Remote Working - my 7 Golden Rules
Myladie Stoumbou
Regional Director at Microsoft | Innovation Strategist | Startup Mentor | Women Leadership Advocate | Inclusion Missionary | Public Speaker
While more and more companies are now discovering the flexibility offered by modern workstyle, for me this is part of my daily routine. You see, I have been working for more than 5 years now remotely. My role is an international one, and my team is very diverse, covering a large territory of 24 countries in Central and Eastern Europe. And while we meet every day, our discussions are most of the times virtual. Guess what? I am also meeting with our customers and our partners in a virtual setting. Team meetings, partner reviews, customer workshops, solution presentations, trainings, all can happen remotely thanks to modern technology.
Sounds weird? No. It is simply the new world of work.
Remote working is not so new. The trend has been visible for a while. Based on study of flexjobs, one of the most popular job search sites, which is focused on flexible working, the global number of remote workers has doubled in the past 10 years. The same study shows that 76% of employees prefer working from home when they have to focus on a complex project or a demanding task.
You see, in the office you get interrupted so often! Actually, studies show that we spend an average of 11 minutes on a project before we’re interrupted. And then it takes us another 25 minutes (on average) to get back to the point we were at before, not to mention that interruptions actually increase errors. Oh yes, better stay at home!
So: Working remotely is becoming more and more popular to both companies and employees, as it increases productivity (less interruptions, better quality), but also allows for flexibility which is so important to reduce stress and maintain a better work-life balance. What is more, today, remote working is applicable to an ever-broadening variety of roles.
In a previous article on digital workplace, I discussed common misconceptions about remote working. Following up on this one, I would like to stress that its successful implementation requires two major factors: the availability of modern productivity tools and the establishment of a culture of accountability and trust. And not only that.
Am I ready for remote working?
As appealing as it may sound, the flexible workstyle demands a mindset change that employees need to be ready for.
? Am I autonomous?
? Am I focused?
? Am I results driven?
? Am I able to manage my time effectively?
? Am I able to resist distractions?
These are questions that we need to be able to answer to ourselves before embarking on a remote working journey. To achieve results when working remotely, we need to be focused, we need to be self-motivated and we need to be able to manage our time in the best way.
Remote working – my golden rules
Prepare your virtual ”office”
Even when working from home, it is important to define your “office” space. This should ideally be a separate room where you can have less distractions and where you will be able to focus. You need to make sure the room is comfortable, it has proper heating and lighting, it is secure (not so easily accessible to visitors) and it is quiet to allow you to be productive and focused.
Set boundaries
To be able to effectively manage our work while at home, your family needs to be “educated”. Explain to your loved ones that, despite being at home, you are working. Set daily working hours and ask your family to support you by not disturbing your focus during those hours. At the same time, ensure at least a minimum flexibility to be able to manage some of your personal / family responsibilities (pick up children from school, daily errands, etc.). Hint: It’s not too difficult, if we consider the peak our productivity will see from remote working.
Build trust
Things that are visible when working side by side, in a virtual environment need to be explicitly stated and accepted. Agree with your manager and team expectations on your working hours. Share openly any family needs that require you to drop out of a meeting. Give a heads up if you need more time to complete a task. Overall, manage expectations on time and deliverables. Open, transparent communication is the only way to build trust.
Stay present
Simulate a face to face meeting as much as possible. Today modern productivity tools (together with not simply headsets but also the ubiquitous cameras and the very capable broadband networks) offer the opportunity to properly manage a virtual meeting and to imitate a roundtable discussion. While most of us are used to quick calls or video chats with friends or teammates, I can assure you that large and formal meetings can also be successfully held online. I use Microsoft Teams with the camera on; it is a powerful way to do online meetings and it helps you stay focused. Be more present; do not be afraid to contribute to the meeting, to share your insights, present your view, discuss your ideas.
Avoid distractions
Apart from family, mobile workers are more prone to online distractions. Web surfing and social media are common productivity diminishers. So, discipline yourself to check social media only when you have extra minutes free.
At the same time, multi-tasking when working virtually can also reduce productivity. Many mobile workers say they try to combine work with some housework. Avoid mixing work time with other tasks. There is time for work, and there is time for the rest of your responsibilities.
