The Rulebook for Working Well Remotely

The Rulebook for Working Well Remotely

The Rulebook for Working Well Remotely

It’s estimated that more than 40% of the world’s working population will be working remotely by 2022, and in highly developed countries, that percentage may be closer to 75%. Despite its increasing prevalence, remote work has its disadvantages. Without the usual structure of your day that comes with working in an office – a morning commute or a coffee break with a colleague – it can be challenging to get into the remote work frame-of-mind.  If you’ve been working remotely for years or you’re new to remote work, we can all use a reminder on how to make the most of our workdays. See this tip-sheet for a recap of the seven rules for working remotely.

Designate a work zone
First and foremost, make sure you can access your work remotely and securely. Check that you have access to your email and all the communication channels your organization uses, as well as access to shared servers, databases, video conferencing technology and any other relevant platforms that you typically use. Also, consider a backup plan in case your home internet is unreliable or fails, such as connecting through an Ethernet cable or your mobile phone hotspot. 

Think about where you choose to work. You may want to designate areas as work-free zones so that you can step away from work. This work-free zone could be your bedroom or it could be a specific sitting area like a chair or patio where you don’t have line of sight to your work or laptop. Or set up a schedule where you and the members of your household can rotate times when you’re in a work-free zone. 

Ideally, work at a table or a desk where you can sit upright with both feet on the ground and good posture to replicate your in-office experience as much as possible. Keep whatever you usually have at your desk nearby, such as a water bottle or coffee cup, a notepad and pen, plant, or a photo of your family, so that you feel like you’re “at work.” 

Maintain your routine
Having a well-structured workday is key, whether you’re in the office or you’re working from home. However, it may be more challenging to work from home because your home-life and work-life are in the same physical space, this indistinction makes it even more important to maintain a routine. 
Start with your morning routine and act as though you were going to the office. Shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, walk your dog – whatever you usually do in the morning. Maintain a regular wake-up time each day so that you stay in your routine and get optimal rest.

In the same way, stop work at the end of the day. When you don’t have to leave the office to catch your train, pick up your kids or let the dog out, it can be easy to overwork without a specific   stopping time. Establish a specific time to finish your day, close down your computer and do something else – whether that’s going for a run, playing with your children, preparing dinner or something else. 

Set boundaries, but be flexible
Set boundaries with the people you live with, whether that’s your roommate or your family – just because you are now home, doesn’t mean you are available all the time. If possible, work in a room with a door you can shut to prevent distractions. If you have to care for children or take care of other out-of-the-ordinary household duties while at home, be flexible. Talk with your manager about what’s feasible during this time and what adjustments may need to be made. Propose flexible hours, which would allow you to work around your children’s schedules and household duties.

Another key step when setting boundaries is to communicate well. Stay connected and communicate often with co-workers, as if you were in the office. Keep your work appointments and calendar up-to-date and allow others access to your availability. Have regular updates with your team. Take advantage of all the forms of communication available – from emails, to instant messaging, project management apps, audio and videoconferencing.

Take breaks
Step away from your workspace for lunch and short breaks throughout the day. Workday breaks are vital to your productivity and creativity – even 5 or 10 minutes occasionally can be beneficial. Also, working from home can get lonely, so make some of those breaks social ones. Schedule a virtual coffee break, or simply send a funny meme or photo to a colleague or a friend – just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on catching up and connecting with co-workers and friends. 

The Rulebook for Working Well Remotely

It’s estimated that more than 40% of the world’s working population will be working remotely by 2022, and in highly developed countries, that percentage may be closer to 75%. Despite its increasing prevalence, remote work has its disadvantages. Without the usual structure of your day that comes with working in an office – a morning commute or a coffee break with a colleague – it can be challenging to get into the remote work frame-of-mind.  If you’ve been working remotely for years or you’re new to remote work, we can all use a reminder on how to make the most of our workdays. See this tip-sheet for a recap of the seven rules for working remotely.

Designate a work zone
First and foremost, make sure you can access your work remotely and securely. Check that you have access to your email and all the communication channels your organization uses, as well as access to shared servers, databases, video conferencing technology and any other relevant platforms that you typically use. Also, consider a backup plan in case your home internet is unreliable or fails, such as connecting through an Ethernet cable or your mobile phone hotspot. 

Think about where you choose to work. You may want to designate areas as work-free zones so that you can step away from work. This work-free zone could be your bedroom or it could be a specific sitting area like a chair or patio where you don’t have line of sight to your work or laptop. Or set up a schedule where you and the members of your household can rotate times when you’re in a work-free zone. 

