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Working From Home

Insider tips to make it work for YOU

Published by eSTUDY 2020 All copyrights reserved 1

Tried and Tested Tips to Work From Home Successfully

Preamble

Hands up if you’ve dreamed of working from home before, yet ever so suddenly, find yourself regretting that wish and vowing to never complain about traffic jams to your boss again.

The reality is, that working remotely can be the best thing that ever happened to you. But there is a little clause to take note of: It won’t just happen by itself. We’ve compiled a collection of tried and tested methods to help smooth out the rough terrain and put you on the fast track to make working from home happen for you!

Since more and more companies are starting to discover the advantages of having their employees work remotely, learning the tricks of this trade would be a wise investment in your career. Even large organisations may buy in to the benefits of remote working, such as valuable costs savings on commercial property. Interestingly, employers are also learning that once their employees overcome the pitfalls of working from home, they actually tend to be more productive, fulfilled and creative than the ones who flock together in costly, health-hazardous office buildings.

There’s no time like the present to fortify your professional offering. Join us as we lift the curtain on working from home successfully.

Contents

1. Creating a proper workspace

2. Five rituals of successful remote workers 2.1 The best of both worlds 2.2 Recreating office-bound rituals 2.3 Looking the part 2.4 Out of sight, out of mind 2.5 The ritual of resting

3. Communication is king 3.1 Strictly social 3.2 Working out loud

4. Taking your progress to the next level

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1. Creating a proper workspace

The first, and among the most crucial steps you need to take, is constructing the optimal work environment. No need to worry if you don’t have a whole room to set aside – even just a dedicated section of a room will do. As long as it is set aside for your work exclusively. Failure to isolate your workspace will lead to increased interruptions, disorder and the inability to separate your work from your personal life (more on this later).

A proper desk is vital – even a table you borrow from the living room until you can secure a real desk will work. Pair up your new desk with the best chair you can find. Back-support is a must – slouching will lessen your productivity since it affects your oxygen intake and inevitably leads to muscle aches.

Good lighting enhances you mood, eyesight and energy levels – and it even helps to bring out your best features during video-sessions. Natural lighting claims first prize, but don’t skim on artificial light sources if need be.

If you’re spending more time than usual on your laptop, remember to adjust the anti-glare screen settings, as it can tire your eyes out too.

A fast, dependable internet connection is one of the best investments you can make when working from home. The high demand for internet providers means you are not just spoiled for choice, but pricing options too. Do your homework well and you’ll be smiling all the way to the (online) bank. This includes asking advice from residents in your area, since certain regions may experience various providers differently. Your internet connection could even be something your employer can assist with financially.

Last but not least, don’t forget to add something that inspires you, like positioning your desk by the window to your favourite view, hanging a painting you like or including framed photos of loved ones, kid’s drawings or fresh flowers from your garden.

A growing trend, is to add a vision board to your work area. This board can adopt any form you like, but should be a way of visually representing a dream of yours. It’s a great idea to set an overhead goal for your remote work, like using the commuting time you save to add an online qualification to your name or taking a trip with the travel money you save. Your dream can be represented by photos, other visuals or memos – as long as it reminds you of what it is you’re working towards.

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2. Five rituals of successful remote workers

They say a successful person is the result of successful habits and likewise, if you’re going to excel at working from home, there are a few rituals you need to set in place.

2.1 The best of both worlds

One of the biggest challenges facing homebound workers, is finding a balance between work and home-life. The only way to prevent the one encroaching on the other, is to show up 100% for each. Being fully focussed on tasks when in work-mode will mean you can also give your all when you’ve completed your work. Start by setting up your work hours and stick to them religiously. Next, you need to put clear boundaries in place for both spheres, like making rules to counter interruptions during work hours. You can take personal calls when your workday is done, for instance, and your live-in family members should learn that there are specific times set aside for engagement. Having young children at home could be a tricky situation that is best dealt with in the same way you would manage a team. Wouldn’t it be counterproductive if the team leader tried to continue with their own workload while the team members were sitting ducks who were unclear about their respective tasks? Planning projects for the young ones in advance (there are copious suggestions online) will help free up work time on your behalf. Don’t forget to attach goals and rewards for their projects to keep them motivated. Including them in tasks around the house or yard won’t just give them a sense of worth, but scores double points as it lessens your after-hours workload.

