How can you be more resilient when working remotely?

One of the great quotes I took out from the "Seven Habits of Highly Effective People" by Stephen Covey is to take time to "sharpen the sword", by this he means to take time to reflect of what works, does not or needs improvement, analogous to honing your skills. Reflecting upon what what you have done and to learn from those experiences I find in really important to becoming a better version of yourself. One of the things that keeps me motivated and engaged is learning about the context that I'm employed in. Each industry, organisation, project that I have been involved are different. I really enjoy leaning and understanding the context of each of the dimensions of industry, organisation and project in the projects that I get involved in.

View challenges as opportunities to learn not personal failures. Focus on progress made rather than perfection. Ask for feedback to continuously improve. Finding meaning in setbacks develops grit to power through difficult situations alone.

Encare desafios como oportunidades de aprendizado. Esteja disposto a aprender com as adversidades, buscando solu??es e desenvolvendo novas habilidades para lidar com situa??es diversas. Adapte-se às mudan?as e aceite o desconforto que às vezes vem com a mudan?a de cenários. A flexibilidade mental é essencial para se ajustar a novas circunstancias.

Establish a schedule, draw boundaries between work and personal life, and stay in constant contact with coworkers to improve resilience when working remotely. Make self-care a priority, take pauses, and have an optimistic outlook when things change. Seek out social support, maintain flexibility, and use technology to collaborate efficiently in order to overcome obstacles.

Absolutely, cultivating a growth mindset is essential for personal and professional development. Embracing challenges, viewing setbacks as opportunities for learning, and maintaining a curious and open-minded approach fosters resilience and adaptability. By shifting focus from self-criticism and perfectionism to recognizing progress, effort, and potential, you create a more positive and empowering mindset. This proactive and optimistic perspective not only enhances your ability to learn and grow but also contributes to increased motivation, creativity, and resilience in the face of challenges and opportunities. Adopting a growth mindset is a powerful way to unlock your full potential and achieve long-term success.

Intentionally nurture bonds with colleagues through check-ins, virtual coffees, mentoring. Celebrate peer wins. Feel you are part of a purposeful community. The support and perspective of trusted others provides motivation on deflating days.

Building relationships with people can be hard and time consuming, in our instant world of today, putting in the hard yards to get to workable relationships may seem to some a waste of time. Pre COVID it was easy to meet and engage with people, meetings were not so transactional as they are today over Zoom, Teams, etc. I started a new job in COVID era with lock downs and remote working I learnt that the old ways of meeting new people did not work - hanging around after a meeting, the side conversations, the walk up to desks etc. I needed to plan time to talk to people, so I started to book time for a "Catchup" - no specific "agenda". When I did start to return to work, f2f, it didn't feel like I was meeting someone for the first time.

Absolutely, maintaining positive relationships is crucial for fostering resilience, especially in remote work settings where face-to-face interactions may be limited. Being proactive and intentional about communication—whether through phone calls, video chats, or instant messages—helps to bridge the distance and maintain a sense of connection and collaboration. Leveraging various platforms like social media, online forums, and virtual events offers additional opportunities to network, share insights, and build professional relationships within your field or industry.

Developing strong connections with your team can lead to a more supportive and collaborative remote work environment. Engage in regular check-ins, virtual team-building activities, and open communication to foster relationships that can provide emotional and professional support.

Mantenha canais de comunica??o abertos e claros com colegas de trabalho. Use ferramentas de mensagens, e-mails e videoconferências para estar sempre conectado e alinhado. Mostre confian?a em sua equipe e mantenha-se disponível para ajudar sempre que necessário. Cumpra prazos e mantenha uma postura colaborativa.

Discipline is so important in a remote workplace environment. No one is going to tell you to take your lunch break, chat over coffee in between meetings, or go home after a long day at work. You have to set your schedule and make sure you're being productive. The big mistakes I usually make when working remotely are snacking all day and leaving my laptop on overnight. Never do them!

Make time to recharge - take breaks between intensive focus sessions, set work boundaries, unplug after hours. Eat nutritiously, exercise, pursue hobbies. Renewal of mind and body prevents burnout so you have fuel in the tank to tackle demands.

Having good physical and mental energy level are equally important to maintain. I find I cannot have one without the other. I schedule time to boost my physical and mental energy levels. I actively minimise the impact of negative energy. I work with facts not opinion. I make time to read books fiction and non fiction - helps me maintain good mental energy. Eating a balanced diet, keep hydrated etc. Everything your doctor tells you to do - do it. Keeping good energy levels high goes a long way to mitigate against the negative impacts of remote working. Keep a good perspective on the importance of a deadlines. Super important to have a clear boundary between work and home and work hours especially when working from home.

