New to Working From Home? Here Are 10 of Our Top Tips to Making Things Go Smoothly

With all the precautions being taken to contain the coronavirus, many of you may be faced with a new norm of temporarily working from home. Since Harbinger Partners has been a virtual organization since our inception in 1999, we wanted to share our top 10 tips for making working remotely work.

1. Home Office

Selecting a work location where you can stay organized but also walk away from at the end of the day is important. If you don’t have a formal home office, try to find a location where you won’t be competing with other daily household activities. For example, the kitchen table seems to be a great place – until it’s time for dinner. Instead, setting up a workstation in a guest room, craft room, or another less used location may be more efficient and less distracting for you. Be sure to include good lighting and ensure that your internet connection is strong.

2. Business or Casual

Get up and get ready for the day as if you were going into the office. Because you are! It may seem like staying in pajamas is a good idea, until you have an impromptu video chat or need to spontaneously attend an outside meeting. In those moments, you’ll be grateful that you are prepared and looking and feeling your best. Details still matter – even if you don’t leave the house that day. Comforts of home professionally executed.

3. Family Time

It may not take long for you to “get into the groove” of working from home, but sometimes it can take family members longer to adjust. Be sure they understand that even though you are at home, you are really “at work.” For both your home family and work family, set up “interruption” expectations so you can balance both effectively.

4. Work/Life Balance

Now that your work is in your home, it’s important to create a mental barrier to keep the two separated. Be sure to not let work overtake your time with friends and family and at the same time, limit distractions when you are on the job to not take away from work responsibilities. Keep work in your designated workspace and leave it at the end of the workday. Additionally, avoid taking your computer with you to another room at end the day. This practice will help you keep your priorities balanced.

5. Break Time

Take time away from your work to exercise, meditate, eat, or whatever keeps you energized. Without the many distractions of working in an office with others, it can be easy to stay focused on your work. While the extra productivity is good, moving your body each hour, even for a few minutes, is healthy.

6. Technology Tools

Utilize tools available to you. Technology such as Slack, group texting, Instant Messenger, and video conferencing are excellent methods of communicating. Our team finds that video conferencing works great for staying connected. It can be helpful for group meetings and is also a great tool for one-on-one collaboration, especially when the technology allows screen sharing.

7. Accountability

Even though you are working from home, you are still held to the same accountability on deliverables as when you are in an office. Making daily “to do” lists and limiting distractions like social media and television can help you stay focused and on track.

8. Isolation

Working from home can be isolating. If this happens, it is important to reach out to others. One idea is to set up a video call with a co-worker to visit briefly. Consider it no different than visiting with someone in the hallway at work. It can break up the day and lift your spirits.

9. Working Style

Once you’ve been working from home for a bit, you may find you have a different working style than when you are in an office setting. People who prefer to work 8:00 to 5:00 when driving into the office, may find that they are much more productive working 9:00-6:00 when working from home. If your employer approves, this can be one of the big perks of working remotely! Tools like Slack allow you to choose a status, like do not disturb, away from my desk, or out to lunch, so your co-workers know you are unavailable.

10. Over Communication

When working remotely, the importance of communication goes to new heights. While timely responses and updates may seem obvious, don’t underestimate the power of a quick phone call with a friendly, “is this a good time to visit?” message on occasion as well.

We hope these tips help you all stay safe and productive in these unprecedented times.