With advancements in technology, remote work is now not just feasible but often preferable and, in these times, it’s necessary. Many companies throughout the world have had to reassess their policies and adapt to a more flexible manner of working because COVID-19 transformed the working environment practically overnight. The ability to pick up and go to a remote location while still being able to work is a significant game-changer for people.
We know that working remotely is a better option for some a not a good option for others. Remote working has become a necessity as a consequence of the pandemic. After trying remote work for a while now; companies have settled with remote work model or a hybrid work model. As a result, having an up-to-date remote team management approach is critical. The managers of an organisation or a company will have to make sure that every member of their team is working as efficiently and productively as feasible. It plays a crucial role in determining the culture, growth, and productivity of your firm.
Software or “tools” play a major role, in determining the culture, growth, and productivity of a firm. It’s an integral part in determining your company culture, progress and productivity. In this blog, we would like to share the ultimate toolbox for a successful remote team and some of the best productivity and management tools that can help your organisation succeed in a remote environment.
The finest tools are those that anyone can use since they are simple to access, operate, and keep the remote team linked. Let’s start with the communication tools you’ll need to help your remote team stay connected.
During these tough times and now that we can’t meet up physically, this tool is the most convenient option for teams to connect virtually. It’s a great tool for arranging virtual team meetings on a weekly, biweekly, or monthly basis. You can do the following on these calls:
Even if you haven’t met your team members in person, virtual meetings bring a human element to the remote workplace. It also includes features such as a chat box, which can assist increase in engagement and interaction. In addition to simply interacting and discussing work, you can create a friendly relationship with your team members or colleagues.
For an organisation, especially for a remote team, communication is always an important key. Google’s Hangouts Meet is a great video conferencing solution for this purpose. People can easily join on a quick call with their teammates via a shared link. Because the app is linked with Google Suite, inviting teammates/colleagues to a meeting is simple, they can simply join in via their calendar or email invitations. Furthermore, Google has made this technology particularly accessible for newer businesses and start-ups in order to support remote working practises during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Microsoft Teams is a communication platform for teams that allows you to chat, create channels, and organise your daily communications. It is linked to your Outlook account, where you can access integrations with other Microsoft programmes, as well as chat and messaging, audio calling, and meeting scheduling (A free personal email and calendar from Microsoft).
Microsoft Teams is a good fit for businesses and start-ups that predominantly utilise Microsoft products and require a single communications platform. Microsoft Teams’ integration with Microsoft 360 is popular among users, as it makes it simple to keep everything in sync. Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, is a bit difficult to use alongside any non-Microsoft product, such as Google Docs or any other tool.
Slack is a popular virtual messaging platform among remote workers. It’s a collaboration tool that allows your peers to communicate ideas, opinions, and other real-time information.
It also eliminates the need for email within your firm, which isn’t always a bad thing. Communication platforms like Slack, on the other hand, notify you when someone sends you a message. It’s less distracting than a video chat and quicker to surface than an email, and your teammates can respond whenever they have a chance to check it.
Slack allows you to do the following:
Working remotely is impossible without a functional and well-organised cloud system, or, to put it another way, a storage system. Cloud storage is already a reality for most traditional businesses, and remote employees are increasingly relying on it.
When investing extensively in remote working solutions, this is one of the most important aspects to consider for a remote team to store its data efficiently.
Here are some of the tools that are widely trusted by remote organisations:
Well, who doesn’t use Google Drive these days?
When it comes to cloud storage, it is the gold standard. In addition to security and transparency, Google Drive also offers real-time editing, making it far more appealing than competing products. And, of course, you have the Google brand’s dependability.
Google Drive lowers productivity obstacles by allowing remote teams to easily share data. The app can be downloaded easily to a user’s desktop (or mobile device), giving them instant access to private or shared content because synchronising across devices is automatic, users may exchange files and work on projects from anywhere in the world. For remote teams who develop content, spreadsheets, or calendars, Google Drive is a “must-have.”
