Working from Home? Some important Tips for Working from Home
Corona Virus Disease has forced mankind to alter a lot of things to suit the current requirements. Its obvious mankind was not geared up to face up such a calamity, as it was least expected that such a catastrophe will strike mankind and make it look so vulnerable. With the post-arrival of Covid - 19, the world has gone through some major changes. Our personal, professional, official & business life, everything has taken a beating, to summarize things in short. Everybody is looking twitchy & anxious, as nobody knows for a fact, what needs to be done in order to get rid of this menace. It appears that for the first time, mankind is flinching.
The business world is not untouched by it. Plenty of changes have been made in the business and the corporate world to ensure that things move ahead without any major jolt. One such measure is known as Work from home culture. This article will deal with this culture which has gained prominence post-arrival of Covid, although this culture has been in practice before the Covid situation, however, the majority of the companies are falling back on it at present more than past, as they have very little choice, to speak the truth.
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From March 2020 onwards more and more companies have resorted to working from home culture. Most of the people were not prepared for remote work however, once of a sudden they have been subjected to it or has been imposed on them. Suddenly online environment has been adopted, out of sheer compulsion by Organisations and Individual businesses. Nobody knows for a fact, how long will it take for mankind to come out of this unwanted situation so it appears that for a substantial period of time this trend is going to last, at least till the time a major remedy or medicine that can fight with this disease is introduced into the market by some pharma company. Although a lot of progress has been made on this front and certain vaccines have been made available still it is highly unlikely life will normalize any time soon.
If you are new to the concept of Work from home then you must have realized that there is a need to change a lot including your habits and routine so that it becomes a success. The onus is on you, let it be in regards to self-regulation or for that matter time management. It's not a normal case of a 9 to 5 job. It needs planning and proper execution so that one can maintain the desired level of performance.
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The people who have been associated with work from home culture prior to Covid's situation and have been working for a very long period of time in this mode have opined, that challenges are there with this concept. These people are of the opinion, that they come across certain unique challenges and they have been facing up many core issues as remote workers. Once we have got it from horse's mouth then it seems that the majority of the people, who are new to this arrangement will also face a lot of problems while working in this mode.
An individual working in this mode will have to chalk out how to carry on, when to work & how to segregate personal life from work. It looks fairly simple to answer these questions from the top however, it may not be that simple. Surely the facilities one avails by working physically from office in terms of office equipment, career development, building relationships with office staffs and strengthening networking or training opportunities will no longer be available. Work from home system will be devoid of all such major advantages.
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There are certain tips for leading a better and more productive remote work life. We will state each one of them below in a sequential order. So stick around and go through each one of them, in case you are interested to know more about making the work from home system a success.
Some Important Tips for Working from Home Culture
1. Set & Stick to the Right Schedule
Setting a schedule and sticking around with it, extends immense help to remote workers. If you know for a fact, how long to work and when is the right time to call it a day then you have less to worry about. This will enable you to maintain a work-life balance. This is where perhaps most of the people are likely to falter. Be cautious and conscious with this point, having said that it is important to reiterate that you get plenty of flexibilities as well with this mode of working. Sometimes you might have to start early owing to more workload and it can happen very well that there will be occasions when you will wrap it up early. In some cases, you might have to compensate if the previous day's work is still pending by stretching the working hours the next day. Make sure you get enough sleep, no comprise on that front, or else after few days, it will start to take its toll on your body.
In case if you feel, you are poor with time management, you can always take advantage of Automatic time tracking apps, such as RescueTime, as it will enable you to find out whether you are respecting the schedule by adhering to it or not or there is a gap. In fact, you will also come to know, at what time of the day, you tend to be more productive with your assignments. So it's not a bad ploy to fall back upon such apps.
2. Respecting Your Routine.
Being able to create a routine and being able to adhere to it, religiously are two different things. You need to develop such a module or pattern of working that will guide you into the chair. Remember, a routine is handier than a clock directing you towards your work so that you will get started. It can very well happen that because of some minor personal chores at your place, you are delaying official things. This is where you have to keep a tab. It could be a case of making a cup of coffee, taking a personal call, or at times sending across a couple of text messages. Such things can lead to unproductive working hours and unless and until these are extremely important, keep them aside. You can address the same after the day's work or else chances are there you will run out of time or you may be forced to overcompensate by dragging your working hours.
