Staying Proactive and Present - Best Practices for Working Remotely
Within a matter of days, organizations are reducing their onsite work staff to “business critical” functions and greatly expanding the use of tools for remote work, video conferencing and collaboration. While the concept of remote work is not new, it is new to many people in organizations that still are accustomed to going to the office every day. Here are a few tips for those new to working remotely:
Be PRESENT: Make sure you are logged in and actively responding to incoming messages. Staying present is important to staying connected and providing responses to necessary requests that may typically be handled by a drop by at your desk. Make sure you are focused on work as if you are at the office. Being present also means actively reaching out to others in your team or department to check in on them, offer assistance and remain connected to the social aspect of work. Being remote can be isolating for some, and the occasional “hello” can help people stay connected.
Be PREPARED: Have the tools you need at hand. Test your system and log into a video meeting a few minutes early to ensure it connects properly., Be prepared for things to be uncertain and challenging. Your company’s network and tools may be stressed by a larger percentage of the workforce being off-site, which may cause temporary disruptions or lags in quality.
Take a PAUSE: Don’t forget to get up occasionally, get outside for some fresh air or a walk around the block to give yourself a mental and physical break. These breaks will help your mind and body stay limber, healthy and attentive to be as productive as possible throughout the workday.
PRIORITIZE your day: The double-edged side of remote work and collaboration tools is the tendency to easily be distracted by every email message that comes in (or doing your laundry). This can prevent you from getting work done and not focusing on work that requires uninterrupted time. Most applications have a “Do Not Disturb” setting that will block incoming messages and let others know you are working on something critical. Don’t forget to reset your status when you are ready to receive messages. And if you need to get those chores done, set aside a block of time *after* you’ve addressed urgent deliverables to create a short break for yourself (see #3).
Use the PHONE (or other collaborative tech): Human interaction becomes increasingly important the more we’re isolated or self-quarantined. From Microsoft’s Office 365 to Google’s G Suite, there are dozens of software solutions to help us stay connected, even some free ones. But on’t just rely on chat and email. While these tools are great for communication that relies solely on words to communicate, sometimes we need the sound of a voice to better stay engaged with our teams. Nothing beats getting on the old-fashioned phone on occasion to check in and discuss progress.