I like identifying items on my calendar and in my priorities as ?? energy givers or ?? energy drainers. Knowing how different parts of my work and other daily activities affect my energy helps me manage myself more effectively.

You must establish a routine that suits you and consistently stick to it, set clear boundaries between work and personal life as it will keep your energy in balance throughout the days, stay connected with colleagues and engage with them virtually, take regular breaks and do fun things online with your teammates that contribute to boosting your energy and improving team bond despite not being onsite physically, prioritize self-care, and adapt a positive mindset to enhance your resilience when working remotely.

Absolutely. Embracing change requires a proactive mindset and a willingness to adapt. Leveraging the experiences and insights of others can provide valuable perspectives and strategies for navigating transitions effectively. Being open to learning and growth can turn challenges into opportunities for personal and professional development.

Remote work often requires you to be flexible with your routines and methods. Be willing to try out new technologies, shift your work hours if needed, and adjust your strategies to stay productive and responsive to changing circumstances.

First of all, you need to get a mindset that ‘change is good’. You need to stick to the fact that change brings opportunities to learn and grow, and this mindset prepares you to win over any challenges the change is bringing. The same applies in context to remote working. It requires to adopt new working style and technology etc but these are the actually the opportunities to bring a lot of positive impact in around your career growth and work life balance.

Absolutely. Cultivating a mindset of gratitude can be a powerful tool for fostering resilience and enhancing overall well-being. By consciously recognizing and appreciating the positives in one's life, it becomes easier to navigate challenges with a more balanced and optimistic outlook. Regular practices like keeping a gratitude journal or expressing thanks can reinforce this mindset and contribute to a more fulfilling and positive life experience.

The art of gratitude is a powerful tool in leadership and people management. When people have done well, they must be appreciated and gratitude must be evident as part of team management and it plays a key role.

Such a simple and powerful concept! In my family we have a deeply engrained habit of saying things we're thankful for as part of our prayer before dinner. It's a ritual I've come to value greatly that helps me end the workday (however good or bad it may have been) in a positive frame of mind.

One of the things we often miss out on by having a remote workforce is a sounding board to bounce ideas off and get challenge from. It is all too easy for individuals working from home or a remote office to never ask for help or asking for help when they hit a dead end. We should however ask for help more as this can help to ensure we are on the right path in the first place. When working away from the office (as much as confidentially permits) we should seek the views of those around us, and we should ensure that we have a culture where sharing ideas and regular ad hoc calls is encouraged.

It's important to recognize when you're struggling and to reach out for support. Whether it's for technical issues, workload management, or just to talk through a challenge, seeking help is a sign of strength and can provide you with the resources you need to overcome obstacles.

Absolutely. Recognizing the need for assistance and reaching out for support demonstrates self-awareness and a proactive approach to addressing challenges. Engaging with others can provide valuable insights, perspectives, and resources that can contribute to personal and professional growth. Building a network of support and being open to collaboration can be instrumental in navigating the complexities of remote work and fostering resilience.

Esteja disposto a ajudar e ser solidário com os desafios enfrentados por colegas. A empatia fortalece os la?os e constrói um ambiente de trabalho mais positivo. Além disso é importante que forne?a e pe?a feedback regularmente para promover um ambiente de melhoria contínua e demonstrar preocupa??o mútua com o crescimento profissional.

This is as importantly as you would perform a job well done. No one knows everything and there is always new things to pick up from and pass it on. Seek help necessarily and only you would know what you reach out, help can only be helped. Say communication is key ! There is this brim when you have done so much, and seeking helping could indefinitely improve matters in my perspective ??

You can become resilient when you have internal forces and external support. By internal forces it means to have an internal drive, mindset and also a motivation to keep going. By external force it means to have people or team that can stand by your side and help you whenever there is a need. Sometimes it is important to have an understanding among the team members to hear the unspoken words in order to stand by side and help to recover from the situations.

In my mind resilience is built on a common understanding of the team’s mission, value proposition and business objectives. Working remotely and staying engaged is both easier and more fun when everyone is clear on roles & responsibilities and what needs to get done by when. Doing some foundational work with the team to align on these things early will pay off in the long run.

Knowing what you are good at and what are your areas of improvements helps. Remote working amplifies your strengths and weakness alike. E.g. If you are in an extrovert who likes to connect with people and have conversations, you will find it easy to collaborate over digital channels as well. If you are an introvert, the remote set-up will be more demanding on you. You may see yourself more isolated and find it a challenge to contribute effectively. As people manager it is very important to adjust to the individuals preferences to get the best out of them. Just expecting everyone to operate at same level is not going to work.