Whether you have tried working remotely before or you being thrust into this new working arrangement, we have 7 useful tips for being productive and successful. In fact this may be a new norm going forward as technology advances and more corporations and small businesses move away from the office setting and go full-on virtual. In fact, according to Flexjobs, the number of people telecommuting in the U.S. increased 159% between 2005 and 2017. As a small business that has built a business model around working remotely, we have found 7 keys to a company’s success when working remotely. Applying these 7 tips will set your team up for success when working remotely.
- Time management. While working remotely, it can be difficult to manage your time if you are not used to working outside of an office setting. Managing your time requires scheduling and a commitment to that schedule. You must use every bit of your working day wisely and a clear delineation between working hours, home administration tasks, and off-duty hours must be clear. It’s best to have a plan going into your day as to exactly what those hours are and how your day will be scheduled.
- Create an atmosphere of productivity. In an office setting, a productive atmosphere is largely created and reinforced for you. This atmosphere enables employees to engage in their work and promotes productivity. When working remotely, it is important to generate your own atmosphere of productivity. You can start by gathering all the items you will need to do your work so you eliminate the excuse to mill around your home. Make sure that the atmosphere you create caters to the way you work best. For instance, some people work best in quiet environments while others need music or activity surrounding them. Creating a productive atmosphere will help you focus at the task at hand while you’re working remotely.
- Challenge yourself. Challenging yourself to accomplish daily goals can play a major role in your quest to stay motivated and on task. There are many ways to challenge yourself. You can start by making a list of all the tasks that need to be done and prioritizing them. Then set an amount of time to accomplish your first 3 priorities and challenge yourself to meet or beat the time allocated no matter what as if the deadline was given to you by your dream client or a top leader in your field.
- Reward yourself. Yep! It is very important to reward yourself, especially after challenging yourself. Did you know that not rewarding yourself daily for the work you do can lead to being burned out and depleted? In fact, according to Psych Central not treating or rewarding yourself after accomplishing goals can lead to feeling deprived. Be sure to apply this key after a challenge.
- Eliminate distractions. We cannot emphasize this one enough. While working remotely, do yourself a favor and eliminate all distractions. For most of us, our many distractions are on one device – the smart phone. If you have trouble maintaining focus, make a list of all the things that distract you, and then make a plan to eliminate these from your work environment. For instance, if you like to migrate to social media or catch the midday news, remove the temptation. Turn off social media notifications. Shut down your email while you finalize that report. Or sit in a room without a television and shut the door until you finish the task.
- Connect with your team. Stay in touch during this coronavirus isolation period. People need it. Stay connected to your work team. Don’t wait for someone else to reach out. Practice reaching out on a daily basis. Take time to see what goals they have for the day and what work they will be engaged in. Set weekly meetings with your team and create opportunities to communicate. Send them a picture of your work environment and maybe a brief personal update. Regular communication with your team is healthy and important when working remotely.
- Become a tech guru. Technology is advancing rapidly. Be sure to take some time out of each day to see what new apps and technology can improve your remote working set-up. This will help you stay up-to-date as technology progresses. It will also help you work smarter while working remotely.
Working remotely can be very rewarding. And with COVID-19, it can be the safest option. Fortunately, we live in a time when we have so many tools available to us. Let’s make use of them and keep business moving forward!