The concept of working from home might be new to some while others were already introduced to it due to the nature of their work. However, the Coronavirus has pushed many companies to consider applying remote working with their employees. This has put pressure on those who aren’t familiar with the criteria behind working from home.
According to a study in the UAE, more than 60% of employees are open to work from home full time. Moving to expand our circle of study to cover the MENA region; a survey done by Bayt.com site showed that almost three-quarters of employees preferred jobs that gave them the chance to work from home. This indicates that people during the lockdown enjoyed such work experience and some declared that their productivity level has increased and improved.
As marketing and branding agencies seek creative solutions to recover from sudden crises such as corona; Aimstyle has put many efforts to adapt to the new situation. The team followed certain steps to maximize the work’s proficiency while working remotely.
Here Are Tips to Follow That Will Help You to Manage to Work Remotely:
Your old work routine will not fit if you are working from home but it can be adjusted. You probably need to design a morning routine that would get you in the mood to start working. For example, if you were used to waking up, go jogging for half an hour, shower then get dressed, you don’t need to abandon such habits, stick to them! Working from home doesn’t mean that you need to start working as soon as you wake up. It is all about how you manage your time at home.
Defining your working hours is crucial, if you don’t prefer nine to five working hours, then abide by what suits you best. What’s most important is that you deliver the required tasks on time.
The key here is to know how to manage your routine that would boost your productivity along with your potential energy.
One more important thing is managing your to-do list. In other words, prioritize your tasks according to their importance. Working from home doesn’t mean that you have to work all day. What’s important is that you don’t exceed the deadline assigned for each task or project. However, consider assigning breaks during your working hours. Each one of us needs a break to recharge. 10 to 15 minutes’ breaks are considered to be short breaks that would help increase your productivity. Consider taking lunch breaks in addition to outdoor breaks if possible, such as going for a short walk.
- Have an Ideal Working Spot
If you are willing to make the experience of working remotely an effective one, you should allocate space for work. Having a separate room that is dedicated only to work is an advantage, but this might be difficult sometimes. Instead, you can allocate a certain desk or table for work purposes only. You probably would also need a quiet spot with great lighting and internet access.
Moreover, avoid working from bed, you will probably fall asleep. Try to have an offline office-like environment at home, to get yourself in the mood to conduct your work effectively with fewer distractions and noise.
Distractions can be tempting at home especially when having your family around. A normal employee that commutes to work every day early in the morning, perceives the word “home” as a place to rest after a long day at work. However, this has been the norm for decades. Employees weren’t introduced to the concept of permanently working from home before the pandemic of the Coronavirus emerges. Thus, it is crucial that we minimize the effect of this perception while we conduct work remotely.
However, it is okay to do your laundry during the breaks but it is not okay to clean up the house, since this can be energy-draining, distracting, and time-wasting. Moreover, a family can be a huge source of distractions. It is advised to set ground rules with those who share with your home. For example, if you were working in the living room, you can negotiate to have quiet times during online meetings.
Face-to-face communication can clear any misunderstanding regarding any situation. Unfortunately, working remotely can hinder the easy flow of communication and can lead to misunderstandings or miscommunication between employees. Thus, it is important to keep things clear, communicate how you conduct assignments and how you convey tasks or changes to your team. Don’t hesitate to ask for help from those who you usually reach out to in the office.
Deal with things in the easiest way possible, don’t put limits where they shouldn’t be put. If you used to communicate certain work-related problems to someone from your team or colleagues; do it! Working from home doesn’t mean you can’t call or have a virtual meeting to solve a certain issue.
It is not necessary to stick to sending emails, or text messages only.
What matters the most is you conducting your work properly and communicating related work issues properly with the right people. One more thing to consider is over-communicating, which means communicating everything to everyone. For example, when you finish a certain task or when you are busy working on a certain project, say so.
Don’t assume that your team or boss knows what you are doing, simply because direct face-to-face communication isn’t present while working remotely.
When you are working remotely, it is hard to attend training sessions that are conducted in the office. Not to forget that training that your company’s training offers might as well be paused for while due to the pandemic. Don’t wait for your boss to enroll you in a certain course or training.
Take a step forward and initiate the learning process. Working remotely can give you much time to work on yourself, develop your skills and enhance your working abilities. Play it smart, suggest certain online training to your boss. This will reflect the value you are trying to add to the company that you are working in.
When there is an online meeting, it is professional to show up, don’t miss it! It is as important as face-to-face meetings. Nonetheless, employees might not take it seriously or even put the needed effort to make it work. Online meetings can be energy-draining since you need to stick behind your computer for a certain period of time. But at the same time, it saves you the cost of commuting to work.
Interpersonal communication is important to have between team members, so don’t forget to have your camera on. Be ready, get dressed before the meeting, and conduct it in a quiet place away from any noise. After all, it is important to give your work the right effort and be professional.
working from home doesn’t mean you need to stick around your laptop all day. You have a personal life and space that you need to work on. Call it a day when you're done according to the working schedule. Don’t assume that it is okay to work all day all under the title of working remotely.
Working on your life balance might seem blurry while working from home. Since you do all your personal and work-related activities from one place.
That’s why employees complain that working from home can be energy and time-draining sometimes. But guess what?! It is all under your control.
It is you who decides how your day will go neither your boss nor your family.