Joe Pusz invited my to join him at Project Management Office Hours. We talked about how to remotely lead projects. These skills will be valuable as more companies offer remote work options for employees in the event of a pandemic.
Here are some key takeaways
Joe: How has COVID-19 influenced the work of project managers today?
Elizabeth: I believe it’s sector dependent. I know of many project managers who are very busy as they must pick up the slack for colleagues who are sick, quarantining or self-isolating. Every project is subject to new projects that need our attention. They have been made redundant or extremely busy. They are now searching for work in the exact same way as other people in all types jobs.
While I believe that project managers have had a significant impact on their work, the actual work we do has not changed much. Although I have been working with virtual teams for 13+ years, I have not always been based entirely at home. I have done some work from home. We can do a lot remotely due to the nature and work project managers.
I believe that we are doing the exact same thing. We’re just doing it doing using different tools. As you said, there will be long-term consequences if things require teams to work together. For many years, we will need to consider safety and health of construction sites teams and other issues. How can we safely deliver these projects. We have also seen a significant rise in the use and popularity of tools. People are connecting across oceans using tools similar to those we use today. Instead, you connect with someone two blocks away who is also working remotely.
Joe: What can I share with you and those who are struggling right now, Joe?
Elizabeth: There are practical aspects. I believe I can suggest that getting comfortable using the camera is one.
It’s still amazing for me to see people. I was actually mentoring someone who was having trouble switching on her camera. She couldn’t even speak. This was a strange thing to me because I can’t talk on the phone with anyone, so how is it different to speak to someone via your computer? However, I believe that there are still people who are technologically shy and not confident with the tools we have.
If the virtual world is not for you, you can spend some time learning the technology and practicing with colleagues. It’s okay for me to admit that I have used a web-based webinar platform. It was a great tool, which I used for a long period of time, and I had a license that allowed it to be used. Zoom was not something that I wanted to purchase, as I already had an adequate tool. I lost my connection and couldn’t find the controls. It was strange.
This is not an advert for Zoom. It was well worth the money and has made a significant difference in my daily life. Because I feel in charge of the technology. It is not me driving technology, it’s the tools driving me. I can conduct my sessions however I like without worrying about it. It’s easy for me to get used to the technology.
It is also more difficult to go to sleep at night. I commuted from London to London for about an hour by train. The entire journey took me around one hour. It was a lot of time to wind down after a long day and complete all the emails I didn’t send.