Dropbox is a simple file sharing tool that is ideal for small teams or organisations. Dropbox’s block-syncing functionality allows you to make rapid edits while allowing your team members to see them practically instantaneously. This makes cooperation a breeze for remote teams working on the same project from multiple locations at the same time.
The tool has always provided the necessary tools to collaborate, both internally and outside, with ample sharing space and great management convenience.
Microsoft OneDrive, which was released in August 2007, is a file hosting service that allows registered users to share and synchronise their data.
It’s yet another well-known file-storage service. Even while Microsoft OneDrive isn’t a household brand when it comes to file storage, it packs a punch or two. The best thing is that you receive the whole Office 365 suite as well as 60 minutes of international Skype calls with just one Microsoft OneDrive subscription.
It is one of the most significant aspects to consider when looking at tools for remote employees. You shouldn’t take it for granted just because remote work statistics show that people are more productive when they work from home. You have to admit that working from home or remotely has its drawbacks, including a plethora of distractions.
Apps for productivity or project management are vital. This is especially true in the case of distributed teams or teammates who are separated.
Todoist is one of the most well-known and entertaining task management apps available. It’s no surprise that Todoist is the app of choice for most remote employees. It offers a user-friendly and effective user interface. Todoist isn’t technically a project management tool per se, but it can work well for folks looking for simplicity and minimalism.
With the help of the app, you can add tasks, reminders, and to-do lists and sync them across all of your devices. Furthermore, you can delegate work to others. You can also prioritise tasks, leave comments, and assign due dates to each project.
Todoist is appealing since it is more than just a project management solution for remote employees; it also serves as a task management tool.
Trello is a project management tool that allows you to organise projects into boards to keep track of work in progress, who’s working on what, and project stages. It takes the place of lists and to-do lists by centralising all information in one spot.
Trello is used by teams just as extensively as Slack. Goals are made and added to a Trello board, and everyone can see how we’re going – what needs to be done and what has been allocated – from there. Trello actually replaces all of the private to-do lists that are traditionally strewn about on desk, making project progress transparent and visible.
Despite the fact that the tool has not yet discovered any drawbacks with Trello, bear in mind that each team member is accountable for their own workspace on Trello, which can be challenging at times. It’s incredibly easy, for example, to make a number of cards, assign them to no one, and then have an out-of-control Trello board. To get a successful outcome with Trello, you’ll need a good structure that’s accepted by all team members and used consistently.
Of all the third-party tools available, TeamViewer is likely the most well-known. It’s been around for almost a decade and has a devoted following. It is one of the top screen-sharing apps for Android and iPhone, in addition to functioning on Windows.
It is not limited to screen-sharing and remote access. Users can also use the software to transfer data between connected PCs, have web conferences, and give presentations online.
To connect to someone else’s machine, you must first input a four- digit code. If you connect to the same set of computers on a frequent basis, you can create a group under your account to provide one-click access.
Mikogo allows you to share your desktop and remotely access the desktop of another user. It contains a live chat window and can transfer files. There’s also a unique function that blocks specific apps from sharing their content, which keeps you from mistakenly showing important information to everyone.
This is a key tool for remote workers who need to swiftly work on their codes or programmes. Peer programming has a number of advantages. One advantage is that the code quality will improve, and the time it takes to fix errors will be reduced. This can also assist you in swiftly detecting a coding problem.
Codeanywhere is a sleek code-editing environment that lets remote workers or developers collaborate and work in real time. They can share their files and code as they work on it from any device. Codeanywhere also supports revision tracking and live peer or pair programming with an unlimited number of remote workers. You can go to your teammate’s current code position by clicking on their icon while collaborating.
USE Together is a team collaboration and remote pair or peer programming tool. When you USE Together to share your screen, everyone gets a mouse, can text, and interact with your programmes. For the time being, it’s only available on Windows and Mac.
