Change is the only constant!! Yes, for the last few years that is the biggest truth of our life. Everything around us is changing unpredictably; including our relationships, lifestyle and with the emergence of work from home, corporate life as well.
Read More – Work From Home: The New Normal
A boon and a bane
The virtual mode of working has its own advantages and disadvantages.
I remember, how dress code played an important role in the offices. There were dress codes for different occasions, festivals or gatherings.
With virtual setups the dress code or color is no more an important area of concern.
HRs don’t need to look after whether you are wearing a pair of sneakers or boots or floaters. You may stay barefoot, because that’s what you like. However you still need to be presentable at work.
Another thing which mattered in previous days was how long you stayed at your desk or inside the office premises. Completing the mandatory in-office hours is no more a need. Today how long you sit at your chair is not a right measure of your productivity, what outcome you bring that for sure is.
At the same time you need to put extra effort to collaborate with your peers and teams. If you are one of the Leaders, then understanding various needs of the team becomes tricky.
Another common problem which everyone goes through is, mixing work and home and ending up with work-from-home-burnout.
Work from Home like a Pro
You are working from home doesn’t mean that you keep crossing the lines between work and home. They are essential for a healthy work life balance. There are some expectations and boundaries you need to set for yourself, let’s take a look –
Be on time
Time waits for no-one, then why to keep anyone waiting?
The biggest drawback of work from home mode is not realising what time it is. It would be a good habit to login on time, take breaks on time and as well as log off on time.
Keep Work and Home Separate
Complete your daily house chores before you start your day at work, and when you log off, try not to connect again to your workstation. Just like you did when you were going to the office.
Have a clearly defined routine for work and for home. Mixing both can lead you to complex unwanted situations at both the fronts.
Block calendars cautiously
Today remote workers are expected to not just work but also coordinate with workmates on a regular basis for quality work. Which certainly adds a huge load on our daily calendars. If your meeting can be a chat or email, do that. Don’t overload calendars if not required.
No work from bed
Do you have a habit of working from you bed? Trust me we sound horrible while we are on call and laying on our bed. Now, everyone can understand quickly that you are being a lazy hedgehog.
Technical Hygiene
Follow some simple steps to make it delightful to work with you.
- No pets while you work
- Keep mic muted when not speaking
- Wait for other to finish before you speak
- Do not check mobile or multitask while on the call.
- Be attentive to your call, it helps you to avoid “Shweta Your mic is on” situations.
- Try to be on video during calls to build trust.
Take Essential Breaks
I kept on jumping from one meeting to another or one task to another, in my initial work from home days. That was an exhausting experience. Slowly I learned the importance of small breaks. That helps me to refresh my brain and be ready for next thing lined up. Also, my colleagues find it useful too.
That’s enough, isn’t it?
By now, most of us have figured out what works and what doesn’t when we work from home. However I have just listed out some of my observations for everyone’s reference. Please feel free to write us back with your ideas. We love to hear from you.