Ideally, work at a table or a desk where you can sit upright with both feet on the ground and good posture to replicate your in-office experience as much as possible. Keep whatever you usually have at your desk nearby, such as a water bottle or coffee cup, a notepad and pen, plant, or a photo of your family, so that you feel like you’re “at work.” 

Maintain your routine
Having a well-structured workday is key, whether you’re in the office or you’re working from home. However, it may be more challenging to work from home because your home-life and work-life are in the same physical space, this indistinction makes it even more important to maintain a routine. 
Start with your morning routine and act as though you were going to the office. Shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, walk your dog – whatever you usually do in the morning. Maintain a regular wake-up time each day so that you stay in your routine and get optimal rest.

In the same way, stop work at the end of the day. When you don’t have to leave the office to catch your train, pick up your kids or let the dog out, it can be easy to overwork without a specific   stopping time. Establish a specific time to finish your day, close down your computer and do something else – whether that’s going for a run, playing with your children, preparing dinner or something else. 

Set boundaries, but be flexible
Set boundaries with the people you live with, whether that’s your roommate or your family – just because you are now home, doesn’t mean you are available all the time. If possible, work in a room with a door you can shut to prevent distractions. If you have to care for children or take care of other out-of-the-ordinary household duties while at home, be flexible. Talk with your manager about what’s feasible during this time and what adjustments may need to be made. Propose flexible hours, which would allow you to work around your children’s schedules and household duties.

Another key step when setting boundaries is to communicate well. Stay connected and communicate often with co-workers, as if you were in the office. Keep your work appointments and calendar up-to-date and allow others access to your availability. Have regular updates with your team. Take advantage of all the forms of communication available – from emails, to instant messaging, project management apps, audio and videoconferencing.

Take breaks
Step away from your workspace for lunch and short breaks throughout the day. Workday breaks are vital to your productivity and creativity – even 5 or 10 minutes occasionally can be beneficial. Also, working from home can get lonely, so make some of those breaks social ones. Schedule a virtual coffee break, or simply send a funny meme or photo to a colleague or a friend – just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on catching up and connecting with co-workers and friends. 

The Rulebook for Working Well Remotely

The Rulebook for Working Well Remotely

The Rulebook for Working Well Remotely

It’s estimated that more than 40% of the world’s working population will be working remotely by 2022, and in highly developed countries, that percentage may be closer to 75%. Despite its increasing prevalence, remote work has its disadvantages. Without the usual structure of your day that comes with working in an office – a morning commute or a coffee break with a colleague – it can be challenging to get into the remote work frame-of-mind.  If you’ve been working remotely for years or you’re new to remote work, we can all use a reminder on how to make the most of our workdays. See this tip-sheet for a recap of the seven rules for working remotely.

Designate a work zone
First and foremost, make sure you can access your work remotely and securely. Check that you have access to your email and all the communication channels your organization uses, as well as access to shared servers, databases, video conferencing technology and any other relevant platforms that you typically use. Also, consider a backup plan in case your home internet is unreliable or fails, such as connecting through an Ethernet cable or your mobile phone hotspot. 

Think about where you choose to work. You may want to designate areas as work-free zones so that you can step away from work. This work-free zone could be your bedroom or it could be a specific sitting area like a chair or patio where you don’t have line of sight to your work or laptop. Or set up a schedule where you and the members of your household can rotate times when you’re in a work-free zone. 

Ideally, work at a table or a desk where you can sit upright with both feet on the ground and good posture to replicate your in-office experience as much as possible. Keep whatever you usually have at your desk nearby, such as a water bottle or coffee cup, a notepad and pen, plant, or a photo of your family, so that you feel like you’re “at work.” 

Maintain your routine
Having a well-structured workday is key, whether you’re in the office or you’re working from home. However, it may be more challenging to work from home because your home-life and work-life are in the same physical space, this indistinction makes it even more important to maintain a routine. 
Start with your morning routine and act as though you were going to the office. Shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, walk your dog – whatever you usually do in the morning. Maintain a regular wake-up time each day so that you stay in your routine and get optimal rest.

In the same way, stop work at the end of the day. When you don’t have to leave the office to catch your train, pick up your kids or let the dog out, it can be easy to overwork without a specific   stopping time. Establish a specific time to finish your day, close down your computer and do something else – whether that’s going for a run, playing with your children, preparing dinner or something else. 

