Remote Work Tools for Project Management

Cancel all recurring meetings. Seriously, all of them. Try it now. At Buffer we ran an experiment: A month without any recurring meetings. Zero. No daily standup's , or 'weekly check-ins', no cycle planning calls, or 1-1s. What could go wrong? Well, this experiment was so successful, that we've now been doing this for more than 2 years. 2 years operating the business without any recurring calls for anyone in the company. The best part? we've seen the best results financially in Buffer's history. The only recurring meeting for all Bufferoos is our monthly All Hands. A call that the entire company joins. But other than that, teams decide how often they need to meet. I am part of a team that has no recurring meetings. We've been operating this way since this new team was formed 6 months ago. Some of the benefits we've seen from doing this: - Productivity boost: A lot more time to focus for Engineers, Designers, and Product Managers. - A lot more time to conduct user research and dive deeper into data, design or coding. - Less context switching - Less meeting fatigue - More flexibility with your schedule (need to run a quick errand? no problem. Buffer is a values led company, high-trust, high-agency). - When we have calls, they are shorter and really well structured and productive. And, since we have few calls, everyone tends to be top of their game, fresh, creative and present. So, how do we do it? How do we make decisions? Coordinate and work together? (1) Strong documentation and writing-first culture: Writing is thinking. And we've put that to the test with great results. (2) We use great tools to document decisions and replace synchronous communication (calls) with asynchronous communication. At Buffer we use Campsite, Slack and Linear (shout-out to Linear for making amazing software for distributed teams). Each serves a different purpose. (3) We use AI to help us summarize calls and document things (Granola is what we are currently using, but we've also relied on Zoom's AI summaries). So, do we still have calls? We do. Calls are still important. Recurring calls are the problem. But, having an async culture, in which we document our thinking and decisions, actually makes our calls (when they happen) a lot more productive and focused. We meet when we see that async it will take too long to align or if something is not yet properly defined. We also meet to do brainstorming sessions or sessions in which real-time collaboration will be more efficient. We also meet to cook together, bond, and play games We are not at zero calls now. That was only during that first month of the experiment. But we have significantly lowered and shortened our calls. And whenever they happen they are 10X more productive and focused. As Paul Graham said once: "Meetings are a necessary evil. Necessary, but still evil. So there should be as few as possible, and they should be as short as possible". How much time did you spend in meetings last week?

Five years in, and distributed work is a part of Atlassian's DNA. With teams across 14+ countries, we've become experts at async collaboration. Everyone has the information they need to get work done, no matter which timezone they're in. Here are 3 tips for making it work in your teams: 🗓️ Default to async, meet with intent: Too often, meetings are our catch-all solution for collaboration. Save synchronous time for what truly needs it - creative problem-solving, building relationships, and making complex decisions. Everything else? Go async. 💻 Video brings back the human element: I use Loom to share quick updates or provide feedback. Seeing facial expressions and hearing tones makes async communication feel far more personal and engaging. ✍ Documentation is your superpower: When you write things down in shared spaces, you're not just recording - you're enabling your teammates to move work forward without waiting. Joe Thomas dives deeper into async work practices in the latest Fast Company podcast. Worth a listen! https://go.atlss.in/wt8sq5

I thought we were on the same page…Weeks later, I realized I’d missed the signals. My remote team member didn’t understand the assignment. So I built a tool to fix that. It wasn’t a lack of effort. It was a lack of clarity. This was one of the early mistakes I made while working remotely and leading teams spread across time zones and office sites. We were working from behind virtual curtains - missing the informal cues and hallway check-ins that used to fill in the gaps. So I built new tools to avoid those costly misunderstandings. One of them is the 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳. This 𝟭𝟱-𝗺𝗶𝗻𝘂𝘁𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗽 can save hours of wasted effort and build trust across distance. ✅ 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿?  After assigning a project, ask your direct report to complete the Assignment Brief. Review together (live or async). Align on milestones. Prevent rework. ✅ 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗠𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿?  Proactively share a completed Assignment Brief with your manager or team leader after receiving a new project. You’ll signal initiative and ensure clarity from the start. 𝗗𝗼𝘄𝗻𝗹𝗼𝗮𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗴𝗻𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗳: https://lnkd.in/gc5nzEBj This is just one of the tactical tools we teach in the 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺 - alongside content from Dave Ulrich and support from the Udemy Business Leadership Academy. 👀 𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝟮,𝟴𝟬𝟬 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗺. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gUmVw9dc

