How Being Confined Set Me Free

Lessons from a week of social distancing

Last week, as fears of the coronavirus spreading across the city and country steadily increased, we came face to face with a double challenge. Working in an office setup within a co-working space gave us the freedom to add or reduce team members working alongside based on the demands of projects. While a number of our team worked remotely as full-time or part-time project members, we’d gotten used to having the co-working space in the last six months. All of that changed ten days ago, when we took the decision to move to a work-from-home model.

We had already been discussing how to manage, but the speed of events caught us off-guard, with very little preparation. Suddenly, we were packing up all of our stuff and figuring out where to keep it. The weekend went by in making seat-of-the-pants decisions of how to get things done while attending to pending client work and preparing for the weeks to come. In light of the ongoing coronavirus outbreak, we decided that we would do without the office for some time, and work out of home for 6 weeks, connecting remotely with clients and team members alike. We never realized how much things were going to change.

How Did Working From Home Change Work Dynamics?

Work routines have undergone a radical change, and a few lessons have been learned in the process. As the first week of social distancing ends, here are a few questions we’ve experienced:

1. How to balance work and life when you’re working from home?

With no defined office hours, I initially found myself starting work later, and letting it carry on until dinner time (after all, the commuting time was considered work time in a way). But I soon realized, that unless you set specific timings for yourself, work and personal time can co-mingle till you end up tired balancing both throughout the day. Learn to create boundaries between your work time and personal time. Take some time out in the middle of the day for personal tasks, but set aside time for getting your professional work done on time. If you’re not used to it, try to carry on as before by making sure your work time is segregated as much as possible. It will help you stay focused.

2. Can I do more, working from home?

When I managed the first part, I suddenly realized that I have a lot more time on my hands, especially due to the lack of a commute. I use this time by setting up some personal and professional goals. I managed to dust off a few books and started reading an hour everyday. Now I plan to start learning a new language.  Spend more time with family, learn something new, rekindle a hobby. Just don’t sacrifice it to social media, which is pretty depressing anyways. In the end, you’ll have picked up some valuable skills and made new memories.

3. When in WFH mode, how do I manage time and deliverables?

Which brings me to the third point. In the office, I’m largely able to control those urges to keep checking social media messages and videos. It can get really difficult to do so when at home. But you have to, else you’ll be back at struggling to fulfill your work commitments. So keep those temptations to binge-watch Netflix at bay, and avoid debates on your WhatsApp groups if possible. Use app blockers and time schedulers on your browser and phone to block off unwanted social media interference and temptations.

4. Staying fit while being at home

With gyms and public parks closed, getting the daily exercise quota can be a challenge. Make sure you use your gym time to exercise and meditate at home. Better yet, make it a family activity by getting everyone in the house to participate, giving you some quality time with them as well. We have stuck to our routine by ensuring the gym gear and yoga mats are laid out the previous night, so we hit the exercise routine in the morning. You can plan it anytime during the day, even do a pep-up quick routine in the afternoon to lose the lethargy.

5. “Ma, I’m working here!”

Our families aren’t used to having us at home all the time, so the first thing that happens is that our presence gets treated like it’s a holiday. The list of errands comes out and there will be times when we feel frustrated at the family. There was even a case last week where a team member’s mother came in during a video-call and started talking about her son, what he does or does not do at home, in front of the whole team! The best solution is to get a separate space for yourself (preferably a room), where you are not to be disturbed during work hours. In places like Mumbai, personal space can be pretty limited, so commandeer a room or create a nook for yourself. Explain to your family and kids that when you’re at your “office”, you are not to be disturbed, but define certain times during the day when you will be available. It might take a week or longer to get everyone used to the new way, but you’ll be happier once it’s working. And of course, plug in those earphones.

6. Align your team with the right tools

If you are able to sort out all of the above, you’ve pretty much mastered the WFH (Work From Home) challenge. Be supportive of others in your team who may not have the same success, and give them the time needed to adjust. Use team management tools to set the agenda for your team’s work and the deliverables expected, as well as scheduling specific times for the team members to connect, so that you keep in touch with what’s happening with each other. Trello works out well for us since we’ve already been using it, and if you already work with multi-locational teams, you have an advantage as most of what’s required would already be in place.

In Conclusion

Our behavior and work environments are set to change thanks to this crisis, perhaps forever. Using the above thumb rules will ensure we settle into the new routine faster, even as we grapple with other challenges.

Take care, and stay safe! 

If you have any more ideas on improving productivity, team interaction, personal discipline, or any other aspect of work in the new situation, please add it to the comments below.