Depending on your industry, working from home or remotely is becoming an increasingly popular option for companies everywhere. While the opportunity might not be available and offered right off the bat, if you have proven yourself as a valuable employee who can be trusted and relied upon to get your work done, this flexible option can definitely have its perks.
For some, not going into the office may seem strange as the line between work and personal life can become blurred. For others, the convenience of avoiding a morning commute, ability to set your own hours and working from the comfort of home seems like a career dream come true. The work-life balance can improve as you have time to do things you might not have while restricted to your office, but a key thing to remember is that work still needs to get done.
A concern of many employers is that remote employees will not get their work done. Although this is a genuine concern, studies have actually shown that working from home makes you happier and more efficient. It might seem like remote workers can roll out of bed, throw on sweatpants and work from the couch (might be true for some) but in order to maintain a high level of productivity, John DiScala has some positive habits that remote workers should develop.
Set Up Your Space
As mentioned above, some people might prefer rolling out of bed (or even staying in) and starting their work comfortably. Others, however, need a designated work space in order to get the task done. By setting up a work space, whether it is a desk in a spare room that becomes your “office,” or extra countertop space, you will have a place to go when you need to get work done. Additionally, by crafting your own work space at your home, the separation of work and play becomes more defined.
Make A Schedule (And Stick To It)
By having defined hours that you are “on the job” you will find that productivity increases. Instead of balancing a bunch of tasks that you might need to take care of in your daily life with work, set working hours for yourself.
Just like being in an office, you can take breaks for lunch and getting up to move around. But having defined hours in which you know you should stop working will help to maintain focus on finishing tasks. It may be tempting to gradually work on things throughout the day since you don’t have to be in/out of the office at specific times, but for productivity sake, this is not sustainable.
Make Time To See Other People
While working from home allows for increased flexibility, it can very quickly become a lonely experience. Part of the reason people enjoy going into the office is interacting with their coworkers. Catching up on the latest happenings or even something as simple as recapping last night’s game is something that doesn’t happen when working remotely. Take a break and run an errand or grab lunch somewhere for some interaction.
Although you have set up your home work space, some people might spend a few hours working at a local coffee shop in order to be around people. Co-working space such as WeWork or Regus have become increasingly popular alternatives for remote workers who don’t necessarily want to work from home.
Communicate Often With Colleagues And Managers
The great thing about technology is that it allows us to be constantly connected wherever we go. Because of this, communicating with our colleagues and managers when working remotely is now easier than ever. Thanks to tools like Slack and Trello, team communication and collaboration can be done regardless of where you work. Communication while in the office is key, but it is even more important when you’re out of the office.
By staying in touch and having open lines of communication to update your managers and coworkers, it shows that you are not taking advantage of the opportunity to work at home and that you’re still getting just as much, if not more done, than you would in the office. If you’re able to work from home, chances are you have already established trust and good communication at the office, so continuing to do so when remotely benefits all parties.
Wrap Up
Working remotely is a great perk offered by many companies. While it is certainly not conducive to everyone’s style of work, those who take advantage of it are some of the happiest employees. Not only are they happy, but by using some of these tried and true tactics, they can also be some of the most productive. To read all seven of DiScala’s tips, you can read the full article on Inc.com here.
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