As businesses look to implement permanent hybrid or remote work schedules for their employees they are forced to face one of their biggest fears, lack of producitivity by employees. The idea of employees continuing with a fully remote work schedule has started to fade in favor of a hybrid work model, where employees split their time between working remote and being in the office. However, many employers are still concerned about their employee’s productivity during the remote work days. So how can you as an employee ensure that you are just as productive, or more so, on your remote work days. Below are some tips to minimize distractions and remain productive while working remote.
The hybrid work environment can often times make it more difficult for employees to stay forcused and remain productive. The constantly changing work environment can make it difficult for employees to build a routine that allows them to get work done efficiently. However, many employees feel that they are more productive when working remote due to the lack of distractions. With tools such as Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops, Citrix Workspace, and Citrix ShareFile the access to company resources and consistent work environment can be obtained for the company and employee. It is the job of the employee to ensure that they are using those tools and focusing their time and efforts on completing the tasks at hand.
- Consistent Routine – Having a consistent routine can help to ensure that you stay focused and minimize distractions. We have all been in the situation where a day full of people stopping by your desk to talk, endless meetings, the phone calls, endless Team / Slack message, and people parading by your office door throughout the day has left you feeling like you got nothing done. Distractions are one fo the biggest reasons cited for lack of productivity in the office, and working from home is no different. Establishing daily routines that include times that you work on specific tasks, time set aside specifically for email, phone calls, and meetings, etc. can help you stay focused. And remember, just because you are not physically in the office doesn’t mean that you can take time out of your work day to focus on non-work related tasks. Don’t let yourself get distracted by task and things around the house such as dishes, laundry, finishing that last episode of the latest show you have been binge watching. If you can’t do whatever it is from the office, then don’t do while working from home during work hours. The opposite of this applies when building your routine. Establish your work hours and stick to them. Don’t get in the habit of working extra hours on the days that you are working remote. If you leave the office at 5:00 then stop working at 5:00 on the days that you work remote and don’t fall victim to logging in and working just a little longer in the evenings or working through lunch, etc. Establish a routine where work time is for work, non-work time is for you, and stick to it.
- Dedicated Workspace – Make the effort to have a dedicated workspace at home that you work from. This doesn’t have to be anything elaborate or fancy. It can be a simple as you setup your laptop and work from the same place at the kitchen table everyday. Or maybe you have a small folding table that you setup each morning and take down and put away each evening. Or maybe you are fortunate enough to have a home office where you can keep your company laptop setup and at the end of the day you close the door to the office and don’t go back in till the next day. Wherever you decide to work, pick somewhere that has minimal distractions and consistently work from that location. Don’t get into the habit of jumping around and working from the couch, bed, kitchen table, garage workbench, etc. Choose a designated spot and work from there. Having this designated spot allows your brain to get in the “work” frame of mind when you are there and turn off “work” when you are everywhere else in your home. If you work from everywhere in your house you will have the feeling that you can never get away from it. Every-time you look around something will remind you of work. This is not to say that you can’t pack-up your laptop and go work outside or a coffee shop on occasion. The same rule applies here that it did to your routine. If you wouldn’t do it when you are in the office don’t do it at home.
- Know Your Tools – For many people one of the advantages of working remote is that co-workers can’t just “stop by” to talk. However, this is also one of the disadvantages since it is often times harder to collaborate on projects, get answers to your questions, or ensure that any employees that report to you have the tools and info needed to complete their job. This is why it is important to become familiar with the content sharing, collaboration, and communication tools that your company makes available to employees. The best way to get familiar with how the tools work and can be utilized is simply to start using them. See how they work, how they could fit into your daily routine, and what works best for the project you are working on or the people you are working with. This could be something like Slack, Microsoft Teams, Microsoft SharePoint, Citrix ShareFile, Citrix Podio, or setting up Citrix Workspace to see messages and notification from all of those other tools in one place. Communication and collaboration are personal decisions. What works for you and your team may not work for others. Take the time to see which tools are available and learn how to use them so that your communication and collaboration doesn’t suffer from co-works not being able to just “drop by”.
- Security, Security, Security – Regardless of size, all businesses are at risk of security threats both physical and electronic. This can be even more so when working remote, be that from your house, neighborhood coffee shop, airport, or hotel. Therefore it is even more important that you are conscious of your security practices. Don’t leave hardware or company information unattended, even if you are just going to grab that second cup of coffee at your small local coffee shop. Be leery of using public wifi in coffee shops, hotels, and airports. Using tools such as Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops minimizes the risk of public wifi be ensuring that all data is secure and encrypted between you and your company. Be cognizant of the contents of email messages and link you click on. The security processes when working remote are no different than those when working in the office, just be sure you are being more diligent and aware of your surroundings, both physical and digital.
- Self-Awareness – You know what works best for your and your working style. Some work better in groups and need constant social interaction to get things done. Others work best in solitude and need complete quiet to focus. Take note of the way you work best and tailor your remote / hybrid work environment to fit your style and minimize distractions. Minimizing the distractions, whatever they are, and building a routine will help you be your most productive and show your employer that there is no reason to have concern with a hybrid or remote work model.