Taking your work across boundaries

Few freelancers have had the opportunity to work across the boundaries. This means that some of you have worked across organizations and country borders. Teams located across the world usually operate at a time which is convenient for all the members of the team.

The teams that work across borders mostly do not see each other face to face. They would have seen each other only through company websites which host their photographs. But these teams have an understanding with each other. This understanding is mostly on professional grounds. The agreement would be to cooperate with each other to get work done. This is to ensure that the work gets complete well in time. There are no other emotions etc which run in between.

While working across boundaries, the most important factor to keep in mind is whether you understand the communication between teams. Many times, there are issues on understanding the accent, language and the words used and also the actual communication. So it is better to have conferences where the communicator communicates well and asks for affirmation form the audience if the same is clear to the team and understood.

There are net meeting devices which customarily help to project the required training material and information sheets across to the laptops or desktops of the team members. This ensures that all the members are on the same page and communication becomes easier. While doing presentations or while sharing spread sheets and diagrams of the project, this becomes an easier method to quickly do comparisons, reports and to send the right message across. Many times when more than two people are in the conference, this is an easier way to share expectations for the future. While confirming the same through telecom is a secondary measure.

Where there are clarifications from team members, they could use online forums or chat messengers to clarify on what they need to do. Emails confirming the topics can then affirm the agreed points.

It is foolishness to think that working across borders sitting at your desk top is easy. Small misunderstanding pave way for bigger problems and hence it is important to have the communication right.

Weekly online meeting can solve issues to a large extend. Noting down what needs more coverage, clarification and clarity needs discussion with all key stake holders. Such collaborative work is always rewarding at the end when the project takes shape well.

It takes competency both in your work and in relationship building to work across borders. To be sensitive to the cultural and personal background of the person at the other end will help you to fare better, while being with them. Once the comfort level is established, you could leverage on it to get superior work done.

Tone of voice used while speaking, matter a lot. Please ensure that you use a very subtle clear tone, with neutral accent, while speaking. This will ensure right warmth in the communication. Together with the right words, your communication will appear trustworthy to the diverse resources that are listening to you at the other end.

Many a times the change required is in the way we interpret the whole work in front of us. There are times when, as freelancers, we may have to take a higher responsibility in understanding the work that needs delivery since the responsibility of creating it lies with us.

Understanding others is of utmost importance here, since the role we play in the team will be successful only depending on the understanding we have with them. Building consensus on certain project plans and action plans are basis this collaboration. The influence we have on others matters as it reflects on the work we do and the opinion others have on us. Active collaboration impacts the greater idea and output.

Milestones are helpful while planning your projects across borders. Each team and member will have to have a milestone of achievement for their work. These needs close monitoring for results. Last but not the least is enrolling the right people to work together. If there are hiccups, it is better to replace people who do not gel together as a team. This is to ensure that work gets the right focus.

So dear friends if you are part of a larger team or plan to work across borders, I hope this provides a good insight for you. Let this give you guidance to working conditions and expectations that arise in such situations.

Freelancing – Your feedback about the task matters

Freelancer will always have a whole lot of feedback about the job at hand, which needs the attention of the employer. The effort required in researching the subject of work is the first in the list. Apart from secondary sources, which are easily accessible, the project may require inputs from primary sources. There are quite a few primary sources, available, for reference. The freelancer should quickly access the correct source needed for completion of work and provide feedback on requirements to complete the job.

The time required for research gets a mention in the feedback. Even while you zero in on the correct source material, the appropriate content required from the source material to finish the job should be available. There are times when the content on the work is available, but details thereof to complete a specific area with right inputs are missing. Certain times, there are innumerable inputs available on a certain topic, but when it comes to suitability, they may seem improper, for the work in hand. In short, the answers that need an explanation may not feature, in these sources. Here the freelancer has to go back to the client asking for sources of reference.

Then comes the time frame provided by the client, for research on topics. While employers provide few days or hours ahead of work schedule for research, this may not suffice. The freelancer may require more time, solely due to the nature of the subject of work. These are times when the employer need to get to know that more time is required for research as the subject in hand is complex. Accordingly, the time lines for the project changes.

Once the initial research is over, it is time to prepare the draft or the shell of the project. This will include designs and content or even codes required for the project. This may take less or more time, depending on the complexity and detailing required. Accordingly, the employer needs to get intimation.

Another aspect which needs feedback, critically and in time, is the need for more funds. The funds usually feature in the remuneration, or on a case to case basis, as and when required, whichever is convenient. Half way through the project if the freelancer realizes the need for more funds, due to the complexity of the project, then the same needs immediate attention and communication, lest the freelancer suffers losses.

Projects require resources of varied nature. This may be in form of manpower or things. The freelancer has to keep tab of what is required, at every point of development, to correctly estimate the resources required. More resource as appropriate will save the day for the freelancer.

Often, the freelancer cannot proceed beyond a certain stage due to lack of expertise. These areas identified earliest, needs communication to ensure that the project is wound up at the appropriate stage and handed over to the Subject Matter Expert who can continue to work till completion.

Whenever there are areas where specific, knowledge is required, this knowledge transfer is done either by SME or any other expert. On receiving feedback, employers can arrange sessions for knowledge transfer and sharing to effectively clarify doubts. Some of the specifics may be technical in nature, which will require a demonstration. The advanced technology of today enables a freelancer at a remote corner of the world, to get a demo of the required knowledge base through video conferencing and other means.

Where the means used for knowledge sharing is insufficient, there are alternate methods which are available and used. A freelancer can capitalize on the blessings of modern technology. The freelancer should be able to suggest and give feedback on what exactly he is looking for so as to enable appropriate means of sharing knowledge. For example when the specifics are not clear during a telecom, then the freelancer can suggest a meeting through video conferencing or even net meeting.

Certain technologies used in other countries may not be familiar to the freelancer. Such situations warrant, an overview of the technology and the processes in use, in that country, together with the country map and areas covered.

Similarly, some of the verbiages used in context vary with each English speaking country. The freelancer has to be aware of such verbiages and can write on back for inputs from the employer. This helps in avoiding confusion or miscommunication while preparing the final output.

Bigger corporations outsourcing work have their websites to provide all the information required. A freelancer who is an outsider may not have access to all the pages on the website of the company. Hence, a feedback can be in the form of a request for access to pages which have crucial information pertaining to the project. It is always good to remember that, the better the feedback, the better the output.

Freelancing Projects – Breaking up the tasks in your project

Breaking up projects into simpler tasks will enable one to finish the tasks at hand efficiently. How do we go about breaking up the tasks? It is necessary to identify the specific goals, for the project first, to know how to go about breaking up the tasks. Some of the important tasks in your project will be as mentioned under.

Time schedules: Time schedules needs identification and compliance. Time bound activities are marked off and highlighted. Those subtasks will get priority over others. A project will have specific dates as time lines and a project sheet would clearly demarcate these time lines indicating when and how each tasks needs completion.

Management of the project is the next step. This has to have the predefined objectives mentioned clearly. In short, project management will include all those tasks or steps that we are discussing here. It includes planning and control techniques of the project aiming at efficient completion. There are various tools one can use to achieve their goals, depending on the ability to manage the complexity of the project in hand.

Budgeting is the most important step in a project that will take up most of the time, during the initial stages of a project. A freelancer has to pay careful attention to budgeting. All the tasks involved in the project need accurate measurement while budgeting. Unless the budgeting planned and controlled, the project cost may become too high and unaffordable. Then the project becomes ambitious in nature and may end up shelved.

Process oriented and project oriented reporting structure is worked out to enable the project to run like well oiled machine. All functions needs separation into manageable tasks and sub-tasks and reported on for a project cannot run effectively. The breakdown of tasks provides a structure to the project which builds into small definable goals to achieve end result. Only controlled reporting can give control and insight on how well a project is faring.

Execution of the processes identified for execution needs monitoring as per requirements. This will involve collaborating with every individual involved in the project. Deliverables are monitored to ensure that the project on time lines. This includes acquiring and distributing information required for the project. Direction is required while executing the project.

Monitoring the project is another aspect that needs ample time. This includes measuring an ongoing activity against the baseline that was determined for the project. Identifying error and putting the effort back into bringing the corrective measure also is involved. Where ever there is, a flaw, they need identification and change after approval. This again should not affect the basic goal of the project.

Risks involved in a project needs assessment as well. This is possible by monitoring each of the tasks and the reporting in details. Hence, it is important for a freelancer to have exposure to all these simultaneously.

It is common to come across gaps wile doing a particular project. How do we identify such gaps? Some of them may not be gaping and will require an expert to identify them. So while on a project it is advisable to have continuing updates on the progress from all quarter. This will enable a person to easily identify his flaws, which will in turn affect his work and the project at the end.