When working remotely, the casual interactions you get around the coffee maker at an office are absent. Leaders need to help their teams create those water cooler moments. How? If you’re using Slack or Teams for internal communication, you can create channels for these types of interactions. For example, we’ve used the following channels to encourage team interactions: ▶︎ Random Team Chit Chat (for fun chats, silly gifs, memes, and pretty much anything that will put a smile on each other’s faces or help blow off some steam) ▶︎ Kudos (a great reminder to give each other a virtual high five from time to time) ▶︎ Inspirational Shares (for good quotes or little things that motivate and inspire) ▶︎ Good Morning (a simple channel to say hello to each other when we sign on) Think about a few channels that your team will appreciate and enjoy. Also consider how you can encourage your team to support each other directly when they are feeling stuck or uninspired. In an office setting, you can get up and walk 5 feet and pow wow with a colleague. When working remote, those pow wows take more effort. #LeadershipCommunication #HybridWork #RemoteWork

I run a remote team and I hate Slack. I don't ever login because I dread the endless threads and pings. And I’m convinced most remote tools don’t actually make remote work better. So when my co-founder suggested we try using Roam? I thought: 0% chance. But when he explained the concept a little more, I was intrigued. Because while I’d never trade remote work for anything, I miss random office interactions. Roam is a Cloud HQ that replicates the in-office experience of random bump ins, which no other tool has really solved to date. Scheduled Zoom calls just aren’t the same as swinging by a coworkers cubicle to discuss an idea. Or meeting for a chat in the breakroom over lunch. But Roam allows for agenda-free check-ins. I love that I can "knock on Dave's door", do an audio-only call, and just catch-up without needing to schedule a formal meeting. And you get to control how much — or little — you interact. Since we adopted it I’ve noticed my conversations with team members have become more personal. Just human to human asking: How are you? I get to hear about what’s going on in their lives. How their kids’ sporting events went. What show they’re binging. For anyone craving more real, authentic updates vs. scheduled 1:1s… I highly recommend it. *Full disclosure: I don't get paid for this.* Just wanted to share a tool that I’ve actually found beneficial for remote teams. 👍

A founder DMd me and asked: how can I ensure my remote team is doing as much work as they would if we were in office? I flipped the question back on him and asked: what are you doing to set your team up for success to be productive working from home?? WHY are we looking to remote employees to intrinsically know how to optimize their time and productivity, when we've never given them a roadmap or a playbook to learn how? Here are the 3 things we discussed that he's doing with his team now: 1️⃣ Establish a "not always available" standard. Encourage team members to time block Slack engagement. First hour of the day: Slack is muted and hidden, team members focus on email replies and their biggest work hurdles. *Bonus/up-level: His team works mostly across 4 American time zones, so now they're doing a 1-hour Slack Sprint in the morning and in the afternoon. Slack stays quieter outside of those hours, everyone "congregates" for cross-team questions and engagement during those windows. 2️⃣ Build a low-lift stack of efficiency tools and bake them into onboarding. For most remote employees, a good starting point is: - a Pomodoro plug-in tool - a text expander tool - a to-do list or task + note tool - a mental reset tool (I'm obsessed with Calm right now, the daily calms are a great midday reset) 3️⃣ Schedule a few team- or company-wide coworking sessions every week. This is called "body-doubling" and is a HUGE game changer. Here's how it works: Completely optional to attend, mics stay off, cameras are optional as well. Have a volunteer moderator kick off the hour with a simple prompt: What are you working on for this session? Everyone drops their "what" in the chat, then gets to work. 30 minutes in, moderator does a 5 minute check-in. Encourage a quick stretch, ask a fun question for a mini-conversation. Then back to silent coworking for 20 minutes. Wrap up with asking everyone to drop a simple end-of-session progress check in the chat. Could be as simple as "completed" or "half way there". These virtual coworking sessions have been known to 2-3x productivity when done for just an hour each day. That's it. 3 simple approaches. None of them have to cost a dime. All of them will increase productivity and improve efficiency. And if you're a remote employee or solopreneur, you can start doing these things tomorrow for yourself. I promise it will improve your quality of life. ------ Hi, I'm Jen. I've been working remotely since 2018 and have put sweat, tears, and countless hours into researching how to level up my work from home experience. I'm launching a community that is PACKED with tools, resources, and yes, coworking opportunities for remote workers, to help you make your remote work life your very best life. Doors open in September and I would love to see you there! You can add your name to the (simple but effective, because that's what we're all about) waitlist here: https://lnkd.in/e4B3XM4Y

