After more than a year of hype about remote work, there is still debate about productivity. Is it better to work remotely? Only when people are working in the office do people deliver quality work on time? The debate will continue, but productivity problems don’t have to be. There are many ways to keep your “work from home” adrenaline high and keep your procrastination away. One technique that helps increase productivity is the Pomodoro Technique, which everyone is talking about and using. But is this the only way to increase productivity? There are also many alternatives to the Pomodoro technique. So what are we talking about? Let’s turn on productivity boost mode and dive right into the answers.

What is the Pomodoro Technique?

It is not always famous scientists and philosophers of the 17th century who come up with all the golden words of wisdom. There are always alternatives to motivation. Nike has it with its “Just do it“Slogan.

But how are you? Just do it?

A productivity-increasing method that helps you concentrate on your work without distraction is the Pomodoro Technique. Many remote workers and teams use it frequently.

Francesco Cirillo developed this interval-based method in the 80s.

The Pomodoro Technique divides your work day into 25-minute sections. Then each of these sections is separated by five-minute breaks. These 25-minute work intervals are called pomodoro (one work interval = a pomodoro) and are phases of “extreme concentration”. This type of segmentation helps people understand the value of time when every minute counts.

What does pomodoro mean? It’s Italian for “tomato”! When Francesco Cirillo developed this technique, he used a tomato-shaped timer to start timing his work intervals. Therefore the name.

Image Credit: Todoist

Why does this technique work?

With 25-minute work intervals spread out throughout the day, you’ll find it easier to break down large tasks into bite-sized pieces. It helps you take the first step towards a task instead of hesitation and being overwhelmed by the size. Work on your projects and tasks – one pomodoro at a time. It is ideal for those who want to organize everyday tasks in their job and for remote workers who have two jobs at the same time.

It’s easy and effective for many, but is it the only time management productivity method that remote teams can rely on? No.

Not everyone likes tomatoes! Because of this, there are many alternatives to the Pomodoro technique that you can try for your remote team.

3 alternatives to the Pomodoro technique to increase the productivity of your remote team

get things done

The name could breathe a sigh of relief. Developed by David Allen and presented in his book Getting Things Done, this productivity method is widely discussed. The technology is adopted everywhere, from seminars to courses to mobile apps.

The science behind this method focuses on getting all tasks and ideas out of your head as quickly as possible. Once that’s done, it will become easier to manage and organize.

Photo credit: Datopian Playbook

The method suggests doing small tasks first and then moving on to the larger tasks, breaking them down into smaller parts. According to studies, doing smaller tasks first makes people happier and more motivated, which leads to better productivity.

A quote from Langston Hughes from his book “The Big Sea” sums up this technique perfectly.

“… the only way to get a thing done is to start with it, then move on, and eventually you will finish it …”

Although it is a great alternative to the Pomodoro technique, it comes with its drawbacks. With a lot of focus on getting “done” with the tasks, the boundaries between busy and productive can be. You don’t want your remote team to become a task-shifting machine without worrying about quality and consequences.

Just like the Pomodoro Technique, it may or may not work for everyone. We’re all wired differently and that’s why we think, feel, react and do everything differently. Funnily enough, humans display a lot of similar behavior patterns too. Finding these similarities and differences on your remote team can help you find the method that works best. Trial and error show the way. Why don’t you try

Gamification

Games. I’ve always been a fan of them, especially when they have positive consequences.

What do games have to do with increasing productivity? Won’t they instead distract remote teams? Here we will discuss games, not in the literal sense, but gamification of the productivity process.

One such visually appealing productivity-increasing app is the Forest app. It’s similar to a pomodoro timer, but there is a visual element, a sense of responsibility, and an environmental reward as a reward.

Forest has a unique function: when the app’s timer starts, a digital tree begins to grow. The tree dies when you use your phone. It’s a great way to stay away from distractions like social media notifications, emails, and personal messages and calls. Forest also comes with a Chrome extension that will blacklist websites that could prove to be a distraction to your office work.

It encompassed the visual element of the digital tree and the responsibility to keep it alive by sticking to your chores, but what about the environmental reward as a reward?

If you stay on track without being distracted, your digital trees will grow and collect gold coins. By saving enough gold coins, you can plant a real tree in the real world for free!

Photo credit: Mobile App Daily

With forest,

• They help yourself stay productive.
• You stay focused and responsible.
• You strengthen your willpower.
• You are helping the environment.

Why is it a great alternative to the Pomodoro Technique?

Apps like Forest transform the boring, imaginary Pomodoro into interesting, visual elements. In this case, the digital trees that you can see as you complete tasks are growing. In addition, Forest attaches a “feel-good element” to productivity and sees it as a positive experience.

For some people, timers and lists are stressful (I am one of those people). Apps like Forest turn the negative and stressful experience into a positive one for people like me. It could work great for your remote teams as well. I’d rather work on growing a digital tree (a pleasant and positive experience) than hyperventilate through to-do lists + overdose on ax tasks one at a time.

Visual apps are not fundamentally separate from the Pomodoro technology. But the whole experience and the incentive to see something grow virtually and then plant a real tree can trigger a whole new level of motivation in some people. Try it.

The Eisenhower Method

It sounds straight out of a science lab! But don’t be intimidated by this name because ironically the method is really simple and could prove very effective for your remote team.

The “Eisenhower Box” was developed by Dwight D. Eisenhower to simplify work and focus on long-term goals. The method focuses on prioritization.

What is the Eisenhower Box?

Photo credit: clockwise

This is a four square table that helps users separate tasks that need to be done from those that need to be delegated. It’s an effective long-term strategy because your work is rooted in priorities and your time is spent wisely. Instead of doing each task yourself, you can delegate tasks that don’t require your direct attention.

The Eisenhower Method is perfect for those struggling to determine the value of any task or project. In addition, it is an effective Pomodoro technique alternative for those remote workers who are not good at long-term planning. Finally, this method gives you a snapshot of what lies ahead so that you can create a roadmap for achieving your goals.

In short-term planning, the Pomodoro technique wins. So it’s best to combine the two so that it works for your remote team.

Here are some ways to set up your remote team for better productivity:

• First, use the Eisenhower method to set weekly goals.
• Then break these goals down into bite-sized tasks.
• Use the Pomodoro Technique or one of the Pomodoro Technique alternatives to complete everyday tasks to finally reach the weekly goal.

Focus on finding a balance

Remote teams thrive on motivation, trust and recognition. A combination of all three comes from leaders and managers who understand what drives each team member. Motivating every employee with what makes them really happy works wonders for a company. It is also important to find the right way in the team to complete daily tasks and achieve long-term goals. You can try these Pomodoro technique alternatives with your remote team to find out your team’s sweet spot.

To make sure you are accepted by your team before you begin, it may be best to use webinar software to host a company-wide meeting and let them know that you will try new techniques to help them to become more focused and productive. If you do, you will not be surprised by the new initiative and understand the reason for the new guidelines.

Finding the right balance between the present and the future can take your remote team’s productivity efficiency to a whole new level. But will it be tomatoes or the trees? Whether that works or that is a matter of trial and error. You can fail and have to start over.

Those who never try lose by default.

Author biography:

Aneesha is a content contributor at Think Remote, a remote media portal that offers you news, tips and stories from the world of remote work. Their love affair with writing began when she was only ten years old. As she grew up, she filled the pages of her diary with poetry that was transformed into real-life story writing, experiences, and informative articles for national and international publications. With over a decade of experience in content marketing and business development, her love for everything to do with “communication” shows in everything she does.