In the construction industry, working in the office rather than on a Jobsite means that you are overhead! Therefore, working virtual or at-home has been around for a few years, after many construction-related companies adapted the open workstation design for their offices. CQM Virtual Office is a thought that was initiated by the recent Corona Virus Scare. However, many are concerned that working together by phone or video conference won’t be as useful or productive as the in-person meeting would have been. So, to deliver a quality service to clients, we at CQM Virtual Office are sharing Best Practices that are essential for project management professionals to apply for proper virtual work and keep their teams motivated and productive!
A successful CQM virtual office can align executives, galvanize corporate performance, and strengthen the company’s position in its industry. Construction Industry Project Managers should distill some of the best practices from other industries and know that the foundation of an effective virtual offsite remains basic meeting management: clear objectives, a well-crafted agenda, concise pre-reads, a well-chosen group of attendees, documented decisions, and specific next steps with action list items!
Prepare the CQM Virtual Office
Here are the top five tasks you need to plan ahead of time:
- Provide visitors with the tools they’ll need.
- Provide tutorials and ensure everyone knows how to use the technology.
- Carefully design the flow, set ground rules, and conduct a pilot test.
- Assign clear roles within your virtual team.
- When in doubt, limit the size of the group.
Conducting Remote Work in a CQM Virtual Office
CQM Virtual Teamwork requires everyone’s full engagement and active participation, which proves even more challenging in a virtual setting. Project Managers should consider the following:
- Have a waiting room and a welcome screen when people join the meeting.
- Engage participants from the beginning by asking everyone to share thoughts for a minute.
- Minimize long explanations and presentations to maximize discussions. Have frequent breaks and icebreakers!
- Use technology and app features to maximize participation, engagement, and interactivity.
- Use Videos to keep everyone alert and fixed to monitor screens
- Use Poll and Voting to receive feedback
- Use Chat to elaborate on discussions
- Record Video to stream later for the absentees
- Follow up with Meeting Minutes and Action list Items
Continue the Virtual Office for Remote Work
Harvard Business Review published an interesting article on in June 2006 in regards to Off-Site teamwork that we’d recommend for you to read. If your Vitual Office is successfully implemented, then it could be utilized for more projects and for more different situations. Use this time to experience and turn this for a long-term benefit. Here is a 60 Day plan to successful off-site planning:
