Remote work boosts productivity by 14%, compared to working in the office. Of course, staying productive doesn't happen magically.
Depending on your company policies, perhaps you're independently accountable. Or, maybe you supervise a team and have noticed a dip in performance.
Read this guide for some helpful remote work tips to boost productivity for your telecommuting team.
Routine Is King
Do you have a personal routine before beginning your workday? If not, you're likely not setting yourself up for success. Your morning routine is the thing that gets you going for the day, hopefully, excited to start each day anew.
- You can introduce all sorts of habits into your morning routine. You can increase your fitness, take some time to reflect on the day ahead, or get a little creative. For example, you could:
- List out your tasks, goals, dreams
- Outline your day
- Make your bed
- Write or recite affirmations
- Exercise (however you want)
- Fuel yourself with breakfast
- Drink some cold water
- These are just a few ways to get yourself going. If you already have a morning routine in place, encourage your employees or teammates to try some on their own. You could even plan to pair up for some morning routines (e.g., virtual yoga, "cooking" together).
Dress for Success
The science speaks for itself on this one. Remote work from home jobs relies on mindset. How you dress directly affects how you approach work.
Imagine rolling out of bed and not even getting ready for the day. Then, imagine climbing into your car and commuting to work. Of course, you couldn't get away with this for an office job, so why would you do this for remote work?
These remote work tips offer necessary information like dressing for success, because details matter. If you overlook how you dress, you likely overlook details in your work. This doesn't mean dressing like you're attending a corporate board meeting, but a little bit of effort certainly goes a long way.
Carve Out Your Space
Where you work in your home matters, too. Do you have a dedicated workspace? Or, do you work on your couch?
The spaces you use for certain activities are built around habits. For example, your bedroom isn't where you work out. Your bedroom is likely a space of rest, relaxation, and/or entertainment.
When you work in an amorphous blob of space, you set yourself up for distractions. Even if you live in a small apartment (with kids or pets or both), you can still create a space for your work.
If you do have a remote work from home job, hopefully, you planned a space ahead of time. If not, you can still change just a few things to carve out a workspace for maximal productivity. Consider the following tips:
- Use a space with privacy
- Keep purpose of a space dedicated to work
- Make it comfortable
- Back and neck support are crucial
- Keep it convertible if needed
- Consider ups and downs of space
- Maintain an organized space
- These tips can help you customize just about any space in your home, no matter how big or small.
4. Block Your Time
Just like a morning routine, your work needs routine, too. You can block your time out for maximum productivity. Research shows 90-minute intervals help keep you on-task without draining you too much.
Set specific tasks at different times of the day. If you have any staff meetings and you're introverted, give yourself time to breathe between functions. If your remote work is creative, give yourself different projects to work on to avoid overwhelming your brain.
5. Performance Check
How do you measure success? If you assess performance by tasks accomplished, think again. Remote work at home jobs benefits from a results-driven performance.
If you hold yourself accountable, using tasks as performance indicators can dull your sense of accomplishment. Many tasks have subtasks that produce trackable results. Use these results to mark progress for yourself for a team (if you supervise one).
6. Update Your Tech
Remote work requires using technology. The last thing you want when managing remote teams is a lag in communication or work. Don't be afraid to use the latest project management or IT support software.
You want technology to streamline your work processes, not stagnate it. Explore whatever resources best accommodate your small business. There are tons of options available to upgrade your productivity.
7. Talk to the Team
Whether you supervise or work on a team, you need to communicate. These remote tips promote overcommunication as the most critical dimension of telecommuting. A team that talks to one another is a supportive, productive team.
Keep your meetings brief and impactful. Make sure to include time for socializing, too. When you communicate in structured and unstructured ways with your team, you learn important details about one another that inform how you interact.
Set New Standards
If your company recently transitioned to remote work from home jobs, you need to set new standards. Whether it's daily check-ins or new performance standards, explore your options.
Setting new standards and workplace policies can boost productivity. It gives employees a sense of flexibility and support.
Prioritize Wellbeing
One detail many workplaces, virtual and physical, overlook is wellbeing. Working remotely can take an even heavier toll on psychological and physical wellbeing.
When you and your team log off for the day, make sure your workday ends. Set definite boundaries for work-life balance. Encourage end of day routines that help wind down from even the most stressful days.
Remote Work Tips for Your Virtual Team
Now you have these remote work tips for productive teamwork; you might need to explore other productivity solutions. One of the biggest challenges for virtual workspaces is managing your team. The other biggest challenge tends to be technological.
At ADVANTEX, we take the struggle of technology services off of your shoulders. You manage your team and company initiatives. We'll address your IT support service needs.
Contact us today and request a free consultation. We can't wait to start serving solutions for your small business needs.
