Remote Working, as the term suggests, means to work remotely- “When individuals and teams are not required to show up at a specific physical location on a regular basis to work and they can work from anywhere they want to”.
Remote working might be favorable when it comes to a few employees but shifting the whole business to remote, now that is something most companies try to avoid unless it is mandatory and it’s mostly preferred only in times of crisis. Though this mode of working is quite difficult in some areas of professional activity, it is a high time due to COVID-19 crisis that requires us to adopt it.
This blog is all about what challenges one might face during working from home and a few tips to maintain productivity-
Common Challenges While Working Remotely
While working from home can be a relief, it can be quite challenging as well. Employees often struggle to adjust to this new working mode and face several difficulties, such as-
- Maintaining focus & engagement
- Dealing with distractions
- Keeping up morale
- Too much work to handle
A survey found the most common challenges employees face during working remotely-
However, these challenges can be vanquished by following a performance management strategy. Perhaps, you should refer to the Effective Remote Working Tips described in the subsequent paragraph-
Performance Management in Remote Working
A major advantage of working from home is that the time tracking tool would speak about your hard work and dedication in a way, which is not possible in your day-to-day routine.
It’s been said that remote work diminishes the productivity and efficiency of the workers. It might be true in some cases, but on a whole, it’s more like a miscalculation. Yes, there are some disadvantages of remote working but this perception varies from person to person.
Here’re a few tips about ‘How to Stay Productive During Remote Working’-
#Figure Out a Schedule That Works for You
Figure out a routine that is convenient for you and stick to it. Fix a timing for everything from working hours to tea and lunch breaks. Taking breaks at regular intervals is important to release work anxiety and boredom.
In my case, I prefer to work half time in the morning and remaining in the evening, taking a proper break in the day-time. It helps me lift my spirits. Working continuously for 8 to 9 hours?? That doesn’t really work for me.
Maybe you like to work at night, that’s fine. Go for it! But while you’re working, try to put your hundred percent effort and concentration into it.
#Find A Dedicated Workspace
Working remotely comes with several privileges such as working whenever, wherever and however one wants to. But it isn’t, at all, necessary to take it literally.
Working at the couch, bed, dining table, etc. seems fine but for a short while. Whereas, for long-term remote working, it becomes important to seek out a place that is invested for working only, where our mind feels ready and active to work, and the place makes you feel like a virtual version of office.
Having a dedicated workspace can act as a catalyst for your work. Find out a space at your home, maybe a spare room or a pair of table and chair in a corner, and create yourself a home-office where you can dedicate yourself to work.
#Set Clear Goals & Timelines
Plan your tasks a day before and try to finish them in the given timelines only. Challenge yourself to complete that loads of work in a short span of time. It will keep you focused on the work. Before switching on the laptop, you should better have tasks in your mind because an aimless mind leads nowhere.
Keep yourself busy. Recently, I came to know about this bizarre fact that “If you want something done, ask a busy person”. So contradicting, but true. You’d have experienced yourself that busier you are, more productive you are. Whatever comes to your desk, you just want to finish it fast. It’s like Newton’s Law of Inertia- Things in motion, want to stay in motion. Things at rest, want to stay at rest.
#Working Outside Home Can Do Wonders
Yes, that’s true. Just because you’re working from home, you don’t need to work only from home. Going out for a while in quiet evenings with your laptop to a nearby cafe shop or other similar places to work can enhance your mood greatly and keep your morale high. (Not in these COVID-19 times, of course!!)
However, in this lockdown period, working in the garden or in the balcony would be a good option too. Well, there is just this one place you should avoid- the bed. It’s fine if you’re sick but one should avoid using the bed as a workspace as the results come out are least productive.
General Report About Remote Working Worldwide
Remote working is comparatively more common amongst youngster staff than others and the case is same across the continents.
Iwo Szapar, CEO of Remote-How says that – Employees in their 20s and mid-30s value meaningful experiences more than possessions, and they want to be able to pay attention to all the important aspects of their lives.
A survey report of 2019 found that-
- 61% of companies, globally, have some sort of remote working (Work from home) policy in their manual.
- The percentage of remote working has been increased by 140% since 2005.
- 80% employees of Japan are desirous to work from home.
- 4.3 million people in USA work remotely almost half the time.
- 85% of 15000 global businesses confirm that location flexibility has increased the productivity of their employees.
Conclusion:
As almost the whole world is under lockdown, the businesses are coerced to operate from home in order to lower the corona outbreak. Following the lockdown, all of the Habilelabs members are working from home to safeguard themselves from the very unfortunate COVID-19 outbreak and contribute their bit in the lockdown period.
Well, I hope you would find this blog interesting.
Thanks for Reading!!