For many, working from home sounds like a dream. Sending emails from the couch, flexible working hours and chatting with colleagues on camera. Sounds cool, right? Certainly, you can become less disturbed and boost your productivity while working from home!
The current situation of the Coronavirus has forced many teams to isolate themselves and work from home. Many companies, amongst them tech giants like Google, Apple and Microsoft, have asked their employees to work remotely. We did the same. During the last 2 weeks we’ve collected 5 key tips on how to improve remote work and be productive (as always).
1. Communicate efficiently
We, as people are extremely social creatures. It is easy to communicate a lot, meet the others and build relationships almost all the time. That’s why temporary social distancing may significantly impact our daily habits and evoke a sense of loneliness. In Dutch Analytics we are working on easy – to – use rules.
- The digital daily stand-up with screen sharing to help each other stay up do date.
- 5-10 minute calls when you need help from someone. We need to respect each others schedules, but it is extremely important to communicate your needs.
- Working in focused subgroups to create faster and more effective communication. We have set up the key contacts from each department, so you can be sure that your question meets the responsible person.
- Descriptive tickets in Trello to easily manage and complete your daily tasks. Keep track of your progress and create a to-do-list.
2. Set up daily Routine
- Daily stand-ups, good-morning and good-bye video calls, post a message when we start our day, and when we leave. So everyone knows when others are available and it is easier to maintain a standard rhythm.
- Adding up to date Slack status for clear communication of everyone’s availability.
- Start organizing daily remote events like lunches and get-togethers. If you create more awareness for it, team members will join quickly!
3. Discover your high-productivity periods
- Setting up your working hours – research has detected managing your time and sticking to the plan during remote work as one of the most effective ways to stay productive.
- It is good to trust yourself and do not force your body and mind to be overwhelmed. If you prefer to work in the early morning or afternoons, setting up a longer break in the middle of the day, just discuss it with your manager. Concentration is like a muscle – it needs small breaks to fully recover. So just trust yourself and take care. Your employer will appreciate it.
4. After work activities
- Dutch Analytics team has launched a new online Friday VrijMiBo (Vrijdag Middag Borrel) series. This way we can start the weekend together instead of meeting face to face after work. We strongly recommend to invent similar activities and encourage people to show their thoughts, weekly success or setbacks. It is all about supporting each other and be honest with your team. Right?
- Be in touch with other communities and peers. We are in regular touch with the YES!Delft network (founders community), so we can easily share our experiences, uncertainties and successes. We strongly advise you to find out if your company has a similar community.
- Fun Events – we all love them! Unfortunately, most of the remote workers have never experienced team-building sessions. In Dutch Analytics we try to reserve some time just for entertainment. 72-hour Hackathon? No problem! One-word icebreaker or separate Slack channel only for funny images or gifs? Of course!
5. Remember about food and breaks
Maybe it sounds trivial, but food intake and scheduled breaks are essential to balance your mind and body. Taking breaks is one of the most important factors of being productive.
- We do care about actions, so for example we have sent fruit-boxes with candy minis to everyone from the team. We strongly appreciate keeping the spirit up, and we see it as a way to be more creative. Stay healthy everyone!