The same goes for social media. It’s astounding how much time it can gobble up and let’s face it, trying to focus on a project while your phone demands constant attention is nothing less than impossible. Yes, it is essential for your general wellbeing to keep in touch socially, but just like other non-work factors, should be kept in check. Use social media as a little goal instead: “If I finish this project, I can reward myself by having a coffee outside while I check my messages...” If work interaction means you can’t switch your mobile data off for a period of time, opt for muting the active social groups or alerts.

2.2 Recreating office-bound rituals

There are certain things we do as office-workers to help us ease into and out of work without even realising it. Simply driving to and from work, helps us separate our thoughts from home and make the transition towards paying full attention at work and vice versa. We need to find ways of replacing these transitions while working from home. Athletes won’t jump straight onto the track expecting to perform and neither do they end their exercise routines without warming down. Treat your brain like a muscle and ease it into its task. Different rituals will work best for different individuals, but think along these lines to identify the ones that suit your personality best: Cleaning and organising your desk before or after work, writing out your planning or goals for the day and reviewing it afterwards, listening to motivational clips and soothing music or light stretching and deep breathing. Some home-workers even report that physically leaving their house and re-entering as they would the office, help them to make the mental shift to work-mode.

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2.3 Looking the part

The most important of all preparatory rituals is getting dressed. Just because you’re not in the public eye doesn’t mean PJ’s can pass as sufficient work attire. Since the way we look affect the way we feel and how we act, we’re inclined to perform better if we look the part. The general rule is to dress the same way you would if you went to the office. Now, if you’re reading this and already shunning the idea in your mind, let me set this really small challenge for you: try dressing for success just three days in a row. Only three days. If you don’t feel its benefit, by all means, do it your way. But if a colleague requests a spur-of-the-moment video chat, don’t say you haven’t been warned.

The other major benefit of dressing up, is getting to dress down at the end of the day. Great for the transition to relaxation-mode and absolutely essential in getting your brain to acknowledge that you are now officially off duty. Imagine having to work non-stop for weeks on end. Taking no breaks, except for when you’re sleeping (that’s if you manage to sleep under all that stress). This scenario resembles how you’ll feel when you don’t teach your brain to switch off. Which bring us to the next ritual of successful home-workers.

2.4 Out of sight, out of mind

Visual reminders of our work seem harmless, but they act as triggers to whisk us back into work-mode. Follow the simple ritual of putting away work-related papers, folders, projects etc. And don’t forget to mute your emails after hours. There’s nothing that kills your calm like being reminded of a weighty work-issue just before you switch off the bedside light.

2.5 The ritual of resting

You don’t automatically turn into a robot when you start working remotely and your brain and body need periods of rest. A great opportunity that does arise at home, is to apply your breaks toward tackling other tasks around the house. Even just taking out the trash provides the ideal opportunity to stretch your legs, soak up some sunshine and breathe in fresh air. See how many items you can cross off in just one quick break? Combining activities, like having lunch outside in the sun while connecting with your family is great for maximising your efficiency at home, but don’t forget that your brain and body also need complete down-time – away from all activities and demands.

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3. Communication is King

How you communicate as a remote worker, can set you up to win or lose. Whether you function as part of a corporate team or operate on a stand-alone basis, communication with various role-players is key to your success. Independent workers should view their clients, suppliers and peers as part of their “team” and apply the strategies below accordingly.

There are plentiful tools available online to help bridge communication gaps and we recommend testing a few of them to see which ones suit your needs best. Make sure that you cater for different components of communication in your basket of tools. Mediums like email and instant messaging is great for sharing information quickly, but remember that video meetings via Zoom, Skype or even simply WhatsApp video calling will establish a personal connection and rule out little communication hurdles that can creep in when you’re just liaising through a text-based medium. Even just a simple phone call can help you detect nuances in a person’s voice that you would otherwise not have picked up in a message: “Susan sounds (or looks) frazzled today, perhaps she’s overwhelmed by the new project scope?” These little clues can help you overcome communication breakdowns, which can severely hinder remotely executed projects.

