At Asana, we’re on a mission to help the world’s teams work together effortlessly. And to us, that means reducing work about work so teams have visibility and clarity into who’s doing what by when. The same is true even when team members are working remotely. From globally distributed organizations to teams that are thinking about remote work as a way to remain healthy, Asana can help you and your remote teammates stay connected, collaborate, and continue to hit your goals.
But working remotely might mean using your workplace tools a bit differently than you typically do. That’s why we’ve turned to our own remote Asanas to ask them: How do you use Asana for remote work?
“Be the boss of your time and manage well. Block out time for deep work just like you would if you were in the office.” –Liz Cargill, Field Marketing, Sydney
“I’ve found that having a structured morning routine sets me up to ‘win the day.’ If I win most days, then I’m set up for long-term success. I also think it’s helpful to have a dedicated work space if possible. For example, don’t work in your bedroom which can make your work less focused as well as make it harder for you to fall asleep in the room.” –Jeff Schneider, Developer Advocacy, Portland
“Asana helps me work remotely because all of the information I need to do my job is centrally located in Asana. When you are working remotely, you can’t always ask a colleague where information is located—but with Asana, I can always find exactly what I am looking for.” –Margo Schneider, Customer Marketing, Portland
“I used to rely on email as a remote worker. I would send files and provide status updates to my manager and coworkers via email. This created a lot of ‘work about work’ and was frankly, exhausting. Having Asana makes working remotely significantly more effective. It provides structure to the work I’m doing while also giving visibility to my colleagues and manager—making cross-functional work much easier.” –Jeff Schneider, Developer Advocacy, Portland
“It is important to ensure those you work with are always up to date and know where they can go to have the most up-to-date information. Asana provides that experience and that single source of truth where project alignment and communication can happen all under the same platform.” –Mike Sato, Enterprise Sales, San Francisco
“Working remotely tends to carry a perception that a worker may slack off. Thanks to Asana, I don’t feel pressured about having to proactively communicate what I’m working on to ensure my team that I’m actually working. Asana allows me to provide the same visibility as if I’m in the office.” –Liz Cargill, Field Marketing, Sydney
“If another task needs to be done first, set a dependency for your task so you’re notified when the other task is done. That way you don’t need to check in with your teammate to request the latest status. You’ll also know if their task is overdue so you can adjust your due date accordingly.” –Audriana Vojkovich-Bombard, Customer Marketing, Orange County, California
“It’s not always easy to have in-person discussions when you’re working remotely. With Asana, I can stay connected to my team. Because my team and I are on the same page, I’m set up to better serve our customers.” –Mike Sato, Enterprise Sales, San Francisco
“Working remotely can be an amazing way to get in the zone with limited distractions, but make sure to find time to connect with colleagues throughout the day. A short team stand-up or a dedicated 1:1 Asana check-in project are great ways to stay in touch.” –Margo Schneider, Customer Marketing, Portland
“If you need something done by a specific time of day, it’s a good idea to also set a due time in addition to a date so it’s clear to your teammate when they need to complete a task. The best part is it adjusts automatically to their time zone.” –Audriana Vojkovich-Bombard, Customer Marketing, Orange County, California
Working remotely might always have been top of mind, or you might suddenly be thinking about remote work as companies introduce new policies to keep their employees healthy. No matter why you’re thinking about working remotely, prioritizing visibility and keeping lines of communication open will help you work effectively with your team from anywhere. Learn more about how Asana can help your remote team connect and collaborate, and sign up for free today.