The COVID-19 lockdown has affected us all. Companies across industries are being advised to allow workers to do their job from home. The trend continues, and there are more and more people working from home every day.
Remote work is convenient, especially if you have the luxury of doing it from home. However, it comes with lots of challenges.
Time management, project management software, and using the right tools for the job are just some of the challenges we have in mind.
Doing remote work is an excellent opportunity to benefit from virtual classroom software and professionally grow and develop.
Here are a few tools and tips for successful remote work during the lockdown.
Don’t Change Your Perspective
The common pitfall of working remotely is changing your perspective. All of a sudden, you start thinking that there is more than enough time to do things.
Before you know it, it’s 11 in the evening and you still have plenty of work to do. Your colleagues are waiting for your deliverables to complete their tasks, and you are too tired to work efficiently.
The concept is simple. Working remotely is the same as working from an office building. Give some structure to it and act as if you are going to work, even though you are going to a separate room.
Stay On Top of Your To-Do Lists
While we are at the structure, to-do lists are a great way to boost productivity and facilitate time management.
Yes, we are aware that there are tools that can help you do this. However, it becomes personal when you go through your tasks, write them down on a sticky note, and put it on a monitor or wall in front of you.
The method is simple, yet it yields excellent results. It goes beyond being informed. As you write the tasks down, you will be able to study them and learn them.
In the end, it will help you make an efficient plan and get them done before the deadline hits.
Improvise a Home Office
Remote teams often work from rented offices. Some are made up of workers doing their job from home as well. During the lockdown, everyone works from home., which calls for some adjustments.
When working from home, it is best to do all in your power to improvise a home office. A separate room would be the best option. If you don’t have one, you have to do with what you have.
The goal is to have everything that you need close by, so you can continue to work uninterrupted. Having to go get things from other rooms is a productivity killer.
You know your workflow the best. Plan ahead and get everything ready before you sit down.
The Best Tools to Facilitate Remote Work During Lockdown
There are a variety of tools to help you with remote work. They range from those in the eLearning category, such as virtual classroom software to those in the productivity category such as Trello.
Let’s take a closer look at some that can prove quite helpful in these times.
ProProfs Virtual Classroom Software
Virtual Classroom Software by ProProfs is a good solution for businesses of all sizes.
The concept is based on the best eLearning practices. Individuals can also use it to improve their skills and knowledge as the platform features several completely free online courses.
The features that might interest managers include multi-language support, chat, discussion, Q&A-based forum, real-time reports, and analytics.
These features enable the ProProfs solution to deliver an engaging learning experience.
Trello
Remember the tip about staying on top of your to-do lists?
Trello is a project management software that can help you do it and share to-dos with team members. It comes with a dedicated mobile app for both Android and iOS smartphones making the onboarding easy.
The software features boards, lists, and cards. All of these are designed to help you organize your day and get your tasks done in the most efficient way.
Managers can break up projects into smaller tasks and share them across teams.
DeskTime
Juggling tasks and building a productive workflow is not possible without knowing exactly how much time you’ve spent and how much is still available.
Tracking time is a proven method that boosts productivity and efficiency while reducing the idle time to a minimum.
Freelancers and their clients have been using it for ages. You should definitely give it a try since remote work resembles the work that freelancers do.
DeskTime is the app that can help you do it effortlessly. You can use it to track time and prevent daydreaming. However, its full potential is unlocked when managers implement it across the board.
The app can track time, take screenshots, track time spent on projects, track document titles, and give estimated cost calculations.
Zoom
Keeping communication channels open is vital for the success of any project, especially when remote workers are involved.
Finding reliable communication apps is not easy. Zoom proved itself when it mattered the most. This virtual conferencing platform became immensely popular during the COVID-19 pandemic.
It can help you stay connected with your colleagues whether you want to do it on a PC or any of the mobile devices.
Mailbird
Mail is one of the most important business communication channels, and yet it remains unmanaged. Using one consolidated email account offers many benefits to you and your colleagues.
Every team member can be assigned specific tasks regarding email management while managers can oversee the activity and avoid missing out on important emails.
Mailbird is an all-in-one email solution. This email client supports syncing with other mail accounts and app integration.
Over to You
These tools and tips can help you turn any remote work effort into success. We have shared several possible solutions to problems associated with working during the lockdown.
Assess your needs and goals and choose those solutions that can best address them. Some of these tools and tips are so useful that you might continue to use them even after the lockdown is officially over.
