Working from home has clear benefits (getting on top of life admin, no commute or working in your PJ’s anyone?) but it can also be a challenge. Given these really challenging times, we wanted to share some tips from the Video Arts team on this change and how you can make it work you.
Tracy – Head of Client Success
I’ve worked at home throughout my career, either full-time or to break up my week. Like my black belt in karate (the team are always scared of me!), this took practice. Here are some tips that always work well, in my experience:
- Communicate your availability. Like in the office, you have busy periods. Just because you are at home, it doesn’t mean you are free 24/7 for a call. Communicate with your colleagues if you are particularly busy or need to re-schedule.
- Manage interruptions. Get a happy medium of being a good team member but not allowing interruptions to stop you achieving what you need to. Not all interruptions are bad, fresh ideas can always help, especially in isolation. Just make sure interruptions work for you and not against you.
- It is ok to fit work around personal commitments. Being a parent, especially with schools closed, means you have extra responsibilities. A set 9am-5pm doesn’t have to apply at home. Balance what you need to do that day in both your professional and personal life and don’t feel guilty. There is always room for both!
Simon – Head of Sales and Marketing
When managing remote teams, effective communication becomes even more essential – even if people don’t always understand my Geordie accent first time! Here are some top tips I use to support my team remotely:
- Structure is good. Consider a daily team call early in the day but focus on it being concise, fun and informative. A long call the team dread will hinder their productivity, not enhance it.
- Don’t micromanage. Just because you mange remotely, it doesn’t mean you need to suddenly micromanage! Some team members like daily catch ups and targets and others don’t. Treat everyone as individuals and trust them.
- Make it fun! Think of some ways to keep things light-hearted. At Video Arts, we have added ‘through the keyhole’ to our team meetings. Each day a team member shows us round their working space at home – feel free to add the music to go with it…
Scott – Account Director
Working from home has been a large part of my career. Having worked remotely both in the UK and abroad (I have the tan to prove it) you have to plan your day to be successful.. Some of the ways I stay productive and engaged are:
- Set a routine and stick to it. Break your day up into 1 hour chunks, ordered by priority. I often do this during Friday afternoon for the week ahead so I can enjoy my weekend. Focus on the things you want to achieve that day – you’ll feel good ticking them off as you go.
- Balancing the ‘work area’ and ‘home area’. This is a really important one for me. If you have the room, work in an area where you don’t relax during the evenings or weekends.
- Stick to scheduled hours. Of course there are exceptions but try to stick to ‘normal’ hours when you can. Being at home there is the temptation to show you are working all the time. Answering emails at weekends isn’t good for your wellbeing.
Based on lots of great feedback from our clients we have developed a great learning pathway, the Homeworking Essentials; designed to help Learning and Development professionals give their people the skills they need. This pathway includes 21 courses, 80 videos and infographics covering:
- Keeping you and the organisation safe at home
- Getting organised and productive
- Remote communication
- Employee Wellbeing
- Mangers & Leaders – Leading and implementing change
For more information, click HERE and fill out the form for a free consultation call from one of our experts.
