Navigating the “New Normal”: Working from Home Effectively

It isn’t a secret that remote work is the new normal these days for most organizations. But if you feel like you or your team members aren’t getting up to speed as quickly as you’d like while working from home, you’re not alone! Shifting from being in a physical workplace to working remotely is a big change and challenge in itself.  And once you add in the stress and overwhelm of global circumstances, it isn’t a surprise that many of us are noticing a drop-off in productivity and morale.

That doesn’t mean that you should admit defeat and decide it’s inevitable that we’re all going to sit at home in pajamas all day for the next while, accomplishing the bare minimum of meaningful output. There are some basic strategies that can help us all make the best of the next few months.

Going back to Management 101, before we expect ourselves and our teams to be fired up, engaged, and productive in the middle of a global crisis, there are essential  needs that must be met. Take a cue from Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs and consider those basic elements first! While it might take some time investment up-front, it is definitely time well spent.

For part one of our three-part series on Navigating the New Normal, we’ve put together a list of our favourite “back to the basics” strategies: time-tested tools and tips for newly remote workers. 

1.      Focus on nutrition. Ensuring our bodies are fueled properly can have a huge impact on happiness and productivity. Try testing out new, healthy recipes and create a virtual forum to share them with colleagues (this can be as simple as a Google Doc!)

2.      Comfort matters. Making sure we have the work space and the tools in place to work as comfortably as possible from home is essential to effective virtual work. Make your workstation somewhere you want to spend time by ensuring it’s physically comfortable, ergonomically sound, and reasonably quiet.

3.      Prioritize self-care. It might seem like a cliché at this point, but it’s a cliché for a reason. Put on your own oxygen mask first, and focus on your own wellbeing. If you’re a leader, demonstrating solid self-care serves double duty, by giving your team members implicit permission to do the same. Prioritize self-care activities by placing them front and centre on the “official” to-do list.

4.      Reduce stress. Incorporate stress reduction and mindfulness techniques throughout the day. This doesn’t need to be complicated - it can be as simple as setting calendar reminders throughout the day to do a few stretches, listen to a mood-boosting song, or breathe deeply.

5.      Connect. Reach out regularly to team members to connect. Especially in these days of physical distancing, our sense of belonging is compromised, and that can spill over into our connections with colleagues. But with all the technology available to us, we are fortunate to have many ways to interact with each other, and this is a great time to put some of those tools to the test. Get into the habit of checking in every morning with coworkers with a genuine “How are you doing?” 

Stay tuned for Part 2 in our series on Navigating the New Normal, which will dive into the tools, tech, and training to support a successful remote work relationship.

Leading a team? With everything changing, now is the time to pivot. To do differently. To take the steps needed to shift to a digital and remote landscape. And, as always, throughout these changes, we’re here to provide advice, resources, or a lifeline.