There's a lot of people who unexpectedly began from home over the past 2 years.
However, if this is new to you, here are a few tips I've picked up along the way to help:
Don't let the relaxed feeling of being at home compromise your professionalism. Wake up, dress up and be at your desk as if you are still going in to the office
Keep your workspace safe. We often don't have the luxury of having a Workplace Health & Safety rep checking things out and making sure we can work ergonomically, but there's a tonne of online resources to help you out. If you are planning on working from home for a while, it may be worthwhile investing in a comfortable and practical office chair, desk, foot rest, etc.
Keep your workspace clean. The office cleaners may not be visiting your home after hours, but you can make sure you pack-up at the end of the day, file any paperwork and remove any clutter throughout the day
Remove distractions. There's so many at home. Unplug the TV, put away what you can but be aware that not all distractions be placed in a filing cabinet (kids, partners, pets...). Try to create a dedicated space for work during work times, even it means setting up and packing up the dinner table every day and night
Maintain a routine. If you would normally have a coffee break at 10.30am, keep doing it. If you would usually check on a team member half way through the day, keep doing it. The less you break away from routine, the easier it will be to get back into the swing of things when you return to the office. It's also important for your mindset and will help with productivity
Video conferences (VCs) can be challenging and make many people feel uncomfortable. If team members do not need to be seen, make sure they know how to turn their cameras off. Try to establish some house rules before you start VCs and communicate these with enough time for people to prepare. These rules may including muting microphones unless speaking, having a neat backdrop and facing the light. Also, whether it's a VC or phone conference, make sure someone is in control. Instead of opening the floor for questions, go around the 'room' and invite people to contribute. This prevents people from talking over each other or being a silent 'passenger'
Test the tech. Working remotely may be new to you and possibly foreign to your team. Jump on the phone and test the tech with them. Set them up for success so they're not floundering on the first day. If you have an IT department, share their number with team members
Stay connected. I like to maintain calendar activities as if we are in the office. Keep your regular meetings, performance reviews, birthday celebrations, etc.
Stay engaged. You or your team may not have extensive social networks, and work is sometimes the only opportunity to meet other people. This may mean engaging more often, ask the same questions about what happened on the weekend or how the kids are going. There may not be a physical water-cooler, but conversation can still take place
Most importantly, stay positive. Everyone deals with challenges in their own individual way. Make sure you and your team use any Employee Assistance Programs the company has access to. Avoid showing your frustration if the tech doesn't work. Be present when engaging. Demonstrate the behaviours you want your team to reflect
It can be challenging being a leader in tough times and working remotely isn't ideal. Hopefully these tips make it a little bit easier. Feel free to send me any questions or feedback and don't forget to share this article with your network. Someone may take something away that makes it less challenging for them.
Out of adversity comes opportunity. -Benjamin Franklin
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