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I wanted to expand on some past thoughts here on working from home. For those of you new here, I’m compiling my Work From Home findings during the Pandemic.
And that’s the importance of some form of Tracking Tools. You know Jira, Rally, ticketing systems, etc. The things that let us create, assign, and check on work.
They should be important period, but they’re extremely important with Work From Home (WFH).
Imagine if you will you manage support tickets, say for a sales department. You’re always checking where things are, whats delivered, what’s late, etc. That thing is vital to your job.
It’s also vital to work from home.
Imagine what a good tracking tool does. You create work so you’re sure something’s being done. You assign work so you know someone’s doing it. You report on work so you know where things are. You may even get alerts.
That also means you don’t have to be in the same space as others to cooperate – the tool is your virtual whiteboard, notecards, etc. A good tracking system makes working from home much easier.
So sure, you want one, right? And that’ll solve all your problems? Nope.
WFH is also a great way to test out your work tracking systems, be they Jira, or Rally, or whatever. A good tracking system should let you work remotely just like in person, or close. If you can’t, then you have to ask if you have the right tool, or if you’re using it right.
This Pandemic specifically and WFH in general is a great test. It will point out flaws – or has. And those flaws aren’t because you’re home – it’s because your tool, or how you use it, or how you work are flawed.
Going forward, in supporting WFH, we should think WFH is worth doing – and make sure our tools are used so that’s supported. It’ll help us take advantage of all the other benefits of WFH, with less stress.
(Also I imagine, consultant that can set up tracking tools and processes are going to have a big role in the future . . .)
Steven Savage