In this day and age, not all Project Managers need to be tied to the office in order to do their job properly. With new advances in technology and project management software, anyone can project manage remotely - and here are three ways you could do it, too.
Thanks to advances in technology, project management doesn't have to be confined to the office any more. In addition, the best project managers need to be sourced from afar in order to get the best performance, and this may mean hiring someone to manage your projects remotely. Can it be done? With a little effort, yes. Here are three ways that you could project manage outside the office:
1. Make your technology mobile
Having a mobile phone for people to call a project manager who's not in the office isn't really enough to keep close tabs on a modern project. A more interactive device will definitely be required, such as a Blackberry for email and web access too, or a PDA for the same reason.
It goes without saying that any remote-working project manager should have a reasonably powerful laptop with some form of remote internet access such as mobile broadband. The software installed on any device should mirror that used by the rest of the team to enable easy sharing and distribution of information.
2. Never stop sharing
Since the project manager is the keystone to success, they should be available remotely for the same amount of time they would be in the office for. On top of this, information should be able to be sent and received to them at a rate similar to just walking into the office and having a word with them or asking for a document.
Therefore, the project manager should never stop sharing information. By telephone, they should have their mobile switched on and near their person as frequently as they would be sat at a desk with a landline next to them. For email, this should also be mobile such as on a PDA, iPod, etc.
It's a great idea to have a central web server that can be accessed at any time by any team member, especially the project manager. Using software such as Microsoft Project can also help you sort out access levels for this, too. Also - using something like the SharePoint server can ensure the flow of information between the staff and the manager, ensuring that security and confidentiality is maintained throughout the sharing.
3. Don't forget - physical presence will sometimes be required
It may sound contradictory, but being a remote project manager also means that you have to learn to schedule those in-person meetings too, as they'll always be required in business. When a phone call or an email just won't cut it (for example, if you have the unenviable task of firing someone), you will have to turn up in person.
Don't make yourself so remote as to be inaccessible or unrecognisable should you walk through the door! If your team feels abandoned by a remote project manager who never 'touches base' with them, they will lose respect for you. In addition, it pays to check on your team from time to time - one of them may have an issue they only feel they can talk to you about face to face.
Project managing from afar is perfectly feasible if you consider the above, and with new changes and improvements in sharing information over the web, the day will eventually come where perhaps an entire team - not just the manager - could work remotely, so why not try it out?
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