In this new normal of trying to flatten the curve for coronavirus, many people are finding themselves working from home for the first time. The majority of those people now have one week under their belt, and are trying to figure out what the new normal is.
For almost 7 years, I have worked remotely or with remote teams in various capacities, managing or working very close alongside people that I have met one time or fewer in our entire time working together. Because of this, I have some considerations and tips that will help somebody working with or managing people remotely for the first time.
Set up a work space: First things, first. If you are new to remote work, or don’t already have a home office in place, set up a dedicated work space. Even if you don’t have the room, try to carve a small spot that is for work only. You go there when you need to work, and when you are there you are doing nothing but work. This will help define the home and work space.
Take breaks: Build in work breaks, and step away from the work space. When I worked from home every day, I would make sure to step away for lunch, including taking the dog for a walk. I plan to implement that during the coronavirus social distancing as long as weather and health allow. It’s a great way to get out of the house and clear my head, and leaves me refreshed for the afternoon. Plus the dog didn’t feel so ignored all day. If you don’t have a dog or don’t feel comfortable going outside in this time, even grabbing some water and reading or stretching in a different space will help.
Check in often on coworkers: I have weekly one-on-one check-ins with the people on my team, and our weekly team chat will include video. When someone on my team started working from home for the first time in her career, I would ask often how she’s doing, if working from home agreed with her, and if there’s any kind of support or resources I could offer to make working from home great. In the time of coronavirus, it’s even more important. Does the person live alone and miss interaction, or is their house full of people and they need a mental break? We don’t know what others are going through, be there for them.
Get together as a team: During our weekly team meetings, I’m going to start them not by “getting down to business,” but opening them to people just chatting for a few minutes. My team has only all been together once in the year we have all worked together, so I want to work on deepening our connection on a personal level. I’m going to encourage a virtual coffee (tea, water, whatever) break for about 10 minutes, then hit the meeting for the remaining 20. Find times to connect with people on a personal level. That only builds the work relationship.
Use tools to stay connected: Many workplaces have set tools in place the team must use (or can’t substitute with). Use those! Have a video chat. Store ideas together. Share workflows or workloads. And even if you have certain tools, are you using them to the fullest, or are there other capabilities you could use to connect to your coworkers, or do your job better remotely? Or, everyone working from home could be an opportunity to see where there are technology gaps and approach IT or your leadership team to make the case for other tools.
No matter what, we are in this together for the greater good. Be kind and gentle to yourself and one another.
Did I leave out any tips you would recommend? Let me know on Twitter @valpass or email vldennis@gmail.com.
