Remote working day-to-day – Getting the most from remote working

As previously explained 2020 has been a challenging year for everyone, especially businesses. Covid-19 has forced a change in many businesses up and down the country. Most had no choice but to leap into remote work suddenly, meaning that many are not getting the most from the infrastructure they have built.

There Is a variety of different measures to take to make the most of remote working. Follow this checklist and tick as many off as possible, this will guarantee a more productive way of remote working.

Set a specific, quiet home office space

Avoid working on your sofa, and do not work from your bed! Remember you will be spending most of your day sitting in this place, make it somewhere you can be productive and comfortable. It is very important to set a specific place to work from, it can bring structure to your day. When you are in the workspace you are working, and when you leave that space you have left work.

Invest in gadgets and furniture to help maintain focus and communicate with your team

It may sound like overkill, but some sound-isolating headphones may be very appreciated if you have not got the option to create your workspace away from the day to day hustle and bustle of your living space. Especially in the current climate with many furloughed, others working from home and many unemployed, it can be a very busy time at home. Investing in an ergonomic chair for comfort, a light if the lighting is not optimal and if working from a laptop perhaps a separate keyboard and mouse. All of which will make your day that bit easier and in turn will enable you to be as productive as possible. You can go as far as you’d like with this, perhaps to a full home office set up, you don’t know how long you’re going to be working from home with the current pandemic spiking again.

Establish boundaries with others living with you

Let the people you live with know that although you are physically at home mentally you are occupied. You are not available to do chores or to have a conversation whenever they feel like it. Leave those things for your designated break times that you allow yourself.

When working from home, in the day-to-day:

• Have water and healthy snacks at your desk to stay energised

We all have a cupboard at home with copious amounts of sugary treats bulging from the door, as tempting as this is, it may be beneficial to avoid these until, perhaps, a lunchtime treat or in the evening after work has finished. It is easy when working from home to fall into the trap of unhealthy eating and drinking.

• Do not forget to take time out for breaks

It is common for people to forget to take breaks when busy and trying to meet deadlines. Leave a full hour for lunch to eat properly and if there’s time left over then use this time to run any errands that you are neglected whilst working.

• Keep a clean home workspace

Leave some time in your workday to clean your desk, empty your bin, put your coffee cup in the dishwasher, etc. In the workplace you may have a cleaning service that does this for you, unfortunately, most of us do not have this luxury at home.

• Set a clear task list to accomplish every day, do this by using a task/project management system

If the advice from previous blogs has been fruitful you already use Microsoft Teams as an integral part of your remote working. Teams is a great way to create a list of prioritised tasks for you to finish daily. This can be a good way to keep an eye on your productivity levels as many remote workers find this difficult without a gentle nudge in the right direction from a manager.

• Shower and dress comfortably. Don’t stay In your PJs all day!

As appealing as it sounds to stay in your pj’s all day, having a shower and dressing comfortably will help your transition to ‘work-mode’. Not only this but if a surprise video call request comes through from your manager you don’t want to be sitting in your pyjamas.

• Set clear communication protocols with your team for remote interaction

It is critical to set clear protocols for your team to follow when communicating remotely, you want a certain level of decorum to the chats staff have. There is nothing wrong with having an informal chat with a colleague, some would even say that it should be encouraged with remote work, working alone can be tedious and some crave social interaction. But these chats need to take place in a particular place and not interfere with important communication channels regarding work, Teams can assist with this.

These tips will help your transition to remote working be as smooth, painless and productive as possible. It is impossible for some to do all on the list but achieving as many as possible puts you in good stead to get the most possible from your remote working.

Need help with your transition to Remote working? We’re here to help!

We at 4TC, pride ourselves in developing long term relationships with our clients whilst providing expert strategic advice and high-quality managed support. Running your business effectively has never been easier! Call us now on 020 7250 3840.