Author
Mercedes Acevedo
Companies around the globe have switched to mandatory remote work due to the emergency health crisis that is taking place in many countries.
At Moove It, home office and working remote dynamics are part of our culture from the very beginning. However, in the last few days, we had to take them as preventive actions against the spread of Coronavirus. But how to get the right working mindset?
If you are working from home due to this reason, or because this is your current working methodology, here we have some recommendations we already follow to work efficiently:
Get started early
For many of us, the most productive hours of the day are those in the morning. This is why you should try to execute the most complex tasks during this period and make sure you finish them on time.
Create a working station and keep it clean
Instead of lying in bed with your laptop, which is definitely not the right way to go, choose a quiet and distraction-free working space, ideally away from the bedroom, where you can work comfortably with your computer and other tools you may need such as post-its, notepads, etc. Sit down in an upright chair, like you would at your office desk.
Keep work time and personal time separate
Working from home may give the wrong idea to the people who live with you or to your friends. This working methodology does not mean you are available to chat or to do some laundry. Try to create boundaries within your home that your family members understand, such as closing the door of your home office, meaning that you are occupied.
Dress for success
We get it, staying in your pajamas and fluffy slippers all day is very comfortable, but wearing your nightclothes during the day can have the effect of blurring the line between work and leisure. Furthermore, it may interfere with getting any work done.
Dress just like if you were going out from home to work at the office. This can have a surprising subconscious effect on your productivity. Head into your workspace, sit upright, open the curtains and focus on the task at hand. Set yourself a daily goal with your team. Stop for a quick break every hour or so but stay on task, and when the goals are achieved at the end of the day, you can shut down the laptop and just chill safe at home. And of course, go back to your pajamas.
Keep yourself to regular work hours and plan your workflow
Define work schedules and share them with your team and dedicate your full attention to your job duties during working hours. Schedule and participate in a daily video call with your team, in which the most important goal should be discussing daily priorities. This meeting should be brief and specific, and hopefully, at the same time every day. Set daily objectives, with defined metrics and deadlines.
Communicate with your co-workers
At Moove It, we use Slack to be in constant communication between teams and to make sure to notify anything relevant to the quality of the projects we are working on. It is always better to communicate via video calls, emails or phone calls in order to clarify questions.
So there you go, whether you are planning to work from home while preventing the spread of this new virus, or doing it as your current working dynamic, stay connected and keep the spirit up. You are not alone, your team is there for you!
