GUIDANCE
Working Remotely
T
he lockdowns and other restrictions imposed during 2020 due to COVID-19 saw more and more people working from home out of necessity. Although the trend toward remote working began several years ago, it has rapidly accelerated due to the pandemic, transforming the way we work. Time will tell the long-term impact of COVID-19 restrictions on working in WUDGLWLRQDO R̲FHV RU VWXG\LQJ DW VFKRRO and college, but there’s no doubt that remote working is here to stay. Whether you’re a student or a WUDGLWLRQDO R̲FH ZRUNHU \RXČƒOO QHHG WR upskill yourself to remote working in one form or another.
7KH 5LJKW 6SDFH Designate an area in your home for your workday, ideally a place you can use solely for this purpose. Choose a space that is quiet and distraction-free. Try not to use an area that is designated for rest, such as the bedroom. If you FDQ Č…OHDYH \RXU R̲FHȆ DW WKH HQG RI WKH day and “commuteâ€? to another part of your home, it’s a good way to separate from work and transition back into your personal life. 8
%XLOG 5RXWLQHV It’s easy to lose track of time when you’re not experiencing the buzz of WKH R̲FH DQG EHLQJ DZDUH RI \RXU colleagues taking breaks and coming and going. So it’s important to set your own routine for the sake of your physical and mental well-being. Take breaks as \RX ZRXOG LQ DQ R̲FH VFKHGXOH \RXU lunchtime and when to hydrate during the day so that you remain refreshed. Don’t forget to stand, stretch, and take D IHZ GHHS EUHDWKV DÉ“HU \RXČƒYH EHHQ sitting for long periods. You may need greater self-discipline when working on your own at home. To make it easier, monitor those times when you are most productive and least productive. When you have increased awareness of your own body clock, you can organise your work by scheduling the most important tasks at the time of day when you’re most productive and less-taxing work when you’re least productive. (PEUDFH WHFKQRORJ\ Companies have become reliant on technology to ensure teams work HĚŻHFWLYHO\ LQ WKH YLUWXDO ZRUOG 0LFURVRÉ“
Teams, Zoom, Trello, Asana, Slack, 'URSER[ DQG RWKHU Ě°OH VKDULQJ VRÉ“ZDUH and apps have become essential tools for collaboration. If you’re a student, or planning to “pivotâ€? into another career, it will be an advantage to incorporate these into your current studies or work and become familiar with the virtual working world. It will also give you an advantage when applying for a new position. You should also practice and become comfortable with virtual meetings and one-on-one calls. Find a friend, work colleague, or mentor that you can practice with. Work to continually improve your tone, appearance, and online communication skills. Become aware of your body language and nonverbal cues. You could also record yourself and be your own critic. Treat a virtual meeting as you would an in-person meeting. Prepare for the meeting beforehand, before the call test whatever technology you’re using, and arrive at the meeting RQ WLPH 2É“HQ \RXČƒOO EH ZRUNLQJ ZLWK people you’ve never met in person and whose only image of you is in a rectangular box on Zoom. Spend time WR PDNH WKDW LPSRUWDQW Ě°UVW LPSUHVVLRQ and be proud of how you look on camera. (VWDEOLVK *XLGHOLQHV If remote working is new for you and/or your supervisor, you should agree on some ground rules, best practices, and schedules so that you know what’s expected of you and to eliminate unfortunate surprises. Make sure everyone is working on the same page, especially in regard to availability and response times. Misunderstandings are more common when you’re not together as a group LQ SHUVRQ VR EH DZDUH RI KRZ GLĚŻHUHQW team members wish to communicate, whether by email, instant messaging, video meetings, or other apps. Try WR EH PLQGIXO RI GLĚŻHUHQW RQOLQH communication styles. Embrace some of the ideas here, and you’ll be ready to take on the future of work – virtual and remote. Your Future 2021
