Two Facets of a successful remote career: 10 Effective Tips For Remote Workers

The success of a remote worker has two sides: (1) planning your personal work/life, and (2) collaborating well with colleagues. They are intertwined – and here’s how to ace both. 

 

Many job seekers today look for the phrase “remote” in a job post before applying.

Yes, the perks of working remotely are too good to ignore – and this goes beyond the pandemic. 

Setting your own flexible time. Working from your preferred location. The absence of office politics. Plus the added freedom.

But the grass may not always be greener on the other side. 

The truth is, remote work can be daunting to even the most motivated. There will be days you don’t want to log into your team’s project management dashboard.

Thankfully, we’ve gathered 10 effective tips to help you stay productive as a remote worker.  

I’ve divided this post into two parts. 

Part 1 will walk you through how to improve your productivity and work better remotely. We’ll cover:

• Your remote office – comfortable but productive
• Investment in the right working gear
• Working hours – for productivity and work/life balance
• Taking regular breaks to refresh your mind
• Documenting your workflow for consistent productivity
• Planning – week/month

Part 2 of the article will cover effective remote working tips with your team – thus, collaboration and communication. This part will cover:

• Connecting the team’s goals with yours

• Communicating your progress

• Making your work or task challenges known to the team

• Embracing an “open office” culture

Let’s get started.

 

Part 1: Tips for making your remote work environment great and achieving excellent work-life balance. 

Build a comfortable and productive workspace.

When working remotely, anywhere can be an office, but not every office is productive. The magic is to find a balance between comfort and productivity. 

Your home office: Whether you’re using your bedroom or kitchen as your home office, make sure it has a motivational environment to keep you going. Keep it simple, with options for sitting and standing (desks). Use proper lighting, stickers, and wall art to make the space lively.

Co-working space: Working in your pajamas at home can sometimes be demotivating. A co-working space nearby could help you beat the boredom and meet new people.

 

General workspace tips for maximum productivity.

Wherever you’re working from, keep these tips in mind. 

• Proper lighting – boosts your mood and energizes you to work harder

• Make sure you’re not in a noisy environment, especially when using a co-working space or coffee shop. 

• Use ergonomic and comfortable furniture that helps you keep a healthy posture. It also prevents neck and back pains. 

• Make it fun. NO, you can’t have ping pong tables. However, you can get funny wall and laptop stickers to keep you smiling when work gets boring. 

• Keep water and snacks near you or coffee if that’s what you prefer

 

Get yourself the best technology for working remotely

Well, we all know the tech needed right? Great laptop and fast Wi-Fi. 

While this is true, being productive as a remote worker goes beyond a computer and Wi-Fi connection. 

Depending on the work you do, you may need a lot of other techs to stay productive. 

Customer service representatives, for instance, need an audio system and noise-cancelling headphones. 

The same goes for remote employees whose work comprises video and audio discussions every single day. Other great gear for remote workers include a wireless keyboard, a second screen, a good smartphone, a camera, and more. 

Aside from these, video, collaboration, and chat tools such as Slack, Skype, Zoom, and Asana, among others, are usually provided by your organization. Investing in the right tech makes work easier and increases your productivity.

 

Maintain a strict but balanced schedule for effective remote work

Set strict work schedules. 

Work can be so “free” without a co-worker talking to you from the other desk. But there are still things that could distract you from achieving maximum productivity. 

This is why it’s important to have a strict work schedule. It could be one-time work or you can divide work into 2 or 3 different schedules.  It keeps you focused and helps you meet your goals efficiently. 

Experiment with different schedules to identify your magic moments. We all know, as remote workers, that productivity fluctuates. 

The more reason why it’s good to find the schedules that work best for you. Do you prefer working early in the morning? That’s good. 

Love nighttime work? That’s also perfect. 

The best way to stay on top of the game is to experiment with different schedules if your work allows it, to know what time works best for your productivity.

 

Document your workflow for consistent productivity

Keep track of your entire workflow. Try to separate tasks that are repetitive from those that evolve over time. If your work allows it, you can automate some of the repetitive tasks so you have time to focus on other tasks. 

