As coronavirus continues to spread throughout the country, many companies are asking employees to work remotely to help control infection and protect vulnerable members of our communities. At first, working from home might seem like a dream: no commute, no distracting co-workers and think of all those chores you'll be able to sneak in!
But if the plan that the government are talking about is needed, then we’ll be working from home far longer that the novelty will last, and when that wears off, things get real. It can be lonely. Your home suddenly feels a lot smaller. And there's no real end to your workday.
Over the past decade I’ve worked from home a lot, some contracts were entirely home-based, so I thought I’d share my top tips on making the most of current situation and setting yourself up for productive success from home…
1. Create a Morning Routine
Deciding you'll sit down and start work at a certain time is one thing. Creating a routine that guides you into the chair is another. What is it that delineates the start of work for you? It might be making a cup of coffee. It might be returning home after a jog. It might be getting dressed (wearing pj pants to work is a perk for some, but a bad strategy for others). Create a morning routine that ends with you starting work.
2. Keep a Dedicated Office Space
In an ideal world, a home office is a dedicated room, but not everyone has a separate office in their home. Instead creating a dedicated space somewhere – kitchen table, spare room, kitchen top – whatever you have that you can sit safely at for extended periods of time.
Whatever you do, don’t work from your bed!!
3. Set Ground Rules With the People in Your Space
Set ground rules with other people in your home or who share your space for when you work. If you have children who come home from school while you're still working, they need clear rules about what they can and cannot do during that time. Additionally, just because you're home and can let service people into the house or take care of pets doesn't mean other family members should assume you will always do it. If that's how you choose to divide up the domestic chores, that's fine, but if you simply take it all on by default, you may feel taken advantage of, and your productivity may suffer.
4. Overcommunicate/ Document
Working remotely requires you to overcommunicate. Tell everyone who needs to know about your schedule and availability often. When you finish a project or important task, say so. Overcommunicating doesn't necessarily mean you have to write a five-paragraph essay to explain your every move, but it does mean repeating yourself. Joke about how you must have mentioned your upcoming vacation six times already, then mention it again.
In the office if you sit with your team, you’ll instinctively know a lot of where they are and what they are doing, the progress they are making. Whilst we all separated, we need to ensure we use the agreed channels to keep everyone up to date – be that Teams, JIRA, Slack or Confluence – check in regularly, ensure you’re documenting as you go lone. It’s easy to forget that everyone will be working slightly differently, so overshare...
5. Leave your Chair and your Home
You don't have to sit at your desk for the full 7-8 hours a day. You definitely need breaks and you definitely need fresh air! You should try to leave your home every day. Your body needs to move. Plus, the fresh air and natural light will do you good. Talk a walk. Go to the post office. Weed the garden. You get the picture. In the office you’re quite often popping up and down for meetings – at home those require you to stay at your laptop, so at least once an hour, get up. Leave your computer, stretch, and walk around
6. Don't Be Too Hard on Yourself
The most successful remote employees have a reputation for being extremely disciplined. After all, it takes serious focus to get a full-time office job done from an unconventional space. That said, everyone lets their attention drift sometimes. If you find yourself working one minute and googling the news for updates or that gadget that’s gonna revolutionise your life, don't reprimand yourself harshly. Instead, ask yourself whether people in an office setting do the same thing. If the answer is yes, cut yourself some slack, then get back to work.
7. Be Positive
I like succinct and clear messages, but I know that the less face time I have with people, the less they know how to interpret my tone. When you work remotely full-time, you must be positive, to the point where it may feel like you're being overly positive. Otherwise, you risk sounding like a jerk or a stand-offish boring ignoramus. It's unfortunate, but true. So embrace the exclamation point! Find your favourite emoji :D. You're going to need them.
8. End Your Day With a Routine
Just as you should start your day with a routine, create a habit that signals the close of the workday. It might be a sign off on Teams, shut your Outlook, an evening dog walk, or pour that gin/wine/beer. You might have a simple routine such as shutting down your computer and turning on a favourite podcast. Whatever you choose, do it consistently to mark the end of working hours.
And if you’re managing people virtually for the first time, here’s some tips for you too:
There are 4 key pillar or managing people remotely. Communication & Collaboration, Trust, Inclusivity and Support:
Discuss hours, goals, or targets for your team members. Make clear what you expect them to get done, how to keep you updated and how often, and then let them do it.
Don’t ask your team for updates all the time – micromanagement actually makes people less productive. If you’ve agreed how and when to update - Let them volunteer the information.
Offer your time and make sure your team members know you’re available. You can’t just drop by their desk, but you can always check in via chat, email, video chat, or whichever tool you prefer.
Figure out how to make remote work more social/fun for your team. Be that sharing memes and links that will make them laugh or that group chat with wider than work discussions.
Encourage everyone to take regular breaks. And always lead by example.
Make sure your tone isn’t being misinterpreted or misread. Think about how you can assist the reader to reflect on how you’d have said it (tone, speed, sarcasm) and use exclamation marks, emojis, and whatever else is necessary to accurately reflect how you would have said it.
It will take time, and it will be both frustrating and freeing - the key is to decide which one and structure it to ensure success.
Until next time...
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