7 practical tips for successful remote work

Work outside the office requires focus and strategy. Plus some element of the game. Today we will share with you a translation of an article from Maren Kate Donovan. Consider how to organize remote work for you and your employee.

When it comes to working remotely, most people react to it immediately and instinctively: many are anxious, others - on the contrary, they feel as if they have thrown off the shackles, and ghostly freedom loomed on the horizon. But whatever your prejudices about working outside the office , be aware that this is not something unknown. Many people work remotely and are not going to give up this business!
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Having worked outside the office environment since I was 18 years old, and now - managing a company with several hundred virtual employees, I have gained a deep understanding of methods that allow you to successfully and profitably organize remote work that can be enjoyable.

1. Find the right job.

This is one of the most important aspects of work in general, which is often overlooked. Instead, people only look at the number of zeros in the job description or look for a sense of security and good health insurance. Do not misunderstand me, a big salary and tremendous medical insurance are factors that cannot be ignored, but the fact that if you don’t like work you will always feel unnecessary and empty. On the other hand, if you love what you do, you will do it more and better.

“Correct” work is usually the one in which there are three main components:

• What do you like to do
• What do you do best
• What is valuable for the organization

By strengthening your position in the workplace, which combines these three factors, you will get more job satisfaction, less stress, and better performance . Therefore, before you go to a strictly rationed job that will lead you to a psychological, emotional and spiritual impasse, allow yourself to do a real job search that will be right for you. Do you think this does not exist? I advise you to start with a 5-minute search on the Internet.

2. Get ready for success by reducing barriers.

There are many ways to reduce barriers to success, but one of the main and most important is the introduction of organization systems in your workflow, which will prepare for high productivity.
Whether you work at home at a large oak table or in a cafe with free Wi-Fi, the organization of work is of paramount importance (in the drawers of your desk - to know exactly where the backup drive is located; or on the desktop of your laptop, to know where to find the right one table).

Since the routine work of organizing the process is boring, and arranging the workplace may seem like a waste of time separating you from more pressing tasks (ensuring the timing of work, responses to business letters, etc.), it is tempting to ignore this stage. But do not underestimate it - a strategic organization can pay off by increasing productivity. As a result, I realized that it is best to implement an organization in every task performed. Confusion in the environment (real or virtual) can lead to confusion in thoughts. A few extra seconds here, some systematic approach there - all this will allow you to save the missing hours and avoid crashing plans in the future.

3. Keep in touch with your team

When working remotely, much of the communication with the team may look unnatural, because you do not want to “bother” or admit that you need help. But nothing encourages people to act like teamwork.

In an office setting, you unknowingly take advantage of the opportunity to chat over a cup of coffee with a colleague, tell him how the weekend was, and about other important news. It may seem trivial, but this is the interpersonal communication that strengthens relationships, improves interaction in the project and creates a sense of loyalty that causes people to sacrifice something for others. At the professional level, spending extra effort to edit an employee report, or performing a task that your colleague does not have time to complete, can be a key element in creating a strong and efficient working team. In such an environment, you feel yourself in a team where everyone is ready to give each other a shoulder.

Fully maintaining such relationships improves working relationships. For example, your supervisor will know exactly what task you are working on, and what ideas you are proposing. When working remotely, managers (and team members!) Will not know what you are working on until you inform them.

Turning on off-site notification when you are not working helps to keep in touch. Better when all team members are displayed on the same page. This type of interaction, even if virtual, is important and creates an environment in which the team is available to each member.

4. Game

The feeling of “playing” in work comes naturally when you feel connected with the team and love what you are doing. In this case, active involvement leads to creative, pleasant and useful work on the solution of the tasks.
This leads to a phenomenon which in psychology and neuroscience is called streaming consciousness. The state in which we are so passionate about what we do, that we lose self-awareness. The best works are born precisely when we are “in the zone” or are clearly focused on our activities at a particular moment.

But what if this feeling of the game does not come by itself, but you need to work it out? In this case, it is precisely due to the proper management of your energy, and not time, you can get pleasure from work.

5. Manage energy, not time.

If the idea of ​​controlling your energy, and not time, inexplicably causes you to sigh of relief, we can rejoice: you are healthy. Energy management makes sense because this is something you can control. Time is often a dubious friend. Sometimes it can play for us, but more often - against. So, the time resource is limited, while energy can always be created (remember the good old law of conservation of energy?). Thus, the case is reduced only to finding a way to produce more efficient energy that can be applied in your work.

Here's how you can do it: identify simple actions that energize you, not take it away. For example, include in your schedule 15-minute walks in the morning and in the afternoon. And stick to this order! Although it may look like a conflict of interest, because it takes you away from the computer and forces you to interrupt the next letter, but a short break will improve blood flow, increase the amount of oxygen delivered to the brain and significantly increase your energy.

Similarly, by taking time to exercise or meditate, you can radically improve your well-being, not to mention the actual state of health. Remember that the main thing is to stick to your schedule with regard to such periods of recharging with energy in order to achieve more effective and long-term results in your chosen style of work.

6. Be persistent

I constantly quote this Kelvin Coolridge quotation because it is a mantra that inspires me every time I re-read it:

“Nothing in the world can replace perseverance. Talent - can not, because there are so many talented losers around. Genius - can not, unpaid genius - the talk of the town. Education - can not, the world is full of unclaimed educated people. Only perseverance and determination - omnipotent. The motto “Keep up the good work!” Has solved and will always solve the problems of the human race. ”

Indeed, it has been scientifically proven that when we are facing a new task or accept a challenge, mental agony is a good natural helper. And later, when we feel a sense of satisfaction from the work done, our brain becomes stronger from coping with this stress.

There are always obstacles that need to be overcome in the process of doing any work, and the best way to get to the finish line is often to move to the goal step by step.

7. Be proud of your work.

After you have created something, worked hard, played and promoted your offspring, it is very important to applaud yourself for a job well done, for good work it is extremely necessary. Congratulations! The sense of accomplishment of the task and the satisfaction that you gain by paying tribute to your efforts will strengthen your subconscious and allow you to keep up the pace and continue to move forward.

It is extremely important to understand that recognition, by us or by other people, can significantly affect productivity . Therefore, having completed a big task, celebrate the end by sharing it with the team, and pamper yourself by visiting the nearest cafe.

Remote work scares many, others consider it happiness. When you understand the factors on which successful self-management and maintaining meaningful connections with your colleagues depend, and you see your own well-being, the word “distant” ceases to mean isolation, but rather a means of choosing your own career direction.

PS We recommend another article on the topic - To become a leader for others, first become a leader for yourself.

Translated by Vyacheslav Davidenko, founder of MBA Consult