For some of us, Remote Work like working from home has been the norm for years and our office has frequently been places like coffee shops, libraries, or even a rentable workspace.
Since the vast majority of the population has not been fortunate enough to Remote Work, however, we thought that it would be helpful to provide a few tips on how to prepare yourself for the future of remote work that has become the new standard.
Many organizations have already started the transition to remote work, implementing cloud solutions for their databases so they can be accessed from home, but many of them have forgotten to take into account the most important factor, their employees.
Stick to the basics
With the COVID-19 pandemic causing massive financial repercussions, many companies have been forced to dramatically restructure or downsize in a desperate effort to survive and potentially still turn a profit.
One of the most cost-effective things they can do to save money is to simply cut down on office space. Since all of those large, sprawling, open-plan offices won’t be used any time soon, companies can consider simply sticking with the remote working format.
This would likely be a popular decision among employees and downgrading to a small office only to be used for the occasional necessary office gathering is a great way to save a lot of money.
Keep your communication up
One of the biggest downsides of remote working is the distinct lack of communication that comes with it. Since employees can no longer simply walk up to a co-worker’s desk, the overall level of communication and in turn, the level of productivity, can decrease rather significantly if not kept under control.
To combat this potential issue, be sure to keep in contact with co-workers and employees by using applications such as Zoom, Skype, and Microsoft Teams. These applications also come with a ton of awesome features that you can use to your advantage such as the ability to set a virtual background.
If you have something behind you that you would rather the rest of the meeting not see, for example, sensitive data, family members, or even just a messy room, you can use an office background for zoom to maintain a professional appearance without needing to relocate your remote work area.
Other available features include the ability to share screens with meeting participants and virtual whiteboards that are great for brainstorming ideas or discussing topics as a group.
Plan ahead
Planning has always been an important part of an efficient work life, but it has never been as essential as it is at the moment. With attention spans shorter than ever and home-life distractions more visible than ever before, planning is a necessity for a smooth work-life when working from home.
If you work as part of a team, be sure to plan for at least one virtual meeting a week and assign responsibilities on a rota to share them. For example, you will likely need a host, a mediator, and possibly even a minute taker, assign one person from your team to each of these roles and create a schedule to make sure that everyone knows when it is their turn. T
his will not only help to keep your meetings productive, but it will also help to keep your team communicating with each other and working together.
Look to the future
Most of us are simply trying to keep our heads above the water until this pandemic blows over, however, while you may not have many options now, look to the future and consider what you can do to boost productivity and profit when the coronavirus lockdown inevitably comes to an end.
Companies that look to the future and make plans on how to improve and grow will gain a significant advantage over those that simply choose to focus on survival and take things one day at a time.
Don’t get us wrong, keeping your business going is the top priority, but if possible, try to assign projects to employees that will emphasize and create plans to give you a step up on the competition when the pandemic is eventually behind us.