The mouse cursors of your teammates display on your screen, and they can interact with you or any app and data on your screen at the same time. You can also send a link to other visitors so they may view your shared screen in a web browser without having to install USE Together or any other third-party software or plugin.
Microsoft Visual Studio Live Share is a versatile programme. Everything about this product is designed to be inclusive and adaptable to your specific requirements. Teammates or workers have rapid, safe access to your code in their own tools when you start a live share session in Visual Studio Visual. It does not require cloning, copying, or configuration.
Microsoft Visual Studio Live Share enables you to co-edit, co-debug, hold audio calls, chat, share terminals and servers, and even evaluate comments so that your team is aware of the next steps to complete the project.
This tool was designed to deal with multiple use cases, but it also features an extension model that allows you to add your own preferences, making your work easier and faster.
When you’re stumped for new ideas, mind mapping is a good place to start. Mind mapping is a powerful approach for brainstorming new ideas. You and your co-workers can brainstorm together using collaborative mind map online tools. As these tools have grown in popularity, this strategy has become even more prevalent.
Here are two mind mapping tools to check out if you need to brainstorm with your colleagues and make remote work more efficient.
GitMind is best used in a collaborative tool. Remote Workers can choose from a variety of mind mapping templates, and you can even create your own.
GitMind is a web-based application that is compatible with all operating systems and browsers. You can even use your smartphone to work, however the mobile version has some limits.
Mindomo is yet another online mind map application to employ when you’re stuck for new and creative ideas. The advantage of Mindomo is that it comes with a plethora of features. There are three plans to choose from: instructor, student, and personal & work.
All three layouts have various characteristics, but they’re all designed for collaboration. Mindomo, unlike the previous two, is a software that you must download. That gives you access to a tool that includes dozens of mind mapping templates. They even create templates for specialised jobs like website planning, weekly planners, and so on.
Giving each team member a safe chance to speak once at the start of each meeting boosts their chances of speaking again. As a result, they’re perfect for getting more introverted or quiet team members to speak up.
Even if your team has been working together for years, using an icebreaker or a game to start each meeting can help form relationships, create a unique culture among team members, and create a fun working environment.
Here are some ice breaker games for remote teams:
Duration: 5-10 minutes per game
Among Us is a free mobile game in which you play as a cute little alien on a space station with up to ten other people. And, despite the fact that you all appear to be cute aliens, one of you is actually a deadly imposter.
How to Play:
The objective of the game is for the squad to work together to identify the imposter and expel them from the spacecraft before they kill everyone on board. While this may appear to be a simple task, the imposter has a few tricks up their sleeve. They have the ability to sabotage many aspects of your spaceship, causing a nuclear meltdown or depriving you of oxygen. When dead bodies are discovered, your squad has some time to discuss who is suspicious and determine whether or not to vote someone off the ship.
Among Us is an excellent game for analysing group dynamics – who in the investigation is taking the lead? Who is keeping a strangely low profile? It also forces your team to collaborate, communicate properly, think critically, and assess the reliability of evidence.
In that way, it’s an excellent game for practising problem-solving abilities that your team might use on a daily basis.
QuizBreaker is a weekly email-based quiz that helps teams get to know one another better in just two minutes. A virtual team building quiz will be sent to your mailbox on a regular basis. You can invite your team to participate, also create your own list of ice breaker activities.
How it works:
– Gather your team and answer some icebreaker questions, such as, ‘What is your all-time favourite movie?’
– Every Friday, each member of the team receives an email in which they must guess “who said what.” ‘Was it Jessica or Nick that stated Interstellar is their favourite movie of all time?’
– Submit your guesses, learn more about your colleagues, and see how long you can keep your perfect guessing streak going!
Setting up your team takes less than 3 minutes, and each round lasts only 2 minutes and it can be accessed with any browser and even on a smartphone.
