The onset of 2020, though rocky, brought about a tremendous change in the workforce all around the world. The difficulty of adapting to online methods has varied effects among different professions.
However, by June, everyone around the world has settled into their online personas. It is now time to improve and reap the advantages of working remotely.
Working as a product manager, in particular, has several benefits that can be produced through proper strategizing. Maintaining a rapport with your staff is just as important as carrying out market research. Be it project manager vs product manager; these strategies can help you make the best of working remotely.
The 5 Product Management Strategies to Embrace in A Remote Work-Force
1. Identify Your Right Set of Remote Operating Tools
The basic necessity of remote working is to have the right set of tools to aid you. There are several software and services available with a plethora of utilities. As the product manager, you have access to all the information you need to make an informed decision.
Taking the time to scope all the software that could aid you in any way, be it an application to conduct online reviews or even to schedule group alarms, could help you tremendously. The fundamental issues that you need to address are online meetings and scheduling.
While applications such as Google Meet and Zoom could easily take over the online meetings, security and utilities must also be considered. On the other hand, applications such as Microsoft Teams offer a surplus of services apart from online meetings and can serve as a one-stop app.
It is recommended that you check out Slack, Confluence and Jira, Miro, and FullStory to help you find more related applications and software.
2. Schedule Timely Group Discussions
The basis of product management is group brainstorm sessions that enable you, as a product manager, to grab input from your entire staff with a specific agenda in mind. However, considering the current situation, it is only natural for you to wonder if you can host such sessions effectively.
The truth is, however, that you can very well carry out such sessions if you considerably plan well in advance. The key is to have the agenda mapped out over the available time. Regarding office brainstorming sessions, they are highly interactive, with everyone voicing out their opinions.
With online methods, it is hardly competent to allow the team to speak out at the same time. Considering a map to chart out the team members and allotting specific limits would solve this issue. However, you must realize that though this calls for more professionalism, the essence of a brainstorming session could be lacking in online meetings.
3. Map Daily Reviews to Enhance Productivity
Keeping track of the progress of product development or marketing situations is essential and ensures proper management. Working remotely doesn't offer you the advantage of working personally with the departments and their people. You should use Jira alternatives to keep track of employees and the progress of your projects.
Conducting weekly or daily reviews is simply one of the simplest ways that you can keep track of the product or project while maintaining a rapport with your team. There are numerous software and services available online (free or paid) that you can use to map out the progress.
Hence, through these reports, you can easily chart the progress of each department and help them visualize and perceive rather than simple motivation. Implementation of such methods also help forward-thinking and strategizing.
4. Start With Your Team and End With Your Customer
A product manager, in a sense, is responsible for all aspects related to the products. This includes the definition to its inception and finally only ends with the customer.
A product ultimately needs to please the customer who bought it, and this can only be ensured through the thorough research of the market and users. Conducting market research has always included online surveys to obtain customers' opinions.
However, recognizing remote working, establishing an active role in all fields related to the product is now more accessible to you. There is now a bigger need for you to consider the schedules and time zones of your team.
Having an open line of communication with your team to share their grievances and concerns with you is of utmost importance now. Sectioning your time to include a portion for your customers and another for your team is the right way to go.
5. Bind Yourself with the Cord of Discipline
Though this probably doesn't occur to you as a strategy for producing more results as a product manager, we can assure you that it is. An office workplace offers a professional environment with very few distractions that have less to do with work.
That is not the same when it comes to your home. Either if you live with your family or even if you live alone, a certain amount of distractions and stress is naturally implied.
Dedicating a space for yourself while minimizing as many distractions as you can is one way to ensure that you still keep your professional and personal lives separate. Maintaining a sense of steady professionalism can help ease your team members as well.
Listening to a few songs in between your meetings, cooking healthy food for yourself, and other such hobbies can help you destress at the end of the day.
Time to Work Anywhere and Lead Everywhere!
Prioritizing, scheduling, and reviewing is a simple way to remember the aforementioned strategies. Not much needs to be changed; rather, there is much that needs to be adapted. Keep in mind that these are challenging times that your team, alongside you, are also enduring.
Though we have incorporated some basic, fundamental strategies for you to employ, there are still certain technical methods that could also help you. Multiple, critically acclaimed product management certifications address working remotely specific to current times.
It is never too late to readjust and modify your management techniques to keep up with current times and with the ever-changing market.
Leverage the tools available out there. Brainstorm innovative solutions to what tech can't solve. Thus, empower your team under your leadership while satisfying your clients during these stressful times.
