Here are some tips on successfully managing a remote team.

1. Be Present and Available

This might seem like a no-brainer but with the flexibility of remote work comes a lot of distractions like children, family members, roommates, pets, the overwhelming list of household chores that never ends… the list goes on. We will always have something going on in our life that will be a distraction from work or will cause a disruption in our normal work schedule. However, it is very important to inform your team about any major changes to your daily schedule so they can be prepared for any possible delayed responses on your end.

2. Set Frequent, Recurring Meetings Each Week

Most people like to look at the upcoming week on their calendar, see any team meetings and plan work or personal time accordingly. We all know that things can change. Work priorities can switch in a moment or a personal emergency can alter standing recurring meetings. But, for as much as you can, keep your team meetings planned for the same day and time each week. These meetings allow for all team members to get together, discuss their work progress, ask you any questions about current or upcoming work and generally just catch up, whether work related or just what they have planned for the weekend. This is a great way to invest in relationships and get to know more than just the “work-side” of your team.

3. Set Up a Form of Collaboration/Communication

Depending on the type of work you do this might not be necessary but even if your team does not need to collaborate, it’s still important to set up a form of communication between you and the team aside from traditional email. Utilizing Microsoft 365 along with Microsoft Teams has become a very popular form of collaboration and communication. You can keep things very simple by utilizing the chat function among your team or depending on the work, you can set up public and private teams and add channels on specific projects and clients within a private team to further deepen the collaboration and communication.

4. Track Team Progress

Creating a formal way to track team progress is a great way to stay up to date on project and task status without having to ask your team members every time you need to know something. Depending on the work, the way you track progress can be very simple and informal, with a daily or weekly updated spreadsheet. Or, you can allow for greater insight and perspective by using tools like Toggl Track, Jira, Trello and Basecamp. Using a project management software tool also allows for your team to have greater control and insight into what other team members are working on, including what is on the horizon. Just remember, do not take advantage of the insight these tools provide and start micromanaging your team!

5. Celebrate Successes

Everyone wants to feel and know that their work is valued. It’s very easy to get caught up in the day-to-day workload and forget about all the things your team has accomplished over the last week, month and year. Acknowledge the value and skill set that each team member brings to the table and celebrate successes as a team and on an individual level. 

Written by Pyvot E-Learning Project Manager Victoria Hymel

Chances are your world got a lot more virtual over the past year. Jobs moved online, schools moved online … Let’s face it – Due to quarantine requirements, most of our lives moved online due to COVID-19. Whether or not this shift to virtual interactions is new to you, there are a few rules of thumb you can follow to ensure you are projecting the best version of yourself in cyberspace.

Creating a professional online presence

Following these five easy tips will help you keep a positive, professional online presence when working with others in your next Zoom meeting:

1. Place the camera even with your face: This mimics a face-to-face interaction. Looking down on the camera can be perceived as condescending, while looking up at the camera is just plain awkward.
2. Tidy up your background space: Don’t forget that your workspace is a reflection on you. Removing clutter and overly personal items helps project a streamlined image; if you wouldn’t have an object at your physical worksite, don’t include it in your visible background at home.
3. Invest in a headset: The ability to easily hear the online meeting coupled with blocking out your own household’s background noise makes this purchase well worth the money!
4. Dress the part: If you are meeting with supervisors or other professionals, dress as you would if you were meeting with them in person.
5. Use the mute button: In group meetings of three or more people, mute yourself while you are not speaking. This blocks out inadvertent (and potentially embarrassing!) noises such as pets, children, lawnmowers… the list goes on. Just remember to un-mute yourself when it’s your turn to speak!

Whether via Zoom, Google Meet or some other online platform, virtual get-togethers are the new “normal.” Make the most of it by putting your best face forward in cyberspace!

Video elements are excellent ways to convey information in computer-based training (CBTs). A short, single video can demonstrate something that would otherwise take many words (and slides!). However, all video is not created equal. How many times have you seen a video clip that was in the wrong orientation, too small, too grainy or too shaky?  Don’t fall victim to bad video. 

Here are 10 Tips for Excellent Video in Computer Based Training

1. Use proper camera orientation, especially when using a cell phone, so always record in landscape (short and wide) as opposed to portrait (tall and narrow).
2. Use a tripod or gimbal to prevent shaking (at the very least, use two hands and move slowly).
3. Get the camera as close to your subject as possible (fill the frame) without overuse of zoom, which will degrade the footage and increase shaking.
4. Footage will be more interesting when the subject is close and in full view.
5. More light is always better. Be aware of the level of lighting when shooting inside units and control rooms. Turn on all available lighting. If lights aren’t available, have the subject face an open doorway or window to make use of natural lighting. Remember to always have more light in front of your subject than behind to avoid backlighting or dark exposures.
6. Panning left/right or up/down is generally okay, but don’t overdo it. Also, try not to zoom in and out.
7. Always shoot every scene at least twice. You never know when someone walked through the scene, coughed, etc., so you need at least two versions from which to choose your footage.
8. If your subject messes up narrating, don’t start over. Just back up one or two sentences and continue on. You can correct the mistake in editing.
9. Most cell phones use edit friendly file types, and any file type that can be edited and rendered as an .mp4 is acceptable. This is rarely ever an issue anymore with today’s technology, but if you are using a stand alone camera you will want to check for .mp4 compatibility.
10. Shoot a lot of B-roll or secondary footage. People talking, walking, writing, using doors or switches, or operating equipment or machines. Example: If you are recording a scene for a gate with scales, do not just record one truck entering or leaving scale. Record two or three trucks, some from the front and some from the rear, as well as the scale operator and truck drivers interacting and doing paperwork. Again, keep the camera still while recording, avoiding fast or jerky motion.

Using these tips will result in video clips that are clean, smooth and ready for your training needs!

View our COVID-19 response webinar

To our valued members and partners, we are here to help get you through this. You are not alone. Taking great care of you and your teams is at the center of everything we do.

We invite you to view our on-demand COVID-19 Response webinar by clicking here.

Please reach out to us at 877-345-2515 if any of the service offerings or solutions presented in this webinar would ease any pains you’re experiencing right now. If there are other challenges you’re currently faced with, let us know.

Simple safety measures can save lives, and we stand ready to emulate that in our facilities.

Our COVID-19 safety measures

Beginning Oct. 27, in accordance with a new proclamation signed by Gov. John Bel Edwards, Alliance will no longer require masks in its facilities for students and employees. Alliance will continue to offer students masks if they request them.

Simple safety measures can save lives, and we stand ready to emulate that in our facilities. For us, this includes the following:

• Motion-censored hand sanitizer dispensers throughout our facilities.
• Positioning laptops and computers throughout our facilities to help ensure social distancing whenever possible. 
• Displaying best practices and COVID-19 resource links around the clock on the lobby TVs at each of our facilities. All team members – particularly our member-facing employees – have been advised to be extra vigilant with their own hygiene and when cleaning all computers and equipment.
• Additional supplies of antimicrobial soap and towels to ensure we don’t deplete our resources. Antiseptic wipes, boxed pencils and individually wrapped coffee stirrers have been received and are being utilized. Pencils utilized in our classrooms are discarded after every class, rather than reused. A fresh supply of pencils is supplied for each class. We have also added protective coverings to the keyboards located in our training labs.

The Alliance team is continuously monitoring developments and following guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), OSHA and other trusted sources. We will inform our members as circumstances or recommendations change. Rest assured, we’re doing everything in our power to provide a safe experience for our members today and every day.