“I get over 100 emails a day—can’t do this anymore. Where are we communicating and holding each other accountable to getting real work done?” “Chrissy, we can’t have all these back-to-back meetings without any time for deep work.” “Mom (yes, I was called mom at work), what’s the plan for the next time we all get to see each other in person?” “Chief, when’s the next board meeting? I’d like Investor A to join the closing dinner for Customer B.” I bet this sounds familiar for most. Scaling a remote-first company means juggling the needs of your team, your partners, your investors, and your customers—without ever being in the same room. And, I’ve lived it. Building high-performing remote teams isn’t about where you work—it’s about how you work. Over the last several years, I’ve helped scale a distributed team from a handful of people to over 100+, across time zones, countries, functions, and stages of growth. Here’s what made the difference: ✅ Slack was first line of comms We ditched email and embraced a Slack-first mindset: clear channels, transparent decisions, daily standups, and yes—emojis, memes, and anonymous prompts that built culture and speed. ✅ We created a sense of presence Using tools like Gather, or virtual office environments, gave people a way to “walk up” to teammates, share quick feedback, or just feel less alone day-to-day. Made it feel like you were showing up to work and had co-workers to collaborate and connect with during your day. ✅ No-Meeting Wednesdays (or blocked hours throughout the week) Deep work deserves protection. This small shift reduced burnout and made the rest of the week more productive. ✅ All-Hands with a purpose Weekly or biweekly all-hands spotlighted wins, surfaced roadblocks, and gave team members across levels the chance to lead and grow. ✅ Sprint planning across departments Not just for engineers— other teams committed to two-week outcomes. It created alignment, accountability, and rhythm. ✅ We lived by our operating calendar From onsites (what we called offsites, since we all already worked offsite) to strategy sessions, board meetings, and more, having a annual company calendar helped every team plan ahead and tie their work to shared goals. Bottom Line: remote can absolutely work. But only if you build for clarity, connection, and cadence. Curious—what’s one thing your team has done to thrive remotely? And as always, DM me if you want to link up more. #RemoteWork #Leadership #Startups #Culture #PeopleOps #OperatingRhythm #AsyncWork #WFH

Too many product teams believe meaningful user research has to involve long interviews, Zoom calls, and endless scheduling and note-taking. But honestly? You can get most of what you need without all that hassle. 🙅♂️ I’ve conducted hundreds of live user research conversations in early-stage startups to inform product decisions, and over the years my thinking has evolved on the role of synchronous time. While there’s a place for real-time convos, I’ve found async tools like Loom often uncover sharper insights—faster—when used intentionally. 🚀 Let’s break down the ROI of shifting to async. If you want to interview 5 people for 30 minutes each, that’s 150 minutes of calls—but because two people are on the call (you and the participant), you’re really spending 300 minutes of combined time. Now, let’s say you record a 3-minute Loom with a few focused questions, send it to those same 5 people, and they each take 5 minutes to write their feedback. That’s 8 minutes per person and just 5 minutes once for you. 45 total minutes versus 300. That’s an order-of-magnitude reduction in time to get hyper-focused feedback. 🕒🔍 Just record a quick Loom, pair it with 1-3 specific questions designed to mitigate key risks, and send it to the right people. This async, scrappy approach gathers real feedback throughout the entire product lifecycle (problem validation, solution exploration, or post-launch feedback) without wasting your users' time or yours. Quick example: Imagine your team is torn between an opinionated implementation of a feature vs. a flexible/customizable one. If you walk through both in a quick Loom and ask five target users which they prefer and why, you’ll get a solid read on your overall user base’s mental model. No need for endless scheduling or drawn-out Zoom calls—just actionable feedback in minutes. 🎯 As an added benefit: this approach also allows you to go back to users for more frequent feedback because you're asking for less of their team with each interaction. 🍪 Note that if you haven’t yet established rapport with the users you’re sending the Looms to, it’s a good idea to introduce yourself at the start in a friendly, personal way. Plus, always make sure to express genuine appreciation and gratitude in the video—it goes a long way in building a connection and getting thoughtful responses. 🙏 Now, don’t get me wrong—there’s still a place for synchronous research, especially in early discovery calls when it’s unclear exactly which problem or solution to focus on. Those calls are critical for diving deeper. But once you have a clear hypothesis and need targeted feedback, async tools can drastically reduce the time burden while keeping the signal strong. 💡 Whether it’s problem validation, solution validation, or post-launch feedback, async research tools can get you actionable insights at every stage for a fraction of the time investment.

