Now that work from home (WFH) has become mandatory for anyone with a smart boss or half a brain, The Cranky Creative offers some no-B.S. tips to help you stay productive—and keep the trust of your employer and colleagues.
Let’s start with the trust tips first. Because let’s face it, most employers aren’t crazy about the idea of work from home under normal circumstances.
The coronavirus pandemic is hardly normal circumstances.
Still, if you want your employer to trust you while working from home, you need to step up your game.
Tips to build trust while working at home
- Answer emails as quickly as you can. Turn up that email notification sound real loud so you’ll never miss a message. People need to know you’re not screwing around.
- Keep your phone near you at all times. Turn up the ring tone volume all the way.
- Check your email as soon as you wake in the morning. Reply to any messages you received overnight. Do this even before you are ready to sit down and work. You’ll be the first person people hear from and it won’t go unnoticed.
- Call or email your boss and co-workers. You want to be “seen” several times during the day so people know that you are working.
- If you have a conference call, BE THERE ON TIME. Nothing will kill your credibility faster as a work-from-home employee than being late, or worse, not there at all.
- Save some low-priority fluff emails to send at the end of the workday. Take the opportunity to get your name in people’s inboxes one last time so everyone knows you worked until the end of your shift.
OK. Now that you’ve covered your ass, let’s talk tips for staying productive as you work from home.
1. Get your technology in order
Round up all of the tools you need to work remotely: your laptop (and power cable!), mouse, printer/scanner, maybe a keyboard or second monitor—everything you need to do your job.
Coordinate with your teams to decide how you’ll all stay in touch. Popular apps include Skype, Slack, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, and GoToMeeting. Distribute a phone list to make phone calls easy.
2. Set up a work space
Find a comfortable place that you can use for work and work only. A room with a door helps to minimize distractions.
3. Set regular hours
Are you a full-time employee who normally works on site? Stick to your regular hours. Freelancers have more flexibility to start and stop when they like, but it’s important for everyone to keep a healthy work/life balance.
If it helps, get ready for work every morning just as you would normally. Shower, get dressed, do your hair — whatever you need to get into your professional mindset.
4. Set boundaries with family
Lay down ground rules with the people who share your home. You need spouses, children, and friends to respect your space when you are “at” work.
Bad things like this can happen if you don’t:
5. Overcommunicate
When working from home, you need to stay visible. Make sure everyone knows your schedule and availability. Tell people when you finish an important task. Stay in touch with your manager so you both are clear about your priorities.
Work with your teams to decide how everyone will talk and track projects. Would it be helpful to use an instant-messaging program such as Slack, or a project-management program such as Basecamp or Asana? Will you have standing meetings every morning to get coordinated?
6. Use the cloud
Upload important files to cloud storage such as Google Drive or Dropbox so they are available to everyone. Check sharing permissions so collaborators can view, comment, or edit as needed.
7. Log out of social media
Twitter, Facebook, Instagram . . . they’re all time sucks. Stay off them. Log out so you’re forced to sign in again whenever you feel tempted to check your feeds.
8. Take breaks
Studies have shown that people need work breaks. No, eating at your desk or browsing the web on your phone doesn’t count. Your brain needs you to get up and truly break away from work to get the rest it needs.
A lunch of 30 minutes to an hour plus two 15-minute breaks is reasonable. So go ahead and take that nap. Play with your pets. Get outside for a walk. Working from home has its perks — be sure to use them.
9. Socialize with colleagues
Working from home can feel lonely. Stay in touch with your work friends with chat software. My wife and her friends schedule virtual “happy hours” where they video chat and drink on Fridays after work.
10. Take care of yourself
Working from home can really blur the line between work and life. Don’t let it take you away from taking care of your personal needs.
Eat a healthy breakfast and lunch. Exercise. Make appointments with your doctor and dentist.
Brush your teeth. Shower and don’t stay in your pajamas all day.
Your family will thank you.
Find the work-from-home routine that works for you
Working from home can be challenging if you’re not used to it. Don’t worry. Just do your best. Before you know it, you’ll be working from home like a pro.
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Very smart and concise. I wish I had read this when this whole thing started.
Thanks, I’m glad you found this valuable.
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Thanks for reading.