10 Ways To Be More WFH Proficient

Being proficient at work from home (or WFH) can be challenging. There are tons of diversions, less accountability, and less guidance than when you’re working in the office. WFH is not impossible, it can be actually more productive when done right. There are lots of ways to keep your WFH efficient from any location. This is not about Covid19 and 2020 pandemic, WFH is here to stay an for many workers in the USA and globally. 

1.     Stay Connected - The best two things about working in an office is the potential for socialization and collaboration. Just because you WFH does not mean you lose these. Just check in with your coworkers daily, whether by email, phone, chat, or even a virtual Zoom lunch.

2.     Find inspiration – The biggest advantage of WFH is that you can’t distract your coworkers. Go ahead and play you favorite music loud and proud, or try a more soothing soundtrack, with nature sounds, find your background music. If you’re doing repetitive tasks and not on the phone: audiobook or podcast can help.

3.     Keep your work area clean – Sorry but at home you do not have a janitor to clean up after you, which means DIY. Keeping your home office clean helps you stay focused, get organized, and be productive. Even if you are not bothered by a messy desk, keeping some order ensures that nothing important falls through the cracks.

4.     No roommates allowed - Being proficient in WFH all about boundaries, this also means setting boundaries for kids, pets, and your spouse or roommates. I know this can be difficult during a pandemic situation.

5.     Make yourself a dedicated office space - It might be tempting to work from your sofa, Lazy-Boy, or even from your bed, but this could take a huge toll on your efficiency. Try to always work from the same: room, desk, and chair. This tells your brain that it’s time for work, not relaxation.

6.     Dress like you are at work - Shorts and a T-shirt might be more comfortable, but you may also feel sluggish, sleepy, or unmotivated. This includes showering and brushing your teeth! This will tell your brain that it’s work time, not relaxation time, and that will give you a lot more energy. Even if you won’t be interacting with another person all day, it’s important to dress for success.

7.     Just like to office take breaks - Make sure you get up from your desk during those breaks–get some fresh air, grab a healthful snack, and talk with another human being if at all possible. All of these activities will help you reset, get your blood flowing, and make sure you’re ready to go back to work in a productive way.

8.     Plan your day - One certain way to keep productivity up is to think and plan your work day. Before you even start working, make sure you know what your priorities are for the day. How long you think it will take you to get everything done, and what you will work on if you have extra time. It helpful to take a few minutes before you finish your workday to plan for the next day. In your planning, consider the following:

·       Do the highest priority tasks first

·       Plan your day around your hardest work, when you have the most energy

·       Plan yourself rewards and breaks throughout the day

9.     Keep work time and personal time separate - Keeping work time and personal time compartmentalized also helps you keep productive while you’re at work, and reduces stress when you aren’t at work. Just as it’s important to work when you say you will, it’s important to give yourself time off when you’ve promised it. Don’t extend the work day too far beyond what you planned, at the risk of burning yourself out.

10.   Keep regular work hours - It’s tempting to give yourself total flexibility as to when you get started, take breaks, and call it a day. But you’re doing yourself a disservice if you don’t keep yourself to at least some amount of consistency. Setting yourself consistent hours keeps you accountable to yourself and to your boss. This doesn’t mean that you need to work 9-5 every day. Here are the important factors to consider when you’re setting an at home work schedule:

·       Make yourself available when your boss needs you.

·       Make yourself available when your coworkers and customers need you

·       Make the most of use the day when you are most productive

If you can master these Top 10 recommendations, you will be a WFH Grand Master before you know it. You might even find that the days you work from home are your most productive days!

As many of you know, I represent a company called ThinkOwl. ThinkOwl is a practical AI and our company has been delivering results for the biggest global companies since 1996. This is true OmniChannel customer experience solution, we guarantee a 25% cost savings based on real KPIs. Our AI learns from your experts, for increased accuracy and quality, you could see a 60% improvement in average handling time. ThinkOwl also cuts your search time by 30% and can lower your training time by 50% – so if you want to look at a WFH productivity tool. I’m happy to show how ThinkOwl can help.

Cheers,

James Wilson

P 1-404 936 4000

[email protected]