Recent times have forged a polarisation in the workforce. I’m talking about who’s in favour of working from home and who is not. Both scenarios have their perks and disadvantages, and now that most of the restrictions have been lifted, it can sometimes be a choice or not. Maybe your company wants everybody under the same roof, or maybe the opposite, as they’re still afraid of a possible spread of the virus among employees.
If you hate being confined at home and not being able to cooperate in person with your colleagues, this article is for you.
Let’s start with the obvious: some advantages are undeniable, like all the time you end up saving. There’s a high chance that going to the office means hours spent in getting presentable, commuting (and getting stuck in traffic), and also sharing personal space with strangers in public transport. When you work from home, you only need to turn on your computer and maybe be camera-ready if you have some meetings scheduled. According to this article, commuters could save about 90 hours every year working from home at current rates.
At the same time, being able to talk face to face is fundamental for someone and in some line of work. Communication is easier and tasks are more manageable, while using digital instruments you have to learn new skills that are not as important as in person.
Here are some tips for you.
Email management. Most of the communication in most companies is through this tool. Remember to always keep it brief and to get straight to the point, starting with the subject that has to be the most informative possible so the recipients can triage their inbox. Remember also it is not instant messaging, so if it's very urgent (like real time urgent), do not rely on an all-caps emails.
Cooperative Technology: dividing tasks and keeping track of progress is a key factor. Some programs let you do so, like Trello or Slack. They are like virtual boards you can share with your colleagues to assign work and keep them on the loop. You can also use specific programs that have built-in technology for cooperation, like Google Workspace or Microsoft Office 365. You can create documents, presentations or spreadsheets that are accessible by multiple accounts online, so they can be modified in real-time by more than one person. Last but not least, Miro is an interactive virtual whiteboard that can help brainstorm all together from personal devices.
Distraction in action: one of the hardest things at home is to keep focus. You can have noisy neighbours, a needy cat, children that are not at school because of an outbreak in their class, or you just can’t stop thinking about cookies in the kitchen. There’s no universal rule because everybody is different, but here are some tips: keep a tight schedule, start and end at the same time every day, and make sure to plan breaks, because too many hours in front of the monitor can cause fatigue and have an impact on your productivity. The Pomodoro Technique is a notorious way to manage your time. You can also disable notifications on your phone. On Apple devices with iOS 15 or later, you can create “Focus” modes to filter notifications and let pass through only coworkers and not distractions like Instagram or Facebook.
Last but not least, don’t forget the fun! Probably the aspect remote workers miss the most is the chance to have a chat and socialise with co-workers. Social interactions are important and can boost the morale of the crew. Take time to chit chat a little bit, or maybe do something together… and here's where VTX comes into play! We provide you the perfect team building Experience to bring fun and cheerfulness in your meetings.
Check more on our website for more info!