Having a successful career while working remotely depends on several factors determined by the psychological standing of a remote worker and their knowledge and usage of available remote working tools. There are several resources and tools available to augment your operations. In this article, we will show you different remote working tools and resources that can help you improve your productivity while working remotely.
Common Remote Working Tools You Need
As a remote worker, proper tooling plays a huge role in an overall increase in productivity. For example, it can trigger and maintain a seamless working operation and improve interaction with other workers. There are four categories of tools you need as highlighted below.
Time Tracking Tools
Time tracking tools are a set of software that shows you how you use your time. As a remote worker, it is common to inappropriately use time, be lost in the several operations of the day, and ultimately fail to achieve anything.
Time tracking tools can help you manage your time by helping you organize, schedule, and prioritize tasks and projects. There are several tools available, and you should choose one that resonates with you, your price, and your project. For example, TimeCamp is a common time tracker with remote workers that deals with comprehensive statistics.
Other examples of time management tools include TimeCamp, Hubstaff, MyHours, Clockify, and Everhour.
Project and Task Management Tools
Project and task management tools are a huge determinant for a smooth remote operation and an increase in productivity while working remotely. They include software that can plan, track, and manage projects to achieve a defined goal. They are also usable teamwise, as they enhance effective collaboration between different members to accelerate and achieve a project. Examples of project and task management software include HeySpace, Basecamp, Asana, Trello, and Zenkit
There are several types of project task management software you can use. As a result, selection can be a little challenging. You can use the following tips to select the best ones:
- User Interface: The software’s user interface plays a major role in the user experience which in turn determines the ease of operation. You should choose task management software with an excellent user interface since it will guarantee a better user experience.
- Integrated software: The right project and task management software should be integrated with other software to allow you to work directly and seamlessly with other software and people.
- Price: This is the most important deciding factor. You should choose time management that resonates with your capability.
Online Communication and Collaboration Tools
Online communication and collaboration tools are the basis of remote work as they allow people to work together on the same and different goals without regard for their location. Furthermore, they allow remote workers to communicate efficiently reducing the cost of traveling. Common communication and collaboration tools are Slack, Skype, Zoom, and Google Hangouts.
File Sharing Tools
A file-sharing system is an online service that allows the transfer of data between two devices and users on the same or different network.
File sharing is an important part of remote work due to the “remote” operation. Like any other factor, several factors come to play when looking for the right file-sharing services.
- For Business: For businesses with remote servers, file sharing is easier as you can easily transfer files using the server. This becomes more efficient when the business utilizes a cloud infrastructure such as V2 Cloud’s virtual desktop solution for remote worker. User are able to access their file anywhere, any device.
- For individuals: Individuals can make use of common file-sharing services such as Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.
- Price: Whether business or individuals, price is the major determinant of the choice of file-sharing service you use.
Resources for Remote Workers
The right working tool will pave the way for a successful remote operation; however, success while working remotely depends on the psychology of the remote worker. This means that you need the right resources to guarantee success. Below is a list of recommended resources that you can use.
Invest in Podcasts
As a remote worker, staying on top of your game is only achievable with the right mindset and knowledge about the remote working system. As a result, you might venture into podcasts which can allow you to manage your work and time, learn about remote startups (establishment, interviews, job vacancy, etc.), and how to do your job from anywhere and the necessary tools
Common examples of podcasts you can listen to include:
- The Rework Podcast by Basecamp. This podcast talks about designing an efficient way to work and run your business remotely milking from the experiences and wisdom of Basecamp’s co-founders and other business owners.
- Yonder Podcast. This podcast also talks about how to create happy and productive remote workers.
- The Remote Show. The Remote Show podcast interviews successful business owners who talk about their journey and how today’s remote workers can utilize them to improve productivity and overall remote job success.
Forum and Communities
Remote work will most likely cut you off from the world. As a result, you need a way to stay connected, meet other brilliant minds, and if possible, find answers to your questions. All these are achievable on a forum which is an online discussion that allows people to talk on a topic. Joining an online forum and community will give you the following advantages:
- Learning. The most important reason many people join a forum is to ask questions and for them to learn. Here, it is possible to connect to other experienced individuals in the field and share experiences.
- Improved communication. Forums and communities are also viable communication options for businesses. You can simply ask or answer a question and see replies in chronological order.
- Seek assistance and support. An online forum is a very important option for getting assistance and support when managers are not around.
Choosing a forum or community to join depends on the type of work. Nevertheless, below are the best forums and communities for remote workers:
- Reddit is the most popular online forum and community in the world. It has many threads that can help you achieve whatever you need. Common threads related to working remotely include telecommuting, Work Online, skipthedrive, remotework, remotejob
- StackExchange is a trusted online community for tech enthusiasts and developers to learn, share knowledge, and build a successful career
- Other examples include: Quora and Slack
Books
Books can also be a necessary guide as they can contain details on teleworking whether as a manager or a standalone remote worker. Common books you can go for include:
- The Long-Distance Leader: Rules for Remarkable Remote Leadership. Written by Kevin Eikenberry and Wayne Turmel, this book focuses majorly on managers. Here, the author talks about several parts of leadership and managing workers no matter where they work, without a drop in productivity.
- The Art of Working Remotely. Written by Scott Dawson, this book is majorly for standalone remote workers, as it talks about how to set up a quality workspace and learn the best behaviors and practices.
- Other examples include: Remote: Office Not Required by David Heinemeier Hansson and Jason Fried; Virtual Culture: The Way We Work Doesn’t Work Anymore, a Manifesto by Bryan Miles.
Final Thoughts & How V2 Cloud Can Help
A successful career working remotely depends on your psychological standing and how you can maximize opportunities in terms of working tools. There are several resources and tools that you can use to augment your remote operations and this article talked about the essential ones that can help you improve your productivity while working remotely.
V2 Cloud is mainly focusing on virtualization technology. We make our virtual desktop solution incredibly easy to deploy in less than 10 clicks without any in-depth training or certifications. At V2 Cloud, we developed our own virtualization software to focus on speed and simplicity. Users are able to access their virtual desktop by any time, location and device. V2 Cloud has the best professionals in cloud computing that are ready to help your remote working journey.
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