Duration: 5-10 minutes per game
Skribbl.io is a well-known and amusing online game in which you win points by guessing what others draw or having people guess what you draw. Drawing with a mouse or trackpad produces ugly, complex drawings, so if you’re playing with peers and are all on the same call, you may have a lot of fun. Although the goal of skribbl is to have fun, it is also a tremendously satisfying experience to play well and beat your friends.
How to Play: You are given three words to choose from; choose one and begin drawing on the allocated white area; your teammates must guess the word, and that’s all there is to it! The player who correctly answers the most words at the end receives the most points. Skribbl.io is a fun game to play before a meeting to get you in the mood.
It’s patently obvious that tracking and managing the time of your remote workers helps you improve company performance.
So, here we have some tools to monitor your remote employees and for managing time.
Time Analytics is a cloud-based project management software that allows you to measure time and costs for each project, client, or job.
You can use this tool to find out who your most valuable clients are, what your time utilisation rate is for each employee, client, and project, and much more. Find out how many hours you waste on mundane tasks so you can figure out where you can save time. It’s also free, up to five users.
Clockify is a free time tracking and timesheet solution for all types of remote teams. It’s free to use for an unlimited number of people. It can be used as an online app in a browser, but it may also be downloaded and installed on a computer or phone.
You can use this platform to set project durations, track remote employees’ hourly rates, view current activity, and more. Managers may use Clockify to create, distribute, and export personalised reports in a variety of formats. Clockify is one of the most cost-effective choices available, making it ideal for independent contractors, consultants, remote workers, small and medium businesses, digital agencies, and colleges.
TimeCamp is a free work-at-home time tracker that may be used by an unlimited number of people and projects.
TimeCamp is an automatic time tracking programme that measures and categorises the time spent on various tasks. As a result, you can track people’s work throughout the day. It is feasible to automate employee payroll and send client invoices. It is appropriate for both employees who work in an office and those who work remotely.
Last, but not the least. Note-taking tools can help remote employees remain on top of their work by capturing key customer conversations or rapidly clipping an article from the web.
Microsoft OneNote is part of the Office 365 package and makes taking notes a breeze, especially if you’re using a touch screen device and want to create notes that include handwritten text, typed information, and drawings. Users of OneNote can create many parts on a single note page, which can subsequently be moved around. The desktop version may appear to be old, but the mobile app is user-friendly and strong.
Evernote is one of the OG note-taking apps that was launched in 2008. The tool lets you organize notes in the most effective way possible, making it easy to find and search data. You can edit rich text and share notes with other users.
Google Keep is a note-taking app that comes as part of the Google Docs Editors package, which is available for free on the web. It is a web app as well as an Android and an iOS mobile app. Text, lists, photos, and audio are all available as note-taking options in this app. The most special feature about keep is it has Optical character recognition that can be used to extract text from photographs, as well as transcribe voice recordings. The latest versions include the ability to pin notes and collaborate on them in real-time with other Keep users.
Color-coded notes are available in white, red, orange, yellow, green, teal, blue, or grey. By pressing the “Copy to Google Doc” button, users can copy all text into a new Google Docs document. The app’s navigation bar contains a list of labels that can be used to organise notes.
Notion is a software for project management and note-taking. It is a type of software that allows members of a company or organization to better manage deadlines, objectives, and tasks in order to increase efficiency and productivity.
The software can be used to take notes, manage knowledge and data, and manage projects and tasks all in one place. It’s a file-management tool with a unified workspace that allows users to comment on ongoing projects, join discussions, and receive feedback. Most online browsers, as well as cross-platform apps, can access it. Users can use Notion to organise their work by scheduling tasks, managing files, saving papers, setting reminders, and keeping agendas.
Well, there you have it the ultimate toolbox for a productive remote team. Trying to develop a framework for remote workers can be intimidating at first. It’s vital to remember when navigating the remote work world that just because your team isn’t in the same location doesn’t mean you can’t be on the same page. Use these tools to help to manage yourself, your team, and your projects, and hope to never have to use clunky tools and what’s even better? Almost all of these tools offer a free trial version that you may use before making a purchase.
