Remote work as a chance to reveal the project manager

The first days after the transition of your team to remote work have already shown a lot of problem points. Truth? But if you are applying for the position of a project manager or are him, use this situation to your advantage. Using IT as an example, I’ll share some tips on what to do and what to pay special attention to.

Future leader, look at both

When it comes to the position of a project manager in IT, it seems that technical knowledge will come first. However, not everything is so simple and simple. First of all, because not every tester, analyst or developer can manage a team and understands well how to do it.

At the same time, I will say from my own experience, for IT at least basic knowledge of the specifics of work is a prerequisite. On the one hand, this will help you in setting tasks to speak with colleagues in a language they understand and correctly evaluate the result. On the other hand, it is better to communicate with the customer and help him understand important nuances.

This knowledge will significantly increase your chances of moving up the career ladder to the desired position. But they certainly will not replace managerial skills and understanding of how to lead a team correctly so that it fulfills tasks efficiently and on time.



What can remote work give you in this situation? Suppose you are only looking for an IT company, where you will see a manager suitable for her. If at the current place of work everyone has been transferred to a remote format, take a closer look at the processes associated with information technology. Wherever you work now, they are in some way present in the life of the company. As a non-standard situation reveals ever new problem areas, take the initiative and help with finding a solution. Even the selection of a good IT partner will be a significant contribution. When it “burns” in several places at once, the elimination of one of the “sources of ignition” will certainly not go unnoticed. In addition, in this case, you can pick up this site in your tasks and thanks to this it is better to understand the nuances. And add a solid paragraph to your resume.

Since you are reading my article, you have already found whom to turn to for help. We are always glad to see you and ready to contribute to increasing the IT-zatsii your company.

“They learn from their mistakes, they build a career from strangers,” said Franklin Roosevelt, 32nd President of the United States.

Hold on project manager

If you are just the project manager who had to send his employees to work home, then now is the time to do a certain audit. Moreover, I advise you to analyze not only the moments that need to be improved, but also the behavior of colleagues in an unusual situation.
You have three weeks, and this is a fairly large period. And he may well reveal many interesting nuances hidden behind the office routine, where everything side by side and daily processes managed to become familiar.



Of course, this is not an easy time: you have to urgently “repair” all spontaneous “malfunctions”, because the responsibility for the project and the actions of subordinates lies with you. But here it’s just worth “pumping”, for example, delegation skills. And to determine who you can definitely delegate a specific task to, find an opportunity to stop and see who is showing himself from the right side.

It is also possible and important in remote working conditions to test your daily processes: the need to more accurately set the control points and the need of the team to improve communication. For example, when summarizing the daily report for each employee (after all, did you implement such a report on a temporary basis?), Consider how expedient it is to make it permanent. And during Skype meetings, also pay attention to how the team interacts when the “friend’s shoulder” is at a distance.

A similar cut after returning to the normal, office, operating mode will give you a good basis for optimizing micro links and, possibly, even some redistribution of the roles of the hearts of subordinates.
“You need to manage not work - it never ends, but time, because it is finite,” Richelieu, French cardinal.