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3. Specify & Communicate Ground Rules for People Around You.
Giving clear-cut instructions to people around regarding what they are allowed and what they are not, will simplify your life to a great when you are working from home. For instance, people having children at home might get disturbed at times. So you must give a proper message to your young ones why they are not allowed to create a disturbance. The same goes for adults as well. Let the people around know, what they can do and what they are not supposed to till the time you are at work however, you also need to see their convenience as well. Maintaining transparency/clarity in passing the right message to the right person maintaining the right balance will always yield the right result.
4. Adhere to Break Time
Work does not mean, it should continue without any break in between. In case, you are working on behalf of an Organisation then follow the break pattern of the organization. If you are a self-employed person then make it a point to give yourself enough time during the day to move away from the computer screen and cell phone. Usually, a lunch hour and two 15 minutes breaks are prescribed, as this is the pattern with most of the corporate sector organization, although a little bit of deviation may be permitted in some cases, but not by a great degree, of course. For the people who sit before their monitor for long hours, them, it is compulsory to stand up at least once after every hour in order to ensure proper blood circulation in the body. Let it be a micro-break of 30 seconds, the fact that you are moving your eyes off screen regularly does help to a great extent.
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5. Utilise the Entire Break.
Another key is to make sure, that you are utilizing the entire break rather than rushing back to your work before the end of a break. People have a tendency of eating fast so that they can resume work post-lunch, avoid doing so. Don't resume your work before the scheduled time. A break is meant for you to unwind a bit. Don't impose too much or else it will impact your health and mind and after few days you might start to experience, lapse in your concentration level as well. If you are back before time during lunch hour by say 15 minutes in that event, walk away for these 15 minutes. Consume the entire break time.
In case you are very poor in judging your time then use apps such as TimeOut for Mac and Smart Break for Windows, which helps you set a schedule for when you'll lock yourself out of your computer. RescueTime also has a pause feature that lets you time 15-minute and one-hour breaks. Set an alarm or timer on your phone, or mind the time with a standard clock. How do you do it, it entirely depends on your choice, but being able to do it properly makes sense. It is paramount, don't commit the blunder of ignoring this point.
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6. Move Around
Although it is not recommended to move out of home owing to Covid - 19 pandemic, still in case you feel it's safe then move out at least once. Let your body move a bit. The human body is dependent on fresh air and natural light, on top of that by moving around, blood circulation in your body is getting normalized. Although this is a healthy practice not just for people, who work from home alone. This is recommended for people who work in traditional office settings too. Leave the building once a day during your break time.
When there is no risk of pandemics that is during non-pandemic times, remote workers can also visit libraries or cafes to break the monotony. Following the same sequence day in day out is never helpful. It needs a change hence this suggestion.
7. Press Hard for Essential Materials, if it's mandatory
Don't be hesitant to ask for something if it is important in the context of your work. Any equipment that is required to carry out your official chores in a smooth manner, you must ask your management to supply and furnish same. Under this kind of remote work arrangement, you must be forthright and set the precedence early on by asking for materials or equipment that you feel is mandatory for carrying out the given assignment. Certain organization has a separate budget for work from home systems. Let it be a monitor, printer, keyboard, chairs, or Tables, if something is essential, do ask for it without showing any hesitancy whatsoever.
If you're employed by a company or organization that supports your work-from-home setup, request the equipment you need as soon as you start working from home, or within a few days of realizing you need something new.
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It also doesn't hurt to ask whether there's a loan agreement or who will pay for return shipping or disposal of outdated equipment. Some remote organizations allow employees to bring in a consultant to make sure their workspaces are set up to be ergonomic. Remember work from home setup has to be sound for you to do justice to your profile. Without having the requisite backup and materials, it's going to be very difficult for you to work and fulfill your official responsibilities. Yes, if work from home is for a short period of time in that event you may not ask for office chairs and desk and it's better to compromise a bit purely owing to the fact that it is a short-term or stops gap arrangement.
8. Don't Refrain from Socializing
Under remote work arrangement, isolation and disconnect will always pose as a challenge especially for the people who are an extrovert by nature. In some companies, you might find channels in team messaging apps like slack so that the employees can share their common interests or arrange a meet-up if they belong to the same zone.
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Certain people like more socializing while some others don't give it much prominence. The requirements vary from person to person, but it is relevant to keep ourselves in the right frame of mind.