Embrace feedback
We can always improve our work and become better team members and feedback is key. While observation is very easy for face to face interactions, and feedback sharing can be even part of a small talk next to the coffee machine, in the online world giving and receiving feedback is equally important. Why? Because there might be potential misconceptions and implicit assumptions, that can lead to conflict. Send minutes of meetings. Set expectations. Request follow up. Make sure to share feedback – and ask for it – on a regular basis. Constructive feedback is always a good thing – it is an opportunity to grow.
Communicate, communicate, COMMUNICATE
Working remotely many times feels lonely and isolated. Working from home and missing the face to face interaction with your manager and teammates might feel that you do not belong in the team. Communication is the only way to solve this. Do not stay with problems alone. Do not isolate yourself from your team. Do not rely only on predefined, scheduled meetings. Leverage every opportunity to connect with your colleagues. Ping or call them on Microsoft Teams to discuss ad hoc a problem where you need help with or even a second opinion. In the same manner, follow your group dialogues on Teams, contribute to it by sharing your ideas and views. It’ so much social and so much fun!
Remote working is extremely powerful
When done right, remote working can bring a lot of benefits to everyone. It’s convenient, it saves time from commuting, it gives us the flexibility to combine work and life responsibilities, it helps focus on most important tasks, it reduces stress.
But remote working by itself is not going to completely change some fundamentals of work life. One is still accountable for delivering results, is required to communicate openly and transparently, needs to build trust with their manager and team, needs to ensure efforts are aligned with the company strategic priorities.
Remote working is the future – and a not so distant one. A future that we need to responsibly embrace with an open mind, with transparent communication and a culture of accountability and trust.
* This article was featured in LinkedIn story "Tackling work-from-home like a boss": https://www.dhirubhai.net/feed/news/tackling-work-from-home-like-a-boss-4052249/
?Thank you for reading my article. I usually write about technology, equal opportunities, diversity and inclusion, future of work and other technology related topics that I think might be useful to share. If you would like to be notified about my future posts, please click “Follow” at the top of my page.
Scalability & Elasticity: High Performance Lead Auditor
3 年Probably one of the most best written justifications for why remote working is effective for self disciplined (usually), conscientious (hopefully), trusted (always), autonomous individuals and why everyone who can - should! I have been remote working bar a couple of clients or roles for 20 years... 7 is always an adventurous number (days, musical notes...) and these well thought golden rules are welcome reminders.
CEO | CSO | Payment industry Executive (FinTech) w/ extensive International Experience ( EMEA, USA , LATAM, …)
4 年Personal experience based I couldn’t agree more with each of your points and rules. The easiest way would be to have a separated /isolated office room in your own house , more common in the US but unfortunately less frequently possible in Europe. Microsoft Teams is effectively a very good tool with a set of interesting and new features facilitating the remote working! Communication is key especially these days ! Good read ! I enjoyed your article ! thanks!
Director Technical Account Management EMEA/APAC and Press Speaker DACH/NL
4 年Great article.
Global Executive, Leadership & Team Coach | Coach Supervisor | Mentor | Cultivates Emotional & Cultural Intelligence to Unlock Potential, Prosperity & Peace
4 年Schedule virtual coffee breaks via video conferencing so your #teams can stay in touch even though working from home. Even #boards can benefit from this. Much has been written about how the personal touch goes a long way in terms of #talentretention and #culture: "Hi, how are you, how is your family? How are things going?" When you can no longer "walk the floors" , #leaders, you need to find other ways to stay in touch. I have home officed for decades and will miss scheduled gatherings in the evenings. I will still go outside for walks, as my colleagues in Asia have been doing since this began.?
Live Stream Producer & Host ??Opportunity Generator ?? Lives to Serve & Help Others Succeed??Award-Winning Producer, Creator, Founder & Author?? Diversity Champion??LinkedIn Top Voice ?? Top Thought Leader
4 年Great Myladie Stoumbou! Here are some tips I posted - https://www.dhirubhai.net/posts/juliesavarino_tech-highachievers-burnout-activity-6639940067785785344-NRfi