Are you new to working remotely? Here are 8 critical things you need to be doing to succeed whilst working away from the office...

Written by Janani D'Silva, long time remote worker, coach and technology consultant.

As working away from the office becomes the new normal, be it semi-permanent, or a slice and dice of some days from home and some days from the office, it's not as simple as just a change of location. You need to be actively managing your outcomes, your stakeholders, your schedule and your well-being. Here are some strategies you can implement to be on top of your game, as the game changes.

1. Talk! Pick up the phone and check in with at least 2 of your stakeholders (be it your manager, supplier, colleague or client) every day. Incidental conversation carries a lot of weight in building your knowledge and your relationship. Part of this is remaining visible, so make sure you join those company wide virtual events, the HR run well-being sessions, and make the most of opportunities to join team meetings. They may be optional, but they are an important part of not only remaining visible, but also keeping connected to your Company and work community, at a time where it can be very easy to become disengaged.
2. Stop! If you're finding yourself plugging away at your keyboard at 9pm at night, you need to set very clear boundaries before you burn out. Set up a timetable of when you are going to focus on what and stick to it! If you're picking up kids, making dinner, going to the gym - factor that in, and then know when you are clocking off. This also means disconnecting from VPN and shutting down that computer. Your machine and your mind benefits from a shut down and reboot every day.
3. Step up! It's time to dust off the old pedometer and look to clocking up some steps. The most effective way for me to add those steps during traditional office days was to have walking meetings when I didn't need screen or documents in front of me. Now it means I can take a 30 minute call walking around the neighborhood and add chip away at my stepping goals whilst working.
4. Get dressed! Sure we can all wear lounge wear, and as colder climate hits the Southern hemisphere it's tempting to stay in your pyjamas - but a fresh start each morning, with rituals around getting dressed for your day will set you up for a successful day.
5. Get disciplined! Log off social media sites until it's your time to do so - with so many different apps being a tap away, it's easy to get lost in Insta, Facebook, LinkedIn and the like - all grabbing your energy and time. Keep to your boundaries of what gets your attention. Help yourself by minimising your digital disruptions during your set work time.
6. Focus! Now, with your social media in check, look at your work network and the many distractions. Set your Instant Messenger to DO NOT DISTURB, before you commence an activity that you want to give your 100% focus to. Same goes to pop up email notifications, bells, dings, whizzes. I'm about to be controversial here but... try turning off all those notifications and vibrations on your phone and see how much peace you get to focus!
7. Manage expectations! Be diligent in keeping connected to your manager, so they know what outcomes you are working towards and to understand expectations on what they want from you. Ensuring you are aligned is critical, so you don't leave room for surprises during performance appraisal time. Own your career and be proactive in knowing what is expected of you, what your time frames are, and keep up regular connection to ensure everyone is on the same page.
8. Back off! Step away from your work-space - if this means going out and getting some fresh air, petting your fluffy friends, making lunch, or watering your plants, ensure you take a few minutes to disengage from work during the day so you aren't running from task to task. Your mind needs micro-breaks to reset and work optimally, so use the power of the pause during your day. Nothing quite like reaping the benefits of hanging out at home more than usual!

Is there anything else you do whilst working remotely that you find critical to success? Please share your strategies and tips for an effective remote working approach so we can benefit from conversation.

__________________________________________________________________________

Thank you for reading my article. I coach and mentor the junior workforce in the organisation I work for, and am also a mother of three, wife of one and friend of many! I have been in management consulting and technology project delivery for 19 years and my joy comes from helping clients, colleagues and friends succeed personally and professionally.