As more businesses encourage workers to work from home, your coworkers may change from colleagues and team members to dogs and bored children. Don’t worry, it can be done, and this is a time that can either make you - highlighting your focus, commitment and productivity; or break you – highlighting your need for instruction and inability to stay on task. At Efficio, we are spread around the country in order to have the best talent in accessible places to better serve you. So, we know a thing or two about working remotely.
First, set structure and parameters. Working from the sofa in front of the TV may not provide you with the best workspace. Find a place in your home to dedicate to your home office. It can be a guest bedroom or a corner but make it your workspace. Treat your work time as appointments. Get to your space on time. Don’t get distracted by household chores, or the promise of more fun activities. Dress for your success. Maybe it isn’t as dressy as you might be at an office but get out of your jammies and into clothes appropriate for being on video with customers and coworkers. Remind your family members that this is work time, and you are busy. Sure, the cat will occasionally walk across the keyboard and a child will need lunch but keep work hours and work structure.
Yes, you can make that lunch and put that load of laundry in the dryer. And you do need to get up and move around. Some walk 500 steps every hour. Some take a “power time” and take a 30-minute walk. Some take time outs for chores. Just be sure to make them part of your structure of your workday. This is no different that hitting the break room or chatting with a coworker at your station.
If you are one who sees clients or has meetings with others regularly, you may miss that interaction. Use CHAT, your phone, or other online tools to reach out to employees. It doesn’t always have to be about business. Make your break time count to socialize too. Because, let’s face it, you did that at the station! Just be sure to limit that time and don’t prioritize it over something that needs to be done for the job.
This might be a time to keep the TV off. Right now, it is distressing and getting more so by the hour. Turn it on occasionally so you are up-to- date, especially if you interact with customers. Otherwise, music is a wonderful background that allows you to do your job without the distraction of a favorite show or more bad news.
There are some FREE tools that can help you keep in touch and conduct your business. Microsoft Teams allows you to group your people into different teams, chatting to all at once or individually. That comes with the Microsoft software. Slack is similar. To hold meetings and show screens, Zoom or Join Me both allow you to do presentations. And to manage overall business projects or tasks, both Trello and Asana can help with organization and visibility, in the face of fewer or no meetings.
No matter where you call work today or in the near future, use the tools, structure yourself, keep your eye on the business, and you will find that your job will be well done.
lease know that we can help reduce the effects of coronavirus to your day-to-day business.