The 7 areas that matter most to effectively WFH right now

Over a decade ago I read the book “The 4 hour work week” by Tim Ferriss. It completely changed the way I thought about work. I’d been working some serious hours per week up until then and thought that’s what you needed to do to have a successful corporate career. Tim’s book introduced me to the concept of “working smarter, not harder” and I’ve fanatically studied this concept ever since.

As a direct result of reading Tim’s book, for more than a decade I’ve led my teams with the mantra “outcomes over hours in the office”. It hasn’t mattered to me where or when my team has worked, as long as they collaborated effectively to get their work done. One of the premises of “outcomes over hours in the office” is that my teams worked from home (WFH) when it suited them and also when it helped enable their interests outside work. As long as they got their work done.

Fast forward to today and so many people have been thrown into a WFH situation and for an extended period of time. There’s lots of information doing the rounds right now about how to effectively WFH. Some is brilliant, but it’s somewhat piecemeal so it can be overwhelming to think through what to implement and what to ignore. At the request of some of my clients (who know my passion for working from anywhere with a focus on achieving outcomes), I’ve recently developed a “7 C’s Framework”. This Framework gives you the practical structure to work through how you can effectively WFH over an extended period of time.

The “7 C’s Framework” to effectively WFH:

I think of WFH like an iceberg. People often focus predominantly on their output (their “Contribution”), which is what others see above the surface. When WFH for long periods, they think they can just replicate what they were doing in an office environment, but from home.

However, to maintain or increase your Contribution while WFH, particularly over long periods of time, you should also focus on the 6 critical elements below the surface.

It’s worth consciously thinking through how you are effectively working in each of these areas:

1. The 1st C: Contract with yourself. It all starts with looking after yourself (you know … fit your own oxygen mask first). During your work week, what time will you start work each day to bring routine? What’s your minimum dress standard for yourself? Where will you work to look after your back and shoulders (hint: bed and couch should be a last resort)? How will you break you day into “productivity chunks” of time? What are the activities you’re building into your day / week to exercise?

2. The 2nd C: Contract with your team.  Most people in your team have probably been thrown into a similar situation WFH right now, but under different circumstances based on who they live with and their role type. Therefore, your usual ways of working as a team probably don’t all apply for the foreseeable future. It’s worth actively thinking through how you will work effectively together right now. How will you bring the “water cooler chat” online? How will you celebrate upcoming birthdays and wins at work? How will you connect socially in a way that you can still get your work done?

3. The 3rd C: Check-ins. Without face to face interaction, it’s more important to check-in with your Leader, Direct Reports and your team on both a work and personal front. Do you know what your team’s personal preferences are for frequency and type of check-ins? Do you have a daily / weekly check-in time with your team? Have you considered who might need extra checking in e.g. new employees, those put on a stretch assignment, extreme extroverts, those living by themselves?

4. The 4th C: Clarity of goals. More than ever, clarity of goals matters, particularly if you work in an industry where the goalposts have / are still moving significantly. Depending on your role, you might want to consider shortening your time frames for your current goals (once you’ve checked with your Leader they’re still the relevant ones to deliver). Instead of thinking about your quarterly goals, break it down into what you will accomplish this week and then break down further to 3-4 smaller goals for today / tomorrow. Prioritise them, start with no.1 and work on it until it’s done. After all, the word “priority” started in the English language as singular, not plural, for a reason. Focus on one thing at a time and you’ll get more done.

5. The 5th C: Communication. Communication matters now more than ever when you’re not in the same location. For great virtual meetings, turn video on whenever possible. Seeing each other helps to build connection and trust. To quote an old Carlton Football Club slogan, “no passengers”. Try to limit meetings to one person per team / department / skill-set if you find yourself about to invite 20 people to a meeting requiring decisions. Like for face to face meetings, set an agenda, be clear on the meeting outcomes, and have someone recap at the end of the meeting what the actions are with owners and timings. Doing it in the virtual meeting can save on emails back and forth clarifying who agreed to do what afterwards.

6. The 6th C: Collaboration tools.  This one is a game-changer to get teams really effective WFH. If your company is new to WFH, take the time to check out tools where your people can edit files at the same time instead of emailing them back and forth (e.g. MS Teams, Google Docs), share goals and progress (e.g. Trello, MS Planner), video meetings (e.g. Zoom, MS Teams, Webex, Google Hangouts), taking work out of your email inbox and into specific channels (e.g. Slack, Google Chat). These are just some thought starters – ask your IT friends at other companies which they love and how they use them.

7. The 7th and ultimate C: Contribution. I could write a thesis on the topic of achieving your outcomes, but will just mention a key one that I think will help most people right now. It’s about managing distractions. There are several studies that have found that distractions are the top reason people give for not achieving their daily goals.  Right now, it’s easy to get consumed by the news, social media, TV, cleaning, procrastinating and many other sources. One of the best ways to deal with this right now is to schedule time in your day where you will engage with whichever distractions are your Achilles heel. Have a set start AND finish time for them so you can get back to your priority.

I hope this helps you to think through the key areas for you to effectively WFH and look after yourself right now. And remember, it all starts with your contract with yourself.      

 I love helping organisations and their people transition to WFH effectively, particularly right now when it’s needed more than ever. If you’re interested in finding out more about my WFH Training Packages, please direct message me on LinkedIn.