A lot of people get intimidated by anything virtual. Even though the digital world is progressing rapidly, not all people are too comfortable with the idea of intangible components that they can’t touch. Also, because of the software and vastly different methods of operations, the virtual world is still shied away from.
However, the truth is, the virtual world is becoming a part of our reality, with an overwhelming number of benefits. Ignoring that would mean ignoring a whole world of opportunities and benefits. Therefore, as scary as it may seem at first, once you get accustomed to it, you will probably never want to go back.
Virtual Project Management is something similar. It is a rising new part of the Project Management section, but almost everything is virtuals, as you might have guessed. Fully equipped with several features and facilities, Virtual Project Management is the future of project management. If you want to know a bit more about it, before deciding if you wish to try it or not, this guide is meant for you.
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Understanding Virtual Project Management
Let us begin by understanding what Virtual Project Management is. Virtual Project Management is a part of project management where more or less, everything is the same. You manage projects, delegate tasks, work through the project life cycle, complete activities, and achieve the set goals. However, the only difference is that not all the members are in the same location.
This tool is getting more popular nowadays because it aligns perfectly with business expansion plans. As a business owner, one of your goals is to expand your business. With Virtual Project Management, the scope of managing projects increases no matter where you are based. This allows the company to collaborate and infuse ideas to bring about extraordinary results.
Also, as remote working behavior is getting popular, Virtual Project Management is the perfect solution that goes hand in hand with the current scenario. This also allows the team members to give in their best from their comfort zones.
How does it all work?
As such, there is no one proper procedure that makes it all happen. Virtual Project Management is a concept and a process. But its success lies in the company’s hands who decide on the strategies to be used and the methods to be followed. However, Virtual Project Management does offer many scopes and opportunities that can bear astonishing results if used in the right manner.
For starters, a team needs to get their hands on Project Management Software to get started with Virtual Project Management. A lot depends on the capabilities, features, and facilities of the Project Management Software. An excellent software will make task delegation easy, provide transparency, and make access to information a breeze. These attributes automatically make Virtual Project Management easy to control and manage.
Project managers, in these scenarios, need to be compassionate and understanding as misunderstandings can easily occur. Also, they should work on methods for communicating as clear communication is a must. Some Project Management Software also has in-built options for communication among the members, which can prove effective.
Why use Virtual Project Management?
We have mentioned earlier how Virtual Project Management offers a lot of benefits. Down below, we will take a look at the top few benefits that you can reap if you switch over to Virtual Project Management.
Economical
If you see it in the long run, Virtual Project Management is very economical. It helps you cut costs in a lot of sections and does not demand much in return. For starters, once you adapt to Virtual Project Management, you will have reduced costs for office space, utility bills, office supplies, and so on.
The only thing that you would be needing is a computer unit or laptop and a steady internet connection. It also reduces human resources cost where you can hire talents from outside and not have to pay for their moving or traveling costs.
More talents on board
As mentioned earlier, Virtual Project Management allows you the option of hiring talents from outside without the need for them to relocate. This opens a huge scope for companies as your horizon for human resources becomes close to limitless. This is especially beneficial if your company is planning to expand its business internationally.
Increased productivity
Virtual Project Management increases productivity by leaps and bounds. This is mostly because the employees can work from their comfort zones, where they don’t have to deal with pressure. Also, Virtual Project Management allows the employees to have a better work-life balance, which refreshes their mindset, thus boosting productivity. They get to spend more time with their families, which keeps them motivated and encouraged to give their best at work.
Help grow team members
When Virtual Project Management is introduced to new teams, members work harder to adapt to it. This helps increase their adaptability skills, increasing their work experience, and helping them grow. By putting them in new scenarios, the team and their project manager are challenged to adapt and get the best out of the changing circumstances. This also prepares them for bigger changes in the future, thus helping them grow and be more efficient.
How to get the best out of Virtual Project Management?
Now that you know a good deal about Virtual Project Management, let us proceed to some tips on mastering Virtual Project Management and getting the best out of it. It is alright to make mistakes when you are adapting to new technology or procedure. But, it is the mistakes that help you grow and understand better. With these tips, you can gain the upper hand at managing Virtual Project Management. Let’s take a look:
Opt for good communication tools
As you will not be meeting each other in real-time, Virtual Project Management can easily invite miscommunication, misunderstandings, and confusion. However, there is a convenient method to eradicate such problems. With Virtual Project Management, clear communication becomes one of the most crucial factors. Therefore, when you are switching to Virtual Project Management, make sure you have one of the best communication tools with you.
As you will be needing Project Management Software, some of these already come with good communication tools. However, if you are not satisfied with those, you can purchase separate tools that suit your needs.
Virtual meetings are important
Understand that your team will very rarely ever come face to face. Therefore, when they are working, they need to know their team members to get properly involved in the project, take initiatives, and succeed. Today’s technology has enabled us to conduct high-quality video conferences, with various features like screen-sharing, recording, and so on, which are perfect for holding presentations and discussions much like real-time meetings.
Virtual meetings will keep the team together by involving members, discussing ideas and progress, and keeping track of progress. Therefore, make sure that a meeting is held at least once a week to get updates from every member. Quarterly and half-yearly meetings with set agendas are also encouraged.
Promote a supportive environment
In Virtual Project Management, it gets hard for team members to get to know each other, other than their professional links. However, that is not enough for the members to trust each other and get into a good and healthy work-associate relationship. If that is not the case, there is a big chance that this would affect the project results.
Therefore, no matter how advanced your communication tools are, the project manager is the one who has to maintain a good and supportive environment. The members need to trust each other and develop good social relationships to be engaged in the project and contribute actively. To recreate social moments, the project manager should set aside social discussions and chats to lighten the mood and take a break every once in a while. This will keep the morale of the team high while engaging the members and strengthening their social relationships.
Time-tracking tools
Another tip to ensure that you utilize Virtual Project Management well is to use time-tracking tools. Time is of essence no matter where you are working from. In offices, due to the environment, members are aware of how they are utilizing their time. However, when they are working from their comfort zones, time management can get a bit difficult.
Time tracking tools will be able to help here by tracking the number of work hours and time taken to complete tasks, and so on. This way, the project manager will be able to understand the contribution and progress of each member without inducing any stress or unwanted disbalance of work hours.
Responsibility matters
In Virtual Project Management, there is no question of solo playing. It is the team that is accountable for the project, and each members’ contribution will lead to the success of the project. However, if one of them fails to take responsibility for their undertaken tasks, it becomes perilous for the team to pull through.
Therefore, team playing is very important out here, with each member clear about their responsibilities and tasks. The project manager should always keep an eye on the team members’ progress and supervise them accordingly.
Not so scary, is it?
So there it is— everything that you need to know about Virtual Project Management. We understand how scary it can be to get started with something new, but all it takes is a little time and patience, and a little bit of trust to understand that it is not as intimidating as it may seem. In fact, once habituated to it, Virtual Project Management may as well be the future of office projects and works.
As technology progresses and work-from-home becomes popular, Virtual Project Management easily becomes the key to the next level of office working. So now that you know the main details about this new business process, try to bring it into your business and see the results for yourself.
