Given that this is the new normal, here are ten tips for working remotely that will make your experience less stressful and more productive.
10 Essential Tips For Working Remotely
- Take scheduled breaks. Allow employees to break up the day and move their bodies, which can increase their productivity when they return to work.
- Protect your time. The concern many managers have about their employees working from home is that remote workers are just doing laundry and bingeing Netflix. However, the opposite is usually true – people tend to work more from home because it’s harder to “leave” work.
- Pay attention to ergonomics. If moving to a permanent remote work environment, make sure employees have a comfortable workspace (A folding table and chair or the dining room table isn’t going to cut it anymore)!
- Over Communicate. Especially in multigenerational teams — but it’s even more critical when you are working remotely.
- Tell your team how and when they can reach you. Should employees call, email, text, Slack, or Zoom? Do you want people to check in with you first thing in the morning? Send a daily or weekly update on what they’ve been working on?
- Make sure to clarify expectations for your team. Connect with team members around communication, work priorities, and success metrics.
- Resolve issues quickly with a phone call. Email, text, IM, Slack, and other written methods of communication are prone to misunderstandings. When you sense this is happening, be quick to pick up the phone to resolve issues.
- Use video, even if it’s uncomfortable. To avoid feeling isolated, use video technology to connect with team members and co-workers in a more intentional, human way.
- Emphasize one-on-one check-ins. Don’t cancel one-on-ones just because they can’t be held in person. Even a two-minute IM chat, video call, or text message chain can make employees feel more connected.
- Ask for feedback on your remote situation. Finally, and especially if you are new to working remotely, ask employees for regular feedback on how the situation is working out.