Once the project nears completion, many other aspects will determine the value of the work. One such is the effectiveness of the design. The deployment of the project for operations purposes of the business needs attention. The lesser the hiccups in this stage the better.

Closing of the project also involves a lot work. Training to people involved in operations is given. Any error that is noted is worked upon on a regular basis to ensure that the capability of the project is enhanced at every possible step.

How to defeat desolation as a freelancer

Freelancer’s life is a puzzle. Each day an individual will have to go through surprises, joy, learning, pain, disappointment, growth and the list goes on. Staying motivated and energetic is a tip to solve this. Naturally you ought to develop best practices to reach your benchmark.

Beginning with everyday schedule of a freelancer, it’s certain that his calendar is blocked for the whole day. Human nature is that someone has to keep pushing to do a task, while working as a freelancer from home; you will not have managers or leaders to control you and help you manage the work you do. This sits as a load on the top of the day to day activities and remains a burden. Know that, it’s your responsibility to plan and implement it right. You must maintain a clean slate and reorder your work every time it’s complete.

To help you tackle the solitude, here are some basic rules:

Maintain a work routine:

Make it as a habit to wake up soon daily. We tend to be lazy as we need not report our work and no one watches us. However its important we need to stick to healthy habits, start working as soon as you can. The longer break you take the lesser is the quality you provide to the clients.

Divide the tasks and put them in timeslots. Give yourself a buffer time and finish the task ahead and do a check on the work. When you do work in an orderly manner you will be well engaged and will not know the difficulty of being alone.

Exercises & break time

It’s always a good practice to freshen up mind and body to get new ideas. When you concentrate on a particular subject, sometimes you enter the level of saturation and will not be able to focus. The stress level builds up as you are not in the office oriented environment where people work together with you. It’s obvious that you need some break at that point of time.

Follow some exercises and keep your body fit to rejuvenate your ideas. Take a small walk, make yourself a cup of coffee, and hear some music. This will help clear your mind and reduce stress.

Create a stop line for yourself

Some of the tasks we do might extend late than expected to drive business. It’s because we would not have arrived at the best results. However it’s wise to know when we should really stop working on it. While you spend more time on it, you will lose focus and accumulate stress.

You must always have free time for you to enjoy rest of the things. You need to recover and get your mind filled with other things or you will get burned out and ruin the beautiful things for yourself. The more hours you work at once, the less productive you get. Remember to follow the timeslots created and your own rules on when to start and stop the day at work.

Keep your environment lively

Like i mentioned, the environment is a critical factor affecting one’s mood and the actions caused out of it.

While you work in Office you will have an entire team to take care of yourself and assist you in the job if you are stuck, whereas at home you are the master and the creator of your work. There are a wide range of forums which can guide you solve this. Join in a forum where people of your interest are present. Post your queries and you will get a quick fix.

One of the other reasons of isolation as a freelancer is we keep working from one place. To get a good productivity and be an efficient freelancer you must be able to handle this by,

Often changing the place where you work. Get some fresh air in the mornings and sit on a balcony. Change sceneries in your room to not get bored. Play some mild music and feel fresh. You have the advantage of visiting different states as you can work from home. Make use of the benefits and tackle desolation.

Stay communicated with the loop

You can create your own team of people and can stay connected. You can be relieved to know how far the rest of the people have progressed, what new trends comes in, how people manage their work. This motivation will drive you to work smarter and handle the competitive world.

Spend your leisure time with this group of people you have formed. Meet them for lunch and share your ideas. You can organize events of your own and keep in touch. You will not only support yourselves but all the contributors who undergo the same.

Manage projects you take:

You ought to manage your assignments as they come in. Do not take too many and get cornered to work. As much as staying productive is important, sometimes you just can’t. Taking multiple projects is one of them. This will lower down your spirits and leaves you alone making you to finish the job.

Opportunity keeps knocking for those who can do a neat job. Keep it light and simple so that you have the time to enjoy what you do. It will provoke the passion in you. Building up work will make you stick on it as a result will smash your schedule.

Focus on your personal life

After the long day that you have, do not get influenced to extend more. The bareness of being alone will prolong and make everything incomplete. Remind yourself to breathe and relax. At times like this playing games, working on your hobbies and spending time with your family and friends will polish and make you set for the following day!

The famous poet Wordsworth’s lines come to my mind “I wandered lonely as a cloud… “

When you can find a silver lining by assisting yourself and following some best practices there’s none who will have to survive alone in this world. It’s our perception of looking into things and managing them effectively.

Keep working smart and stay cheerful to develop new products each day..