The Biggest 5 Challenges of Working Remote

 

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In the last year we've seen the biggest shift of people working remote that the business world has ever seen. More people than ever are posting up in their home office, basement, garage, kitchen etc as they work on projects when they'd normally work in the office. Many companies have told their employees they'll be home for several more months and some companies have even said they're making remote working the new normal for their business. Remote working has its advantages and it also has its challenges. Here are 5 of the biggest challenges of working remote.

Distraction

It's easy to be distracted when you're working from home. All of the things you do to have fun, relax or rest are at home. While you should be working it's easy to see that book you mean to finish, the TV where you binge your favorite shows or the video games you've been playing. Check out these articles for tips on how to stop procrastinating and stay focused.

Overwork

When you work from home it's easy to overwork. You are essentially at work all the time and may feel the need to hop onto your computer and begin to work on that big project early. It's just as easy to stay late. Instead of overworking, try creating a virtual commute. A virtual commute is time you block out on your calendar before and after work where you mentally and physically transition into and out of work. Check out the following articles that will help you avoid overworking.

Staying Connected

It's important to stay connected with your workers while you're working remote. In the office it's easy to stay connected. You see them face to face, you can walk over to their desk and chat about a project. You can have that same ease of communication in a virtual environment as well! Your organization probably already uses internal communication tools. Some of my favorites are Microsoft Teams and Slack. Both of these tools have paid and free tiers and allow you to meet with and collaborate with your peers. You can build private groups and channels to communicate with your peers and friends at work and stay connected throughout the workday. 

Visibility

It's easy to feel that you aren't as visible to your boss when you're working in a remote environment. In the office you see your boss face to face and can physically collaborate on something you're working on. You can maintain this visibility in a remote environment too! Make sure to set up regular and scheduled sync conversations to connect more formally. Also, make sure that you ping your boss at least 2-3 more times per week. This may be via messenger, via text or a simple phone call. Just call to quickly chat about a project you're working on, give them an update on the progress and move on to your next meeting. Creates that connection while affirming that you're on track. Here are some tips for staying connected and having productive conversations.

No Dedicated Space

Having a dedicated space to work in is really important to working from home. Having your own desk where you go to and leave from work allows you to better manage your work and allows you to mentally transition into work and away from work. It also means that you have a consistent place to work every day, so when you are there you can feel dedicated to the task at hand. 

How has working from home been for you? I've found it refreshing and that my productivity has actually increased? Have you had that experience or is yours different? Tell me! Post below, send me a direct message!


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