How to Effectively Manage Work from Home?
Work
from home or WFH has been in practice for a long time. But with the raging
pandemic disrupting our ‘normal’ routine and lives, many employees had no
option but to take up work from home. Companies have to keep the business
afloat without breaking government regulations. As Covid-19 is showing no signs
of leaving us alone, many companies are asking their employees to continue
working from home.
In
fact, companies are finding quite a few benefits in allowing employees to work
from their personal spaces rather than from the offices. Apart from a reduction
in operational and maintenance costs, companies have realized that a lot of
work can be done online, via video conferences.
In
such instances, employees need to know how to manage their time and balance
their professional and personal lives. Drawing a line between work and home
becomes increasingly difficult when you have to work from home. At the same
time, you cannot let your productivity take a hit. So how do you effectively
manage to work from home? Let's discuss !!
Let’s
start at the beginning of the day. While working from home means you don’t have
to rush out of the office, it also doesn’t mean you can be lethargic. Try
waking up at the regular time as you always did . Follow the schedule. Continue
to plan your morning to include your breakfast, coffee, some relaxation
(newspaper/ social media/ family-time), and a few exercises. Take a bath before
you sit down for work. Getting dressed might actually help you get into the
work mood. So just continue with the same morning schedule that you always
followed while going to office .
· Follow the usual workplace routine, Don’t Ignore Breaks
Working effectively doesn’t mean you work non-stop and exhaust yourself. If you take a break once in two hours at workplace, follow the same at home. Set the timer, and pause your work at a certain point. Get up, walk, stretch, and go out into the balcony. Or go out of home for 10 – 15 minutes. The idea is to get away from the setting for a few minutes. Have the timer on and get back to work accordingly. Try to take such breaks 3-4 times in a day. Follow the same routine as your office.
· Invest in Quality Equipment- Inform the Company
When employees work from home, companies will need to provide them with some basic equipment. Don’t hesitate to inform your company about what you want. Having a good pair of headphones and using professional communication tools will make your job easier. It will also increase the overall productivity of your team. For one, you don’t have to spend half the time asking the other person to repeat or wait. And the work will continue to be as efficient as at the workplace. Overall maintain the efficiency of the employees.
· Create an Exclusive Work Space at Home
When you need to work from home for an extended duration, it is recommended to create a special space for it. Working in the living room or common areas of the house will lead to a lot of distractions and disturbance unless you live alone. You don’t need any fancy setup. But you do need a dedicated space for you to sit comfortably for long hours and work without being bothered. Hence accordingly set up your table, laptop and chair in a silent place with very least interactions possible. This will not disturb rest of the household too and you will feel exactly as you are sitting at your workplace.
· Maintain Working Hours- Set Boundaries
We see a lot of people talking about how they work day and night because hey, it’s work from home. Don’t fall into the same trap. If you work from 9am to 6pm at the office, do your best to stick to the same routine at home. An hour of extension on odd days should be fine. But stretching your work hours will lead to decreased productivity over time. You’ll feel exhausted and lose interest in work. Hence it is very crucial to follow the normal working hours, as you have been in your office. With this you will not find much difference while working from home. In addition, you will get more time for yourself and your family which you were spending while commuting to and fro to office .
· Plan Meetings - Prepare in Advance
If you feel that your team needs to have a meeting to discuss things, don’t wait for others to schedule it. Do your work in advance and bring up the topic. Tell them you need to talk and fix a time convenient for all/ most of you. It is always advisable to get on a meeting with the entire team once during the day . Either to discuss the entire day’s work plan while starting the day or before the end of the day to discuss the entire day .This will keep you updated about everything and the you will be motivated analyzing your performance .
· Always Communicate
When working from home, there can be no such thing as over-communicating. Don’t hesitate to repeat what you’ve done and what needs to be done. Put up regular updates (in clear and simple words) about what you’ve done for the day. Keep it short and crisp, but ensure to spread the message. If you won’t be available at a certain time, inform the team in advance.
Have a life beyond work and take time to relax and unwind. Finally, follow a schedule that suits you, but don’t ever exhaust yourself. This will help you to effectively manage your work from home situation . It will motivate you and will increase your efficiency too which will eventually yield good results for you as a professional !!
· Follow the usual workplace routine, Don’t Ignore Breaks
Working effectively doesn’t mean you work non-stop and exhaust yourself. If you take a break once in two hours at workplace, follow the same at home. Set the timer, and pause your work at a certain point. Get up, walk, stretch, and go out into the balcony. Or go out of home for 10 – 15 minutes. The idea is to get away from the setting for a few minutes. Have the timer on and get back to work accordingly. Try to take such breaks 3-4 times in a day. Follow the same routine as your office.
· Invest in Quality Equipment- Inform the Company
When employees work from home, companies will need to provide them with some basic equipment. Don’t hesitate to inform your company about what you want. Having a good pair of headphones and using professional communication tools will make your job easier. It will also increase the overall productivity of your team. For one, you don’t have to spend half the time asking the other person to repeat or wait. And the work will continue to be as efficient as at the workplace. Overall maintain the efficiency of the employees.
· Create an Exclusive Work Space at Home
When you need to work from home for an extended duration, it is recommended to create a special space for it. Working in the living room or common areas of the house will lead to a lot of distractions and disturbance unless you live alone. You don’t need any fancy setup. But you do need a dedicated space for you to sit comfortably for long hours and work without being bothered. Hence accordingly set up your table, laptop and chair in a silent place with very least interactions possible. This will not disturb rest of the household too and you will feel exactly as you are sitting at your workplace.
· Maintain Working Hours- Set Boundaries
We see a lot of people talking about how they work day and night because hey, it’s work from home. Don’t fall into the same trap. If you work from 9am to 6pm at the office, do your best to stick to the same routine at home. An hour of extension on odd days should be fine. But stretching your work hours will lead to decreased productivity over time. You’ll feel exhausted and lose interest in work. Hence it is very crucial to follow the normal working hours, as you have been in your office. With this you will not find much difference while working from home. In addition, you will get more time for yourself and your family which you were spending while commuting to and fro to office .
· Plan Meetings - Prepare in Advance
If you feel that your team needs to have a meeting to discuss things, don’t wait for others to schedule it. Do your work in advance and bring up the topic. Tell them you need to talk and fix a time convenient for all/ most of you. It is always advisable to get on a meeting with the entire team once during the day . Either to discuss the entire day’s work plan while starting the day or before the end of the day to discuss the entire day .This will keep you updated about everything and the you will be motivated analyzing your performance .
· Always Communicate
When working from home, there can be no such thing as over-communicating. Don’t hesitate to repeat what you’ve done and what needs to be done. Put up regular updates (in clear and simple words) about what you’ve done for the day. Keep it short and crisp, but ensure to spread the message. If you won’t be available at a certain time, inform the team in advance.
Have a life beyond work and take time to relax and unwind. Finally, follow a schedule that suits you, but don’t ever exhaust yourself. This will help you to effectively manage your work from home situation . It will motivate you and will increase your efficiency too which will eventually yield good results for you as a professional !!
Comments
Post a Comment