Working from home amid physical distancing

Hope everyone is safe and healthy. With so many now working from home - and knowing that this massive transition was thrust on us without much advance planning - I put pen to paper in the hope that my experience in working from home can help others transition more effectively. Please feel free to share this with anyone who may need help adapting.

This change came suddenly and forced abrupt changes. It is important to acknowledge that so many of the ‘little things’ that comprise the typical workday are not feasible at WFH/social distancing. For example, things like the morning commute; getting the morning coffee; catching up face-to-face with peers; the in-person team meeting; joining colleagues for lunch; and the evening commute are all gone for now. Some people get energy from interacting with people in-person. Others are less than enthusiastic about change. Let’s also recognize WFH days can become monotonous. Some of this ‘new normal’ has not set in yet, but it will the longer this goes on.

Communicate more than usual. Don’t assume people feel connected; in fact, it’s safer to assume they feel disconnected. Furthermore, recognize that words are only responsible for only a fraction of how we communicate. Voice quality and body language make up the bulk. WFH and social distancing removes body language; email erodes the voice part. Use the available technology (phone, face time, zoom, etc.) to maximize your efficacy and your connection.

Collaborate and be inclusive by leveraging technology and encouraging participation. By using the phone, you are appealing to auditory learners. By sharing your screen, you are engaging visual learners. Engagement should improve as a result. And be mindful to solicit different voices and opinions throughout the day. It is human nature to want to contribute and hear different opinions from time to time.

Recognize, appreciate, and celebrate often. These are uncharted waters; enthusiasm and appreciation can be tremendous motivators.

These 11 tips can help as daily reminders:

1.   Keep in touch with peers – remain connected with your peers by phone. Voice-to-voice is really important and can’t be underestimated.

2.   Make a list every day and prioritize it daily – it is easy to stay ‘busy’ but it takes focus to remain ‘productive’. Start and finish your days with the list in mind. Were you productive? What needs to happen? What needs your attention/follow-up? Use outlook to set reminders and block calendar time to accomplish critical tasks.

3.   Start your day and finish your day on time – create a routine and stick to it. Working too many (or too few) hours can be tempting.

4.   Turn the time saved from not commuting into time to exercise, meditate, etc.

5.   Eat healthy – stick to a ‘lunchtime’ the same way you would if still in the office

6.   Check-in with your manager a couple times a week to calibrate work, confirm progress, etc. Don’t assume everyone knows what work is being done. 

7.   Compartmentalize your work time. Working from home is not the same as being at home and getting some work done. Separate your work / home life as much as you can and don’t blur the line.

8.   Get up and walk – it is easy to remain in place when working from home. Movement around the office needs to be replaced.

9.   Use the phone – emails are easy but they can be less effective than phone since they lack voice qualities. How things are communicated are often as important as the words themselves.

10. Share your screen when you can. That technology is important for efficacy and for visual learners.

11. Recognize each other! Express gratitude. Let people know when they’ve done a good job. Feeling valued and appreciated is crucial.