5 tips for working from home

With more of us working from home than ever before, it is important to know how to best use our time. A significant number of remote workers have found that they are more productive working from home, meaning that this can be an opportunity for both workers and organisations alike — if done right.

When my company switched to being fully remote during the COVID-19 pandemic, there was definitely a period of trial and error, but in general, we have found that the following steps worked best for everyone.

1) Keep regular hours

Part of the benefit of working from home is that employees can do a better job of keeping their own hours. That said, everyone should try to remain on roughly the same schedule — and strive to always be reachable during that time, according to Lifehack. For instance, if an employee begins working at 10 a.m. one day, then 8:30, then 9:45, that creates a lot of confusion among co-workers, and motivation can suffer.

Working from home takes a new approach to be successful.

2) Don’t mix work and personal time

If your employees were in the office, they likely wouldn’t start watching a movie or playing with their kids in the middle of the day. When working remotely, they shouldn’t do that just because they can. Just like multitasking, if you’re splitting your focus, you’re not going to give either one the attention it deserves.

3) Create your own private office space

Anyone who has worked from home can tell you that moving around the house with a laptop throughout the day isn’t always as productive or relaxing as it seems. The Center for Creative Leadership noted that it’s better to set up a dedicated work-from-home space where you can be in “job mode” when you’re there, and focus more on your personal life when you’re not at your desk.

4) Keep distraction to a minimum

When no co-workers or managers are around to look over your shoulder every once in a while, it can be tempting to check social media, play games on your phone or otherwise take your attention off your work. It’s not a good use of anyone’s time, so it’s better if you can just pay attention to the task at hand. This will be critical to effective time management.

5) Talk to your manager and team members about expectations

Finally, it’s always a good idea to try to stay on the same page with everyone you work with on a daily basis, HubSpot explained. Be clear about what you need from them, and expect everyone else to express those same needs to you. That way, there’s no ambiguity and no work someone else is relying on slips through the cracks. Communication will be key.

For further help in boosting productivity among your team as they continue to work from home for the foreseeable future — or even on a permanent basis — get in touch with the training experts at ICML. We offer a course specifically focused on Working Productively from Home that can be tailored to your organisation’s unique needs. Contact ICML today to learn more.