9. Make Your Presence Felt.
Video calls and conferences will be the order of the day in remote work. You will have to participate in such meeting more often than not. Speak up and be heard. Don't take a back seat and be a silent spectator. Be upright in your stance in such meetings. Let people know, you are also an important part of the system. In fact, a simple thanks or bye to everyone at the end of the meeting goes a long way towards making your presence felt and getting recognized by people present in the meet.
10. Take Sick leave when Unwell.
If you are unwell take sick leave in that event. Don't overburden yourself. If sick leave is mentioned in your appointment letter then avail of those leaves when you are not 100%. Remember working for long hours at a stretch or over a period of time with no leaves in between is likely to take its toll on you. At any stage, if you are feeling down or not keeping well, make it a point to get your sick leave approved.
If you are a freelancer or self-employed without paid sick time, it can be tempting to power through illnesses and keep working. Remember that for your long-term wellness and productivity, it's wiser to give yourself a bit of a rest and if you overburden yourself or try to work when you are not fully well then the repercussion of the same may not lead to a pleasant experience for you.
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11. Avail Learning and Training Opportunities.
It is a well-known fact, being able to add new skill sets always does wonders for a professional, and attending training programs seems the most feasible way of attaining and learning new skills. So don't miss out on such opportunities. Since a person working from home may not get such opportunities very frequently so as and when such opportunities come by, one should be able to seize the opportunity with both hands and grab it. Training could be imparted over WebEx or Zoom Apps or by Video calls.
In addition to top-down training, you can request online or in-person for courses, training, and coaching if it helps to sharpen your skills further. You also get access to plenty of online learning sites over the internet that teach business soft skills, programming, software skills, leadership skills, interpersonal skills, etc. Remote companies usually allocate a budget for training & development for their employees, so be up for it if you get the opportunity to attend such programs, be it from your place or on your office premises.
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12. Communicate More Often than in a Normal Situation.
Working from your place demands you communicate more regularly and in some cases, you have to over-communicate as well. It signifies that you might have to give reminders more often, keep all the concerned people in the loop, let people know your schedule in advance, and never ever take things for granted assuming that people in the system will remember everything that relates to you or your work. Over communicating does not necessarily mean you have to write long emails or lengthy essay rather it's is a simple case of ensuring, that you have kept the channels of communication open with the concerned employee and he is kept informed about the latest developments and your next move in regards to your official chores.
13. Work with Zeal.
Reading tone in written messages is really difficult in all-remote settings. The less face time you have with people, the more complex communication becomes, so read things properly and if required start reading between the lines as well. Be positive, maintain the right tempo, don't let your intensity dropdown. It's a job at the end of the day and you have to render the services since you are getting paid. Be jovial, try to perform at your optimum level, and don't let your home environment affect you or become a barrier or hurdle in your official work.
14. Don't let your guard down yet don't put excess stress on yourself.
One of the key considerations for remote employees would be to ensure that they are self-disciplined. It takes out a lot mentally and physically to do a task that is though conventional in nature from an unconventional place. It's all about being able to adjust and acclimatize to the condition. There will be occasions when you may get tempted to certain other stuff during working hours. It is usual. Don't treat yourself harshly for such things. It should not throw you off. No harm in giving yourself a bit of liberty however, it should not impact the work in a negative way.
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15. Bring an end to day's work with Style.
The way you start your day, in the same fashion brings an end to it, by creating a habit that indicates it's time to sign off for the day. You can do so by going for a walk, shut down your computer and turn on your music system every day, or immediately rush to the kitchen for a cup of tea with music on. Do something which freshens you up and gives a signal to your mind, it's over for the day.
Conclusion
Everything has a flip side to it. The traditional model of working from the office comes with certain advantages and it suffers from some demerits as well. The same holds water for the work from home system. Unconventional methods perhaps need more innovation and improvisation so undoubtedly it will pose some challenges. Remember, you get a certain degree of liberty while working from remote places. It's for you to ensure, that you keep on delivering your best day in day out, irrespective of the situation. You may like this system more than the orthodox fashion of working from office premises. You never know, by adapting to this trend you may be the beneficiary and it's obvious if you can keep your guard up, you will keep performing and may enjoy this system as well. Be open to it, if it comes your way, don't show much reservation. Accept it and move ahead, this is what the bottom line is.
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