The benefits of remote work are undeniable. It offers employees greater flexibility, freedom, and autonomy. And for employers, it can lead to increased productivity and lower overhead costs. But as with anything, there are challenges that come with remote work.
In this blog post, we’ll show you eight fast and easy ways to improve remote work performance.
Communicate Effectively
One of the challenges of remote work is that there can be a lack of communication between employer and employee. To overcome this, it’s essential to communicate frequently and effectively. To do this, you can apply the tips offered by Jill Kent to make communication effective in the workplace, including:
- Face-to-face communication strategies as long as your remote or hybrid work environment allows it.
- Online communication strategies comprehend emails, instant messaging, videoconferencing, Intranet, and social media.
- Environmental communication strategies like having an open-door policy, onboarding new employees, and carrying out surveys and suggestions.
Set Expectations
Another challenge of remote work is that employees may not be sure what they are supposed to do. To avoid this, set clear expectations from the outset, which implies working on your communication style.
It’s important to be clear and concise when communicating with your remote team. If you want to know more about communication and managing remote teams, we recommend you read our blog post.
You can deepen your understanding of communication in the workplace by watching this TED talk.
Stay Organized
When you’re working remotely, it’s easy to let your work life bleed into your personal life. To avoid this, create a dedicated workspace and stick to a strict schedule. To organize your remote teams, you can use technological resources and tools.
Several tools and resources are available to help you stay organized and productive. For instance, you can use project management software, such as Trello or Monday, to assign tasks to your remote employees and monitor their performance.
In addition, you can use messaging software to stay in touch with them and notify them of assignments. Also, you can utilize collaborative cloud software, like Google docs, to edit documents collaboratively.
Create a Work Schedule
A key part of staying organized is creating a work schedule and sticking to it. You’ll get more done in less time by setting office hours and laser-focusing during those hours. To create a work schedule that works for you, start by considering these recommendations.
- In your schedule, working hours should be planned around natural energy peaks and valleys to ensure that tasks are completed most efficiently.
- Keep your deadlines realistic and include breaks in your company’s work schedule.
- Have a conversation with your remote team about creating a cohesive, inclusive, and helpful work schedule that contemplates everyone’s concerns.
- Promote work-life balance for overall happiness.
Take Breaks
Working remotely can be great, but taking breaks is important, so you and your employees don’t get burnt out.
When you’re taking a break, it’s a good idea to get up and move around rather than sit in front of a screen the whole time. You can also use your break to catch up on personal emails or social media.
Moreover, try to promote physical activity, meditation, and mindfulness in your remote team.
Be Mindful of Time Differences
If you’re working with team members in different time zones, be mindful of the time difference when scheduling meetings or sending emails. Furthermore, if you’re looking to outsource employees from other countries or recruit freelancers through Upwork, be aware of the potential cultural and linguistic barriers.
If you want to learn more about what outsourcing entails in terms of this diversity, we invite you to read our blog post.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
One of the great things about remote work is that many tools and technologies are available to make your job easier. Utilize project management tools, video conferencing platforms, and file-sharing services to make working remotely easier than ever before.
Likewise, we recommend you have a project leadership approach in your company. By developing a leadership oriented toward achieving common goals, you’ll manage to influence your employees, motivate them, and take productivity and efficiency to the next level.
While there are challenges that come with remote work, there are also many benefits. By following these eight tips, you can improve your performance and make the most out of working remotely.