6 Ways to Make Remote Work Work

Working remotely poses unique challenges for individuals and teams. In such tumultuous times, it’s important to find a North Star to navigate to. It is important to note that, unfortunately, not everyone can work remotely and I consider myself very fortunate. As someone with years of experience working remotely and managing remote teams, I wanted to take this opportunity to share a few things I’ve learned about working remotely.  

1. Focus: Prioritize and commit. Have a daily to-do list and set up a distraction-free work environment (or as close as you can get to one). What does distraction free mean? I recommend checking out this presentation one our remote work pros made. He gives a lot of great tips around getting and staying focused at GoodTime!
2. Motivate: Staying motivated is one of the most difficult parts of working remotely.  I’ve found that starting my day with a prioritized to-do list is one of the easiest ways for me to track my progress and feel accomplished about what I’ve finished. In my experience, it’s not so much the social isolation that makes working remotely difficult-- it’s the lack of structure. Structure helps keep you motivated and on track. If you’re managing a team, make sure you add the 1-2 highest daily priorities from each of your team members so you can also keep track of their progress. I have regular check-ins and 1:1s with my teammates to make sure we’re staying on track.
3. Communication: Always over-communicate. Even if you feel like you’re bothering someone, it’s always better to communicate as much as possible. Additionally, try and make your communication as close to in-person as possible. This means video meetings with the camera on, so you can see everyone’s facial expressions. While written communication is great for brevity and keeping a paper trail, the non-verbal communication you get from video chatting is just as essential. Another part of communication is keeping your calendar up-to-date. Let your team know when you’re taking breaks (and you should be taking breaks-- stretch those fingers and rest your eyes) and when you’re eating lunch. Just make sure your team knows when you’ll be away and for how long.  There are few things more annoying than pinging someone on Slack and receiving a response four hours later. Use “brb” for short breaks or update your status. Update your calendar if you plan on taking a longer break.
4. Balance: Take breaks. It's unrealistic to expect you will be completely uninterrupted or that you keep your focus for hours on end. I have two young daughters who are thrilled to see their dad home, and I enjoy it while it lasts. Take a break. Stretch, play, drink coffee, read, whatever. Remember that to-do list I mentioned earlier? You’ll get it done, but not all at once. 
5. Work Mindset: You are at work. When working from home some (yes, you) would love to stay in your pajamas all day. Yes, I know it’s comfortable and saves on laundry and folding, etc. Creating a clear separation between home and work is paramount. (Or as much as possible if you have children home with you.) Apart from creating a separate work environment at home, I strongly advise that you also dress up, and maintain a clear and consistent schedule (meals, breaks, etc.) My wife and I take shifts managing the kids for several hours while the other person gets a few uninterrupted work hours in. And keep your mobile phone out of sight to minimize distractions (I prefer having my conversations on my laptop anyway.) When you finish your day, put your laptop out of sight and unplug. 
6. Working Out (or In): “If you haven't got your health you haven’t got anything.” (Count Rugen, The Princess Bride). I wish I could say that I meditate everyday. I should, but I don’t. I do work out though, and try to eat as healthy as I can, especially in times like these. I can get into the importance of maintaining certain serotonin levels, bone and muscle mass, etc. but I am trying to keep this short.

Being an all-star remote worker comes with time, and especially in such stressful times as these, it’s important to focus on acceptance and growth. The bottom line is, we will be feeling the effects of this pandemic  for at least a few months if not longer. This uncertainty, especially when compounded with thoughts about the impact on our health system, economy, and our country overall - can be overwhelming. Other than being responsible and practicing social distancing, it is unfortunately almost entirely outside our control. What is within our control is how we choose to cope with this uncertainty. The silver lining here that it is also a great opportunity to grow personally and professionally. I, for example, am taking more courses at FreeCodeCamp to brush up my coding skills. I draw more and read more. This is the perfect time to pick up another language, improve your cooking skills, or try and write that book you always thought you should some day.