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Switching from a “traditional” office setup to working from home on a regular basis can prove a daunting task for even the most dedicated professionals. And the difference between working with coworkers who are a stone’s throw away and collaborating with team members on the other side of the world is a significant one. It’s unwise to assume that you’ll make the transition to working at home without any hiccups if you’ve commuted to an office for years. The good news is that we’re here to help you tackle this challenge. Here are four tips for working remotely that you can use to great effect:
Maintain Your Routine
Perhaps the biggest difference between working in an office and working from your home is the fact that you don’t have to follow the same routine you normally would before you get to the office. For instance, remote employees don’t have to shower, shave, get dressed, eat breakfast, and commute in order to start their day. However, there’s value in keeping your routine intact when you start working from home. All of these pre-work activities serve to prepare professionals for the day on a mental level as well as a physical one.
Start Each Day with a Plan
Professionals should always have a set of objectives they want to complete at the beginning of each work day. For remote workers, though, it’s imperative that they start off every day with a detailed plan of action. It’s easy to get distracted and become uninterested if you don’t have a meaningful task on your agenda. Remember, if you’re finished with your workload, it never hurts to reach out and provide cover for your coworkers.
Institute Self Accountability
Remote employees may be located hundreds or thousands of miles from their boss. And they enjoy the anonymity of working within the confines of their own home. Yet, these perks aren’t excuses to slack off. Even if no one is watching you, you still have responsibilities and deadlines to meet. As such, do your best to promote self accountability and strive to stay disciplined during the workday. Just because you’re at home, it doesn’t mean you’re “off.”
Communicate
The final key to success when working from home is to communicate with your team members. Inexperienced remote employees may find themselves disconnected from their coworkers, and when that happens, the entire business can suffer as a result. Fortunately, there are a number of handy tech investments that businesses can employ to help remote employees get on the same page with team members at other branches.