How to stay connected while working remotely?
How to stay connected while working remotely?
Posted By admin |27 May 2020
By Jordan Yung Khang Lee
Photo by Luke Peters on Unsplash.
What a change the world has undergone. We could never anticipate how much the world has shifted - an unprecedented pandemic, sports matches without spectators, schools and universities moving to remote learning. Connecting with your coworkers while working from home might feel like an unusual habit for some. But staying united while working from home should feel natural – whether it means speaking to clients, managers or emails. I personally prefer going to the office with my colleagues, but times like this where we need remote working is exciting too. To combat the feeling of loneliness while staying indoors, we are fortunate enough to have the type of technology that makes socialising with another person more practical. Here are several ways to remain connected while working from home.Communicate with your colleagues and managers on a human level.
If you are used to hosting many meetings previously, you should continue to do so. In times like this, we need much more virtual sessions than ever to stay connected. Use this opportunity to interact with your team and colleagues - just to make sure they are coping well too. Have plans with your co-workers to support each other such as - a minute or two of meditation with your teammates, simple to cook lunch recipes or even ideas for quarrelling restless kids. The idea is to collaborate as much as possible on video while making sure you accomplish your tasks for the day ahead.Establish standard matrices of success in the team.
Often, confusion within a team will lead to misalignment, which destroys productivity in everyone. To combat chaos, every organisation, group, and individuals should possess their own SMART goals. It allows us to set tangible targets that we can strive for and prioritise our work accordingly. It is worth discussing beforehand with everyone to ensure that they have set their goals and objectives for the week, that is, understood by everyone clearly. Metrics are often overly centred on actions rather than the results - so establishing a plan that clearly aligns with the end results will give much more flexibility for remote workers.
Photo by Andreas Klassen on Unsplash.
Respond to your coworkers quickly whenever possible.
It is a social norm for employees to be talking in an office environment, where people feel like they have the opportunity to ask a question or seeking support from their colleagues. But you do not have such a luxury when you are operating remotely. Even if it requires you to be more available, it is essential to respond to your co-workers quickly whenever possible. You may need to sacrifice a little more time while working, but adequate communication is what connects the team and organisation. Try to respond to your colleagues and do not let them feel like you are irresponsive. Being sensitive to them will generate trust among everyone, which helps us to feel less knackered throughout this period.Organise numerous virtual lunches within the week.
Although you might be working from home, it does not mean you cannot leave your “office” for lunch. Schedule a lunch plan with your friend, or other remote colleagues to replicate that feeling of meeting together. You can even schedule “meeting” up before lunch hour to get your mood up high as per regular days. One significant benefit of having virtual meals is you do not have to queue with the crowd simply to get your food. Applications like Skype, Microsoft Teams or Zoom will come in handy while munching. It is an excellent idea to commiserate with someone who shares similar work-life hurdles, just like most of us.
By JCI Manager