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Remote Work Success Tips
I just got a new job that I'm super excited about! It's fully remote! My current job went remote in March because of COVID, but it was reluctantly and very disorganized/chaotic.
Do you have any pro-tips for remote work? I'd especially like to hear from managers of remote workers - what can an employee do to make you think "this is a good remote worker". And remote workers, what organization/communication/schedule has worked best for you?
Shire Lyon
61
10/16/20 at 5:49PM UTC
I've been remote most of my career. If your company uses a project management system, I would plan your days out carefully with that to keep yourself on top of tasks. If not, you can get a free Asana account and plan things out so you never miss something. I would also suggest using a timer like Clockify.me if your company isn't using a time tracking system. This will allow you to see where time goes and how to improve.
Susan C-PDigital Gardener
11
10/15/20 at 5:43PM UTC (Edited)
I have worked remotely for more than 15 years. I once worked with a team thousands of miles away for over two years before meeting any of them! So many great tips here: setting a time to quit; blocking your calendar; a separate workspace; knowing when to pick up the phone; etc.
In fact, that last one is part of a broader tip: learn which style of communication each of your colleagues has--especially your boss. Some avoid email and never open attachments; some hate phone calls; others loathe meetings. Some are visual; others auditory. The tactile ones are hardest to reach remotely. They prefer a demonstration of what is needed so maybe a short video or videoconference is in order.
Some of the biggest challenges come from those who ignore deadlines or stonewall you. One solution with those folks is to write: "If I don't hear from you by ______, I'll proceed with Plan A." Communication will be your biggest challenge and asset.
Gargi BiswasAward Winning Business Leader(Digital Solutions)
75
10/15/20 at 5:23AM UTC
Remote Work can be fun if you plan your day well- Have a diary of yours where you write down top 5 things that you would want to achieve for the day. Block calendars for meetings, avoid unplanned meetings and have time fixed for your regular activities like Lunch/dinner etc. Keep time for working and avoid too many meetings. This would help you have a regularity in work. Don't extend too much and have time for your personal commitments.
Danielle Roadcap
11
10/14/20 at 7:31PM UTC
I have been a remote supervisor for 5 years. My team is also remote. The most important thing is keeping your team engaged. I have a Microsoft Teams chat going with my team. That is how they ask for help and just share stories. You can link apps and do fun activities like surveys and trivia. It also has several apps that let you send out kudos. Being available is also key. Your boss can’t just look out their office door to see if you are at your desk.
Stephanie Harbison
21
10/14/20 at 3:25PM UTC
And like others have said on this thread, it is important to be seen. Don't hide your face in video calls. Be present and involved. It is important that your boss, coworkers and anyone you interact with in this fashion see you, rather than a headshot or icon.
Stephanie Harbison
21
10/14/20 at 3:23PM UTC
Congratulations! Being a remote worker is an incredibly rewarding experience. I've been remote for almost a year now and am more productive than I ever was in office. A few things to keep in mind as you get started:
- Get a desk and set up a designated working space. It is important to have a place specific to your work.
- Take a lunch break! Working through lunch becomes more frequent as work stress builds. And since you are accessible 100% of the time now, it is up to you to set boundaries.
- Set office hours. Working after hours and before work becomes too easy to do, essentially stealing time from your personal time.
- Remember that remote work is valid. Just because you are home, doesn't mean people can push errands on you or that what you do isn't a real job.
- Keep your routines. Get dressed and ready just like you would for an in person position.
- Stay social. Depending on your personality, remote work can get lonely. Make a point to interact with your coworkers and the outside world.
Anonymous
10/14/20 at 12:49PM UTC
Being reachable during official work hours is absolutely key! Timely responsiveness, and chiming in on group messages also helps. I had a colleague join as a new hire and he took the time to organize virtual coffee chats with everyone on the team - across markets - which not only helped him integrate but also led to some great cross border projects, a big win so soon after being hired. Good luck in the new role!
Anonymous
10/13/20 at 10:47PM UTC
I agree with all the great tips in this thread. All good stuff. I had my own business for 22 years, where I worked entirely remotely. And I recently joined a company that went remote due to COVID literally 3 days after I started (go figure!). Setting a schedule, having a specific workspace separate from where you do your "living", etc. - all those things are important. But one thing I haven't seen mentioned is the social aspect. It can get very isolating (as we've all come to know), so I think it's important to take steps to socialize and get to know colleagues outside of work-related zoom meetings. When I was self-employed (and we were able to freely travel), I went to visit clients regularly, and stayed beyond meeting times to have lunch and chit chat. Now that I'm an employee and I still don't know my coworkers well (after 6 months!), I have taken steps to set up virtual lunches with coworkers, where we literally sit and eat together over zoom and just chat. We stay away from work talk and just get to know one another. It's how friendships are formed, and I work so much better in an environment where at least some of my coworkers are friends. Remotely, there's no "water cooler" or lunch room, so it takes extra effort (and a little discomfort at first) to ask people to have these social get togethers, but how else can you get to know personalities. Group zoom happy hours can be a bit difficult if you're not an extrovert.
Brooke Alicia Barrios
13
10/13/20 at 7:59PM UTC (Edited)
Congratulations on your new position! My company went remote mid-March, and due to our increase in productivity our CEO converted our work to remote four days a week indefinitely. This was great news to me because I feel my productivity increases working from home and my sense of comfort and ease, particularly when I'm in the weeds, is improved.
A few thoughts:
I like to switch up my environment and work from coffee shops at times. It's especially helpful when I get into a routine of breaking up my work day with working from home in the morning and heading to a coffee shop around lunchtime.
When it may get tempting to clean or tidy up, I break up the tasks. For example, I may sweep mid-morning and do a load of laundry in the afternoon. I always try to time them to fit my meeting schedule. Being productive around the house increases my work productivity!
Lunch and snacks like almonds or hummus power me up and keep me going.
I carved out a really special corner to work with tons of table space, which is important to me, and a good lamp. I included pictures of family and artwork in the space. I also designed my living room to be really comfortable and cheery since I spend so much time there.
As a manager, I hold regular bi-weekly meetings with my reports and make sure to offer help when needed. We also have regular communication throughout the day. If those are not being met, I suggest that you ask your manager for them. Outside of that, I trust them to be completing tasks in the same way that I am.
Good luck with your new role and working remotely!
Jocelyn Lyons
496
10/09/20 at 6:21PM UTC
Congratulations! Great question. It looks like you've gotten some excellent advice. I agree that time management and boundaries are critical. I would also emphasize Ashley's point about relationships when working remotely - it's so important to build relationships and trust within virtual teams, because it doesn't happen as naturally as it does in-person, and this can affect communication and collaboration with colleagues. When done well, building relationships can lay a foundation for trust, open communication, and camaraderie. Since it's especially challenging to gauge people's emotions/social cues virtually (and we know these can affect our work) it can be helpful to share other things going on your life so that people have sense of how you are and what you're dealing with, and also so that they feel comfortable reciprocating.
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