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This is the right article for you if you are a remote manager. This article will discuss how remote project managers can manage their lives and projects.
Why?
Remote work is becoming more common: 70% of employees worldwide said they work remotely at most once a week in a 2018 survey.
There are many resources that can help you to be productive when you work remotely. But this article is a little different because project managers are different. As a Project Manager, I will tell you what you need to do to keep your project manager job on the remote side.
5 Ways to Stay Safe as a Remote Project Manager
1. Organise your space
I know many project managers, including myself, who have a particular way they prefer to organize their work desks to maximize efficiency. Project managers have to manage multiple aspects of multiple projects, so this is often a bigger problem than for other roles. My last job had two huge whiteboards for visual problem solving and two large bulletin boards for hanging up documents. I had two monitors, a wireless keyboard, mouse, and two desk lamps that provided soft lighting. I had my overhead lights turned off by the facilities staff. It took me some time to get my space right. This is common for project managers who need well-organized, controlled spaces to do their work. It was difficult for me to concentrate when I found something out of place in my workspace. Project managers know what they need in order to feel organized.
Why is it that so many remote project managers and office project managers work from home, but have a small area of their house with a lamp and a few drawers? You must treat your office like a real office if you want to work remotely. If you are like me and don’t have a dedicated space for your office, it is important to treat your workspace as a workspace and not as an invisible “office area”. My workspace is located in my den. When I’m not working, I use the two whiteboards, large corkboards, multiple monitors, and desk lamps that I need to work efficiently. You shouldn’t reduce the space because it’s remote. Otherwise, you might feel disorganized and distracted.
2. Create boundaries
Remote workers need to be able to set boundaries that define work and personal life. Remote project managers are often worried that remote workers will be content to just watch Netflix on the couch all day. However, remote managers often find themselves working too many hours due to the fact that our work is available 24×7. To avoid burning out and blowing budgets, it is important to set boundaries.
These boundaries don’t need to be too formal or significant. They just have to work. My boundaries are shoes, lights, and a desk. Shoes are essential for me when I’m at work or at home. Shoes are a must for me to work. My desk lights go out when I’m done working. My desk lights are always on. Some people dress up as if they’re going into work, and then put on more comfortable clothes after their workday ends. Many people have dedicated office space right next to their doors. I think that project managers need multiple cues for stopping work, or we can find ourselves tempted to just check…one…more….email. This is not a topic that will be covered today. No matter what your boundary is, it should be second-nature and not something you have too much to think about.
3. Have some human interaction
The world has changed. Why?