Set boundaries, but be flexible
Set boundaries with the people you live with, whether that’s your roommate or your family – just because you are now home, doesn’t mean you are available all the time. If possible, work in a room with a door you can shut to prevent distractions. If you have to care for children or take care of other out-of-the-ordinary household duties while at home, be flexible. Talk with your manager about what’s feasible during this time and what adjustments may need to be made. Propose flexible hours, which would allow you to work around your children’s schedules and household duties.

Another key step when setting boundaries is to communicate well. Stay connected and communicate often with co-workers, as if you were in the office. Keep your work appointments and calendar up-to-date and allow others access to your availability. Have regular updates with your team. Take advantage of all the forms of communication available – from emails, to instant messaging, project management apps, audio and videoconferencing.

Take breaks
Step away from your workspace for lunch and short breaks throughout the day. Workday breaks are vital to your productivity and creativity – even 5 or 10 minutes occasionally can be beneficial. Also, working from home can get lonely, so make some of those breaks social ones. Schedule a virtual coffee break, or simply send a funny meme or photo to a colleague or a friend – just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on catching up and connecting with co-workers and friends. 

The Rulebook for Working Well Remotely

It’s estimated that more than 40% of the world’s working population will be working remotely by 2022, and in highly developed countries, that percentage may be closer to 75%. Despite its increasing prevalence, remote work has its disadvantages. Without the usual structure of your day that comes with working in an office – a morning commute or a coffee break with a colleague – it can be challenging to get into the remote work frame-of-mind.  If you’ve been working remotely for years or you’re new to remote work, we can all use a reminder on how to make the most of our workdays. See this tip-sheet for a recap of the seven rules for working remotely.

Designate a work zone
First and foremost, make sure you can access your work remotely and securely. Check that you have access to your email and all the communication channels your organization uses, as well as access to shared servers, databases, video conferencing technology and any other relevant platforms that you typically use. Also, consider a backup plan in case your home internet is unreliable or fails, such as connecting through an Ethernet cable or your mobile phone hotspot. 

Think about where you choose to work. You may want to designate areas as work-free zones so that you can step away from work. This work-free zone could be your bedroom or it could be a specific sitting area like a chair or patio where you don’t have line of sight to your work or laptop. Or set up a schedule where you and the members of your household can rotate times when you’re in a work-free zone. 

Ideally, work at a table or a desk where you can sit upright with both feet on the ground and good posture to replicate your in-office experience as much as possible. Keep whatever you usually have at your desk nearby, such as a water bottle or coffee cup, a notepad and pen, plant, or a photo of your family, so that you feel like you’re “at work.” 

Maintain your routine
Having a well-structured workday is key, whether you’re in the office or you’re working from home. However, it may be more challenging to work from home because your home-life and work-life are in the same physical space, this indistinction makes it even more important to maintain a routine. 
Start with your morning routine and act as though you were going to the office. Shower, get dressed, eat breakfast, walk your dog – whatever you usually do in the morning. Maintain a regular wake-up time each day so that you stay in your routine and get optimal rest.

In the same way, stop work at the end of the day. When you don’t have to leave the office to catch your train, pick up your kids or let the dog out, it can be easy to overwork without a specific   stopping time. Establish a specific time to finish your day, close down your computer and do something else – whether that’s going for a run, playing with your children, preparing dinner or something else. 

Set boundaries, but be flexible
Set boundaries with the people you live with, whether that’s your roommate or your family – just because you are now home, doesn’t mean you are available all the time. If possible, work in a room with a door you can shut to prevent distractions. If you have to care for children or take care of other out-of-the-ordinary household duties while at home, be flexible. Talk with your manager about what’s feasible during this time and what adjustments may need to be made. Propose flexible hours, which would allow you to work around your children’s schedules and household duties.

Another key step when setting boundaries is to communicate well. Stay connected and communicate often with co-workers, as if you were in the office. Keep your work appointments and calendar up-to-date and allow others access to your availability. Have regular updates with your team. Take advantage of all the forms of communication available – from emails, to instant messaging, project management apps, audio and videoconferencing.

Take breaks
Step away from your workspace for lunch and short breaks throughout the day. Workday breaks are vital to your productivity and creativity – even 5 or 10 minutes occasionally can be beneficial. Also, working from home can get lonely, so make some of those breaks social ones. Schedule a virtual coffee break, or simply send a funny meme or photo to a colleague or a friend – just because you’re at home doesn’t mean you have to miss out on catching up and connecting with co-workers and friends.