The unsettling spread of COVID19 has forced them to adapt, and they’re now implementing and embracing a ‘remote work’ or ‘work-from-home’ strategy until further notice. And subsequently realising that in 2020, this is a totally viable, efficient and lucrative approach to running a team + company.
Companies are realising it can be AS and often more productive for individuals to work in a non-traditional office environment. They are realising it can be more environmentally sustainable, as well as more time & cost efficient to have a remote team. They are realising having staff sitting in a different room or building from their colleagues doesn’t automatically cause a project, brand, company or team to fall apart, fail or not function cohesively.
We wonder if once the world has a handle on the current COVID situation, will this period of working in new ways have had any long term impact on CEO’s or companies decisions, who previously hadn’t considered the option of remote employees or contractors? It will be interesting to see.
In the meantime here are our tips for anyone working from home, whether you’re a seasoned digital nomad or a remote-newbie; some absolute gems to help you continue to smash the working day, wherever you’re based!
SPACE.
1. Create a professional work space in your home! It can be tempting to just bed down under the duvet or balance that laptop on your tummy as you lie on the couch, with Netflix plating in the background, but not only is this a killer to your neck & posture, it’s also not putting you in the proffesh mindset. PLUS creating an office-like space is 100% necessary for any video conference meetings that may pop up!
2. Don’t go overboard – especially if this is a temporary arrangement. A table, a chair, some nice light and an outlet is a good start to a work-from-home desk space. For those of you setting up for a longer term home office – it’s all about adding plants to your space and a stack of your fave books to keep you feeling inspired!
3. Especially if you’re in a flat share situation, a must have recommendation is a good ol’ pair of noise cancelling headphones, for your favourite productive playlist, motivational podcast or all those Skype calls!
STRUCTURE.
Treat it like a normal working day. Create a habitual routine; set your alarm, take a shower, do your hair, and most importantly get dressed. No one wants to discuss deadlines and marketing budgets with someone in their PJ’s, even via video conference.
It can be hard to switch off and literally ‘stop for the day’ when working at home. If you’re on a roll, it’s easy to look up and realise you’ve done 3 hours overtime – time no one is paying you for! One tip a friend gave me was always wear shoes and a bra – because as soon as the work day is done, you can remove them and this gives significance to ‘ending your day’ like you normally would, simply by leaving the office! However, personally I take being able to work braless as one of the great benefits of freelance / remote work – we may not have paid sick leave, but we can work bra-free! But I defo embrace the shoe hack and it honestly works!
Plan your day like you would when working at the office, implement the same lunchtimes, and allow yourself coffee breaks and toilet stops. This may sound an obvious one, but this was one of the hardest things for me to get used to initially! I somehow felt guilty taking a bathroom break when working from home!
Maintain communication with your team, colleagues & boss as per normal. Check into Slack at 9am, say good morning and in any written communication, ensure you’re even more clear and concise than usual, you’re not in a position to just shout across the office to check stuff now! Before clocking off, write a mini report on your day, update your team so you’re all on the same page.
BALANCE.
Plan ahead and schedule in weeks, rather than months, this 100% makes it easier to maintain a level of control, and create realistic deadlines when all team members are not in the same office. This helps with the ‘get-it-done’ dynamic, especially when the future is uncertain of how long things will run in this way.
Create checklists on a Monday and ‘check in’ with them at the end of each day. This helps you stay on top of everything, and let’s be honest – ticking off those tasks is always satisfying AF!
Remember you’re still human – you still need good coffee, and fresh air and a moment of screen-free time. So allow yourself this, just as you’d do if you were working from an office! Just recognise if & when this turns from a lil break into procrastination – identify and jump back in!
Try to schedule in some real life meetings as well as video conferences, not just for productive work vibes but to also help you not feel too isolated. These can be great to kick-start your creativity and focus too, we all love a group brainstorm!
