Remote work has transformed the world in an instant. Now, if a job has even the slightest element of digital work, employees are (or will request) working from off-site.

Statistics show that in 2023, 91% of employees preferred full or partial remote work. This trend is becoming so common in virtually every industry worldwide, and traditional office space is quickly becoming a thing of the past.

While remote work can improve employee happiness, it does pose challenges. How can you ensure teams work cohesively when thousands of miles apart? How do you manage communication and connectivity in different time zones? 

And can workflows become streamlined? Thankfully, new ways exist to manage this delicate transition to hybrid and remote project work.

How to Manage Remote Projects in the Best Possible Way

Project managers need to adopt new strategies to keep projects on track for completion. Instead of sticking to an outdated work model and expecting perfect results, it’s important to take some steps to ensure this new digitized workflow is effective for the team.

1. Create a healthy work-life balance for workers

No matter the circumstance, happy workers are productive workers. But remote work can make it difficult to “check in” with people to ensure they’re managing everything in their lives. As such, burnout becomes a major concern.

Burnout is feeling physically or mentally exhausted, stressed, and pressured. It often stems from a demanding work environment with no clear job expectations. 

Remote work can add to this as workers fail to set boundaries between their work and home lives. They think they must be at work 24/7 and go above and beyond their duties.

This leads to exhaustion and reduced quality of work. Research from McKinsey found that up to 49% of employees surveyed reported burnout from remote work. That figure could be higher because burnout often leads to people leaving their jobs.

As a manager, you must stress the importance of a healthy work-life balance. Set clear boundaries for work hours and flexible working arrangements. Allow workers to air any concerns or obstacles they might have. You can make any necessary changes to keep projects on track.

2. Adopt collaboration tools to streamline project work

For a remote team to be productive, you need workers to be able to collaborate. Otherwise, no one will know what is being done and by who.

But how do you do this if they aren’t in the same country, let alone the same room? The rise of cloud technology, of course! These tools allow workers to log onto the same platforms and work on the same files in real-time. 

They help recreate the traditional office environment in a virtual space. Some of the best collaboration tools to consider include the following:

• Authorization: Every project requires regular sign-offs. Tools like Filestage streamline the approval stages of every piece of work. Workers can manage feedback and track approvals of every milestone.
• Real-time communication: Tools like Slack help teams stay in contact in real-time. They can send and receive messages and organize files, all on one centralized platform.
• Video conferencing: Sometimes, it helps to put a face to a meeting. Platforms like Zoom are equipped to streamline video calls with remote teams. You can schedule and save meetings, share screens, collaborate on whiteboards, and more.
• Task management: Onethread is designed to help simplify managing remote projects. Teams can manage to-do piles, set deadlines, delegate tasks and resources.

3. Improve communication by adopting eSIM technology

If you can work anywhere worldwide, it makes sense to seize new opportunities wherever possible. As such, remote work has opened up the opportunity for teams to go on business trips while still being able to handle their day-to-day tasks.

But nothing delays a project more than someone who can’t respond to an important message. And as soon as someone goes abroad, their smartphone may disconnect from networks, rendering it useless. Worse, that worker is now isolated from their entire team.

An eSIM is a new way to streamline connectivity across remote teams. It ensures that everyone is contactable—no matter where and when they travel. Think of an eSIM as a virtual version of a traditional SIM card. Rather than being a physical card, it is already embedded within modern smartphones.

The main benefit of using an eSIM is that it allows you to easily change your network operator within an app. No matter where you are in your country, it will strive to connect you to the best local networks possible.

This means that wherever you visit, you can enjoy great connectivity. Say you’re traveling across the United States on business. By finding the best eSIM for the US, you can enjoy seamless connectivity across all fifty states.

4. Manage time zones effectively

Remote work can complicate finding the best time for teams to connect. After all, workers can be spread across the world. So, how do you know a time that works for everyone?

Specific platforms have innovative time-zone features designed to help. Google Workspace, for example, has shareable online calendars that workers can use. 

Time is synced to each respective worker. Workers can also set visible office hours and appointment schedules so others can book meetings that suit everyone.

Finding the Right Solutions for Remote Project Management!

While the business world changes every day, one thing remains clear—remote work is here to stay. Workers will want some degree of choice in where and when they do their traditional “9-to-5.”

This can be a challenging time for project managers, who need to remain focused to keep work on track. Most importantly, you must invest in modern tech tools to support communication between teams while on the move.

But modern tools won’t solve every problem—remember to emphasize a positive work-life balance. This will help boost productivity and help maintain high-quality work!