimately enhancing both productivity and team morale.
15. Online team building games
According to an article from the Harvard Business Review, social contracts can be stronger motivators compared to incentives such as awards and money. When we form relationships, we tend to have a greater sense of responsibility to fulfill obligations that impact others. However, without remote team building strategies, our virtual colleagues may appear anonymous like YouTube commenters, though they are generally more pleasant.
By engaging in enjoyable online team building games with our remote colleagues, you foster connections that motivate all members of the team to achieve outstanding performance.
