Working away from the office sounds like a dream as it offers a lot of flexibility and perks. Along with the perks also comes with a new set of challenges. Working remotely requires focus and strategy. Here are 5 success tips for working remote.
Make extra effort to connect
Working remotely means you won’t get the benefit of bumping into a colleague to catch up on a project or even have face time with colleagues. So, it’s imperative you reach out and connect with your team and colleagues on a regular basis. This could mean a Skype meeting every Monday or every other week. Staying connected with others in the office also helps you feel that you are part of a team and less isolated. Making an extra effort to stay connected also ensures you get support when you need it.
Stick with a schedule
Be disciplined about keeping to a work schedule. Working remotely means you get to decide on when you work but it also means you need to be diligent about keeping up with the workload and be good about meeting deadlines. It’s too easy to get distracted when you work away from the office and have no colleagues to help keep you motivated.
Get organized
When you have the freedom to work anywhere, it’s tempting to ignore about the organization of your work area. You should have a designated workstation that will allow you to work uninterrupted. Also, get your stationary and filling in order so you are organized and won’t lose time rummaging for a meeting note scribbled on a notepad buried underneath your research papers. You need to appear credible and on top of your work especially when you are given the freedom to work out of the office.
Focus on managing energy instead of time
Make the best use of your time flexibility perk by knowing your energy level throughout the day. When you identify your most productive time of the day or power hour, then you can leverage on that knowledge to increase your productivity. Tackle the most complicated task during your power hour, and you will see your productivity soar.
Work-life balance
Many have the misconception those that work remotely or from home have an easy life and work shorter hours. You may be surprised to find that those who work from home might end up working longer hours than the people at the office. Those who work in an office will clock out officially and call it a day by 5:00 or 6:00 p.m. Those who work from home never leave their ‘office.’ It may be tempting to work through the night, but this practice can be detrimental to your well being in the long run.
So, aside from exceptional cases such as urgent deadlines try to stick to your clock out time. Schedule in time to workout, meet friends, and spend time with family when it’s time to clock out. Leave the work for tomorrow and refuse the temptation to work through the night.
