If I’ve come to appreciate anything over the last year and a half, it is the ability to work from anywhere while being able to continue the collaboration with a smart and dynamic team.
No doubt there are many benefits of remote working, but it also comes with its own set of challenges. As a project manager focusing on SEO, marketing, and social media— I always have lots of plates spinning, and it is crucial to keep organized.
From staying connected with colleagues and clients to maintaining concentration while working from a home office, I definitely rely on a number of apps and tools to help me get the most out of my days. Here are the top apps I love for remote working:
Remote working apps – Slack
Slack is a necessity for our team — essentially the backbone of our internal communication — since we are stationed all around Germany and Switzerland. I use Slack daily for sending messages and phone calls. I appreciate the ‘Remind’ function that Slackbot offers so that I can be prompted to revisit a message someone sent me or remind a colleague to complete a task.
Google Suite
I love how easy Google Suite makes it to collaborate with the entire team on documents and powerpoints — allowing everyone to work on the same material simultaneously. In addition, I use Google Meet for most video calls with the team and with clients. I like that you can see everyone on one screen with the tile function.
Calendly
Calendly makes for super intuitive and straightforward scheduling. Being able to quickly send a link to clients, colleagues, or potential new hires makes it really easy and convenient to find a time to meet without emailing back and forth.
TickTick
I use TickTick daily to write down quick tasks that pop up during the day or things that I absolutely can’t forget about. While a Slack message can be overlooked, I have to check it off as done if I write it down here. It works better for me as a traditional to-do list, as it stays open in the corner of my screen, and I can always see it out of the corner of my eye.
Miro
This is the perfect tool for hosting workshops. I’ve used it on multiple occasions over the last months, and it’s great because anyone can collaborate and work simultaneously. Miro makes workshops efficient and reminds you a little of putting up post-its on a board in the office — except here it’s already digitized, and there’s no need to type everything up again after the workshop has concluded.
Loom
I’m just starting to become familiar with this tool myself, but I know that our CEO Remco likes to use it to quickly show someone on the team how things are done. Loom lets you record your screen and videos you so that you can reuse the explanation in the future.
Spotify
This one might not make everyone’s list, but I definitely focus better when there is some background noise around me. It helps me get in the right state of mind, no matter where I am working from. Personally, I use Spotify to listen to peaceful piano music or just rain/thunderstorm soundtracks throughout the day to help me stay focused.
Ultimately, every team and individual needs to find the right mix of tools and apps to help them make the most of their time. As more and more teams transition to remote work, I expect to see additional tools specifically designed to help distributed teams. It’s been amazing how technology has advanced over the past few years, and I’m excited to see what comes next.
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