I'm extremely bullish on Notion for Construction Project Management. I've replaced 15+ disconnected spreadsheets with one project-specific digital workspace unlike anything I know of that exists today. One Workspace, 22+ Connected Databases. Everything I need to manage my projects lives in one place, accessible within 1-2 clicks: Project Foundation: ✔️ Contract Playbook: All contract terms, key dates, and compliance requirements ✔️ Project Vision Creator: The why behind your project that keeps everyone aligned ✔️ Conditions of Satisfaction: Clear success criteria so everyone knows what "done" looks like ✔️ Goal Setting Sheet: Objectives and key results connecting daily work to outcomes ✔️ Stakeholder Matrix: Who needs what information, when, and how they prefer to get it Daily Operations: ✔️ Team Task Board: Every task the team is working on or needs to work on ✔️ Scrum Board: All active sprints with goals, definitions of done, and retrospectives ✔️ Milestone Schedule: Key dates and deliverables everyone needs to hit ✔️ Contact List: Everyone on the project with their role and contact info ✔️ Process Database: SOPs your team actually uses ✔️ Submittal Log: What's been submitted, approved, or needs revision ✔️ Procurement Log: What you're buying, from whom, and when it needs to arrive ✔️ Trade Partner Log: All subcontractors, their scope, and contract status ✔️ Inspection/QA/QC Log: Quality checks and their results ✔️ Expense Forecaster: Budget tracking and spend projections Issues & Changes: ✔️ Roadblock Log: Issues slowing you down and who's working to solve them ✔️ Risk & Opportunity Register: Potential problems and wins you're tracking ✔️ Impact Log: Changes to scope, schedule, or budget with their effects ✔️ RFI Log: Information requests and their status The best part? Everything talks to everything else. You can view your data any way you need it. Example: When I click on a schedule milestone, I instantly see related risks, tasks, scrum sprints, open roadblocks, impacts, materials, companies associated, people associated, quality checklists—everything. No jumping between 15 different outdated spreadsheets. No hunting for context. Out of all the tech I've tried on projects, this has been the easiest for teams to adopt. People get it immediately because it works how your brain works—everything connected, nothing sitting in isolation. Want to steal my template? Link below 👇

My new favorite workplace communication tool: Loom! If you haven't used Loom before, it's a free browser extension that lets you record and share short video messages with or without screen sharing. Here are my 4 favorite applications (that I use constantly): 1) Responding to long emails with lots of questions Replying to emails always takes way more time than I'd like. I've gotten faster and more concise than I used to be, but it's still a time suck sometimes. Now whenever I realize an email is going to take a long time to reply to, I fire up Loom. I can respond verbally to each question and turn a 20 minutes of writing an email into 4 minutes recording a video. 2) Excitement, warmth, and empathy Asynchronous communication is convenient, but feels cold and impersonal sometimes. Loom grants the asynchronous benefits of email, but with your friendly face and voice! It's my go-to when celebrating with a client about an offer or empathizing with them over a tough rejection or layoff. That extra bit of embodiment is worth it in the right moments. 3) Introductions It's always a bit awkward to introduce yourself to someone via email ("Nice to meet you! Uh well not actually meet you, but kinda!"). Loom let's you send a 30-second video intro to briefly share a little about yourself and express your enthusiasm about being connected. It's a great option for job seekers when reaching out to hiring managers or setting up virtual coffee chats. 4) Tutorials with screen sharing Trying to explain the precise steps to a task over email is super tedious. With Loom, it's so easy to record yourself doing the thing, and verbally talk through the instructions (and much more clear for your recipient). Our team uses Loom to record "playbooks" for various admin procedures and SOPs and it's a game-changer both to create them and use them. A few pro-tips if you're just getting into Loom: Don't worry about mistakes! I used to get nervous about filming myself and would re-record if I messed up but then I embraced the more informal nature of it (I think I've even once sent a Loom where my toddler interrupted to say hi lol). Keep them short. 30-60 seconds is great for intros, and then 3-5 minutes for emails and tutorials if you can. The free version has a 5-minute limit, which I actually found helpful as it forced me to wrap things up and not ramble! Use the comments feature when replying to Looms. You can leave timestamped comments on a Loom message which can make replying to someone else's Loom a little easier (if e.g. they ask a question at the 1 minute mark and the 3 minute mark). I was introduced to this fantastic tool 2 years ago, and I'm still shocked I don't see more people using it! Do you use Loom? What are your best practices or use cases for it?