Task management platforms like monday.com and ClickUp can make a world of difference by ensuring that all team members are on the same page, but there is golden rule: Stick to one task management platform only. If you constantly have to jump between different platforms you’re inclined to do double work and tyre yourself out with less effect than a streamlined approach.

The importance of communication mediums is not just about getting the job done, but it also helps combat the feeling of isolation, which is a huge threat to our motivation and productivity. Regular and strategic communication helps us escape and overcome the isolation rut.

In an office environment interaction happens automatically, but in most remote-working scenarios, you have to make it happen intentionally.

3.1 Strictly social

Communication with co-workers shouldn’t always be work-related only. Social emails, messages or phone calls to colleagues are essential replacements for coffee-station chatter. While they could be viewed as interferes, they actually have the potential to enhance your work performance. Building strong working relationships is crucial for ensuring trust, respect, empathy, increased motivation and work satisfaction.

Set out specific time to do intentional social networking, like the first or last few minutes of the day as a means to warm your brain up and down for work- or home-mode. Linking up with colleagues on social media will help you foster better relations since it lets you understand what makes them tick and positions you as part of their circle.

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Schedule particular times during the week for video meetings – otherwise days and even weeks may go by without any personal connection and soon communication cracks may start sneaking in.

Modern technology has even paved the way for online social gatherings. Why don’t you experiment by having a Zoom coffee break together with co-workers once or twice a week? Perhaps even a Friday afternoon lunch or a braai. Merely starting a video meeting 10 minutes early with the specific intention to catch up on personal matters with colleagues will already make a difference.

You could even go as far as having competitions among your team, like baking or exercising challenges and shared kids’ activities. All these initiatives can double-up as great social media marketing for your company or business.

3.2 Working out loud

No need to haul out the power tools, working out loud isn’t a means of getting back at your neighbour for taking up trumpet-playing as their latest hobby. It’s simply a better way to work.

The concept is based on making your work visible to your colleagues by ensuring they are constantly aware of what tasks you are busy with.

Working out load is easy with task management platforms, but in its absence, make sure you send and receive regular status updates to ensure team members are all on the same page and that task duplication and oversight are ruled out. Working out load is also a great way to build a team’s internal trust, morale and sense of achievement.

4. Taking your progress to the next level

By now it should be clear how small changes to your working habits can have a massive impact on your productivity, energy levels and general wellbeing. In a setting as contained, new and finely connected as a work-from-home scenario, every bit of advice indeed helps, but it’s a series of strategic adjustments that can mean the difference between make or break! What’s more, there isn’t a single, clear-cut method or one-size-fits-all solution for successful remote working, since every individual will experience a set of unique circumstances and learning curves.

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Enrol on the eSTUDY Course:

Option 1:

Free training course, with courtesy of CrossKnowledge

Learning Channel: Working Remotely

Duration: 1 hour

Click on Link to enrol: https://estudysa.co.za/estudy-courses/

Option 2:

Course Name: Working Remotely

Duration: 5 to 6 hrs

Pricing: R850.00 per person per course, group/volume discounts available

Contact us: trainme@estudysa.co.za

This online training course is packed with useful learning tools to help you navigate through the challenges of remote working.

The Working Remotely course is an interactive combination of tools that engages the learner on a personal level; simultaneously providing expert input, real-life case studies, video casts and slides while assessing individual performance as you progress.

Show your colleagues how committed you are as a remote worker by adding this course to your credentials. While you’re at it, make sure your whole team joins the initiative, so you’re ready to tackle remote working as a well-oiled unit, as a team.

eStudy contact detail:

Website: www.estudysa.co.za Email: trainme@estudysa.co.za

Office: 012 997 0037

Terms & Conditions:

Pricing valid for 60 days from date of publication, Excl VAT

Certificate of Completion: Request for a certificate - additional cost payable directly to the accredited institution, estimated R350