Working remotely - simple ways to maintain morale and maximize efficiency in your home office
We know what you’re thinking: another article on working remotely? Well, this time it comes from experts in the field! At Global Speakers Bureau we have proudly implemented a home office strategy from the very beginning. Not only we work from different cities, but from different countries! How does it affect our teamwork? What about the timezone differences? If you’re a business owner who just happened to start communicating with your team through apps like Zoom, Slack and Asana, we’re here to help you figure out how to approach this matter like a pro!
Working remotely is not easy
There, we said it. We know exactly how it feels like the very first days. You get to stay in home all day, not have other people sniffing around your workspace and obviously - no dress code! As fun as it might sound, another days brings boredom and lack of motivation. Why even bother getting dressed, leaving the bed? Soon days will turn into weeks and you’ll lose the count on what day it is. And from then, things just get worse.
It takes a lot of practice, motivation and most importantly - good time management skills to maintain work-life balance and stay efficient! Enough of the promises, let’s get straight to our tips.
Set up your work space and take off that comfy pajama
Your bed is not a work space. As tempting as it may seem, you have to leave that comfy materace in order to be productive. The best option is to have your desk outside the bedroom. In that case, you’ll be forced to leave the bed in order to start working remotely. If for any reason that’s not possible and you’re living in a smaller place, simply put your desk as far as possible from your bed.
Next thing on the list? Start getting ready to “leave to work”. Keeping your old habits may be useful, start your day with a hot coffee, breakfast and shower and then put on your outfit. Now hold on a second, we don’t ask you to put on a tailored suit or fancy dress, simply switch from your pajama to something as comfortable. It’s all about playing tricks with your mind… Your favorite comfy tracksuit will work, believe us!
Take breaks while working remotely
So now, when you’re dressed and ready to start a day what you need is some motivation to get through it. Let’s think about it - what usually drives you to get things done? Yes, those short coffee breaks and - everyone’s favourite - a bit longer lunch break. When working on daily schedule don’t forget to include them in your timetable. Just think about it! Some may say that most people are more productive in the morning. We think that we simply want to get the “heavy stuff” done before lunch. So once again, remember about your breaks! They will help you, sometimes completely unconsciously, to plan and do your job in a more efficient way.
Oh, and maybe we should mention that breaks are good, but only when well planned. At the end, it is all about working remotely and being productive!
Working remotely with no people around you? Say hello to your virtual assistants: Asana, Zoom and Toggl
The thing with virtual assistants is that they might actually make you feel like you never left your office… but you can stay in your comfiest armchair and tracksuit. Well, unless you’re using Zoom, then you may want to look a little more formally. It’s up to you!
Let’s start from the beginning.
Asana is a work management platform for you and your employee. It helps the whole team to stay focused on their goals, projects and tasks and you to stay on track. If you’re not a fan of what is called a creative mess and prefer more organized style, Asana might be what you’re looking for! Not convinced yet? You can try Asana for free and then decide if it’s suits your company!
Are you lacking everyday meetings with your employees and customers or maybe you simply miss brainstorming in conference room? Zoom is here to rescue! The platform is gaining more and more popularity thanks to its easy, reliable cloud platform for video and audio conferencing, collaboration, chat, and webinars. Zoom has something that we like the most - large number of possibilities in one tool. On their website you’ll find short video introductions, instructions and even a live training, so that you can take full advantage of its possibilities. Basic plan for personal meetings is completely free. It’s worth mentioning though that business plans have very reasonable prices.
Last but not least - Toggl! It’s a perfect tool for those who are easily distracted. If you happen to find yourself reading about “best diy ways to refresh your wardrobe” or somehow you end up watching funny cat videos instead of working… Then you should definitely download Toggl. It’s a simple time tracker with powerful reports about your activity. What’s more, you can save some time on micromanaging your team. Toggl will supervise their work, while you can focus on more important things!
Schedule weekly or daily calls with your team
Staying on track with your team is obviously very important while working remotely. It allows you not only to supervise their work and be oriented in their progress, but what may be even more important in those difficult times, to maintain morale. We’ve got a simple but valuable advice for you! Always start a conversation with simple questions. Ask how they are, make sure they are safe and healthy. In this way you will show them that you care about their welfare - and you should never underestimate the importance of sense of security and stability. At a time when we’re all worried about uncertain tomorrow being a good leader is a great value!
Virtual events and keynotes
Social distancing has caused us to look for other forms of communication than a regular meetings or events. What to do if you are pretty new in that field and have no clue how to prepare yourself (especially when you’re not supposed to leave your house)? We have something that might be helpful! What about some guidance from a real expert, who has done online virtual events and virtual keynotes since 2001? This short video from Thomas Koulopoulos is full of tips and methods that can be used when preparing an online webinar or event! We are pretty sure that you might find some of them very useful!
Learn more about Thomas Koulopoulos
Word of advice from Lucas Gielner - CEO of Global Speakers Bureau
We hope that we have helped you a bit to overcome all this confusion with working remotely! Try to patiently follow our guidelines to finally find out that each day you’re more and more efficient and productive. Finally, we have some last advice for you from Lucas Gielner!
"Some of the biggest idea's, brands and companies we know of today were born from home offices.... Imagine the creativity boom going on right now. So let your quite little corner at home be a part of something big."