Beyond your benefits, workflow recording helps other team members as well. During a holiday or vacation, any member who picks your documented workflow will know how you go about things. This also makes delegation easier and helps keep tasks in check.

 

Make planning a part of your daily routine

Going into a day or week without a plan is the quickest route to failure as a remote worker. 

There’s usually a lot to do. And you have to plan ahead if you want to achieve anything worthwhile. 

To stay productive, keep and maintain a monthly plan of what you’re going to be doing. Each month should have weekly goals and tasks to simplify work. 

Planning keeps you focused on your job and helps you meet your team’s goals.

 

Take regular breaks 

All work and no play make the remote worker unproductive. In a remote working environment, there are few to no distractions. 

While this helps you focus on the important things, work, sometimes, is just boring. Taking regular breaks to warm up helps keep you productive. 

However, remember that too much of everything is bad. Taking regular breaks doesn’t mean you should leave your desk every 15 minutes. While working remotely, breaks are necessary for refreshing your brain. 

 

 

 Part 2: Maximizing remote work productivity with your team

Working remotely doesn’t mean you’re an island. Yes, you’re not alone. 

What you do and what your team does affects every aspect of your work and that of the team. Making sure you’re accountable, reliable, and part of a whole is the best way to achieve success together. 

But how do you do it? Here’s how. 

 

Connect your goals with that of the team

We all have goals as part of a team. The team also has goals. 

It’s important to make sure your goals are in line with that of your team. This could include finishing that article on time, presenting your design, or launching that API you’re working on. You can also sync personal goals. 

Aligning your goals, both professional and personal, with your organization and the team is a step towards achieving big things together.

 

Take part in weekly calls and get updated on what’s going on 

Like one-on-one meetings in the office, weekly meetings are great productivity starters for every remote team. 

As a remote worker, taking part in these team calls helps you learn what’s happening with everyone. You get to tell the team what you’re working on, what you intend to do in the next day or week. During these meetings:

• Ask questions 

• Ask for help if you need it

• Use this opportunity to collaborate with anyone you would like to work on a project with.

• Give your team members ample time to get back to you by letting them know when something is due.

 

Make your problems known to the team

There are bound to be problems at work – it’s normal. 

Sometimes you’re not clear about an instruction. Other times, the team gives you something you can’t handle. 

In this situation, the “keep quiet and suffer” mentality won’t get you anywhere. 

In order to build the team together, you need to open up about your problems. 

This could include any instructions you need to be clear on, an application you need to make your work easier, or something that someone said that makes you feel bad. 

Nobody is an island in a remote team, and you shouldn’t be by keeping quiet when problems arise.

 

Pursue an “open” remote working strategy

In a physical office, an “open” environment means “a work setting that fosters flowing communication. This type of environment allows employees to receive input from colleagues, projects can run more smoothly, and it fosters informal conversations that build trust for others’ judgment calls and expertise.”

Try this strategy in a remote work environment. 

Working remotely is becoming easier every passing day, thanks to the many tools out there. Collaboration, chat, file-sharing, and more. 

Embracing an open work environment means that you make all the files that would be needed available in a shared document. It could be on Google docs or sheet, on slack, Jira, or on any collaboration platform that the team uses. 

Whatever you’re working on, try to update your team’s shared folders, communicate your progress, and share your files. 

An open work environment helps you, and your team avoid unnecessary pressure during emergencies. For instance, your team may need a document urgently and you wouldn’t be online or even on vacation. Always keep your organization’s files in open and shared resources to make them available when you’re traveling or faced with an unexpected situation.

 

Final morsels on guidelines and tips for working remotely, effectively.

That’s it for you. Remote work has stayed and it’s growing.

However, remote work isn’t some magic you sprinkle on your career and automatically get to success. 

We all know the advantages of deciding your own working time and working from wherever you’re. 

Regardless, there are days when you can’t seem to find motivation to work. When you’re stuck anytime, this guide will help spice your productivity.