Many people find themselves working from home at the moment as workplaces play their part in helping to slow the spread of the Coronavirus. For those of us who are working from home for the first time, or returning to remote working after some time in the office, we use this episode of Design Life to chat about the benefits of working from home and how we stay productive in our new environment. We also share the struggles we face as we miss our colleagues and how we use technology to stay connected.
Working from home right now gives you the opportunity to try out working remotely without changing jobs. Remote work may become more popular as managers and employees in a variety of industries see firsthand that working remotely can be a success.
Your first week working from home is all about adjusting. Try not to have the same expectations around communication and collaboration as you would have if you were working in the office. Start your day by letting others know in the office chat that you are online. Create channels where office small talk can happen. Try video calls at lunch or break times.
Try to set up a workstation in your home. Carve out a workspace, be intentional about where it is.
A dedicated work space will help get you in the right frame of mind and will also act as somewhere you can leave when your work day is over. Set up a cue to go into work mode, put on the same pair of shoes or listen to the same playlist that you only listen to when your work day begins.
It is very easy to fill every waking hour with thoughts of work, try not to do that. You should not be working more at home than you would be at the office. As you can spend more time doing focused work at home, perhaps without interruption, you might find that your work takes less time than usual.
05.28 – Working remote, then vs. now
08.40 – Setting up your workstation
14.12 – Generating trust within your team
22.54 – Being more productive at home
26.07 – Collaboration & communication
32.10 – Remote brainstorming
