Our New Normal
7 Strategies for Operating in a Remote World
Editor’s Note: These strategies, previously published nationally remain highly sought after as a viable blueprint for leaders as our workforce needs and work environment continue to evolve.
Our whole world has changed. This is not the 2020 we thought we’d be living. The state of how we live and engage with others has changed, possibly forever. As a firm who frequently operates within a variety of client workspace scenarios, we offer you a set of 7 tips as you navigate a remote working environment. If you find yourself behind the computer at home trying to juggle it all, then this post is for you.
1. Structure – just because many of us are now working remotely full time, that doesn’t mean we don’t still need to maintain and adhere to a schedule. Participating in work team conference calls will certainly help fill up our schedules. Additionally, we must also calendar block critical project work to ensure we have a balanced day. This can be work or home projects that must be completed. This schedule will help you manage having young people at home too (more on that later).
2. Self-care – amidst all the pressure to stay connected at work with your boss, your team and your clients in addition to managing the altered family activities at home, you must build in time to step away from it all if only for a few minutes. You may choose to engage in a quick meditation at your desk; step out for a run; or simply stretch and walk around your home office. A few helpful apps to consider are Calm, Insight Timer and Headspace. They all have adjustable meditation settings you can use ranging from a 5 minute mind clearing to an hour long deep stress release.
3. Family support & routine – if you are a member of a family that includes a spouse/significant other, an elderly parent, children, other extended family, then this strategy may be of assistance to you. The more people in your household, the more important it is to manage expectations of roles, work and together time. Even though it may seem counterproductive to having fun, kids operate much better with a routine; they crave it actually. Pull together and post in a prominent place a simple schedule that kids, spouses and housemates alike feel comfortable with. It will save you a little bit of stress during the day. Sequestering yourself behind closed doors is also a plus. Many of you have home offices, but if you don’t, then find an area of your home, the back patio even, that is sacred to you to take care of your daily work objectives. If you have really small children in the home who need more time and attention, consider partnering with another parent with whom you can trade virtual time. More specifically, while you work for an hour, perhaps she can entertain your child (and hers) via a Zoom or FaceTime meeting. Above all pace yourself! Give yourself some grace, knowing in some cases you may only have small pockets of time to work.
4. Physical fitness – you don’t have to be a triathlete to take advantage of the great benefits of moving your body. This is particularly beneficial when you have been sitting on conference calls or hunched over your laptop all day. In fact, rewind the tape and get your day started off right by incorporating a simple workout routine. You can run or walk through your neighborhood, strength train with hand weights, jump on the elliptical, or engage in a Zumba or yoga class online. Remote workout groups are popping up everywhere on social media since our mandated social distancing. Starting out strong will give you the energy you need throughout the day. And when you crave a pick-me-up, get up out of your chair, move, breathe, repeat!
5. Team support – now more than ever, it is vital you also stay connected with your immediate work team. If you are in a leadership role, set regular touch base meetings and provide guidance and support to your team through updates and document share (see tools below). It is also vital at this time that everyone is clear and reminded of the most critical objectives, their role in achieving those goals and the associated timelines. This is your opportunity as a leader to provide that extra inspiration and encouragement to your team during this changing workplace landscape. It’s important to check-in on people, provide some encouragement and show your compassion. This is unprecedented territory we are all experiencing. We need each other!
6. Human connection – no matter how introverted you may be, you are wired for human contact. As you work remotely do not completely isolate yourself from others who fuel you and fill you up. In addition to team connection calls, client updates and 1:1 phone calls with your supervisor, make sure you carve out time to stay in touch with close colleagues, friends and family. This can be a simple text, social media chat, an evening call or even a virtual happy hour! It’s important to stay in touch and have those connections outside of the normal 9 to 5. Our friends and family can be helpful reminders of why we engage in our work in the first place. Some activities to consider hosting virtually are birthday parties (hats, cake and all); virtual wine tasting; quilting meet-ups; a friends poetry slam; a ladies’ Bible study; a workout group; a dance party; dad’s meet-up. The list is endless and there are some great platforms out there to use (see Technology below).
7. Technology – use such platforms as Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts, and Microsoft Teams to engage your team regularly in video chats and meetings. Many of these companies are offering free limited time premium upgrades given our current new world. These outlets support large capacity participation, enable document share and presentation and have a recording function to watch back later. Zoom also enables you to separate your large group up into smaller breakout rooms to help teams make recommendations and decisions more readily. Another option McHale Group has used with our clients is Slack. This platform has mobile capabilities that allow you to build a channel to stay connected with your team and your customers. It has file sharing, video and chat capabilities. Some clients also use other internal learning portals, WebEx tools and cloud sharing functionality to ensure they can stay in touch up-to-the-minute with their employees and clients alike.
On a personal level, these platforms have free versions that you can use socially for friends and family too. A couple more apps worthy of a mention are Face Time and House Party that enables that virtual face-to-face communication and has some cool games to play together.
The most important point through all of this is to give yourself and others grace. This is unprecedented territory for us all and thus it is vital that we all be willing to learn together and support one another through this. Oh, and as the now popular saying goes, wash your hands!
Please feel free to share these tips with your colleagues, freinds and family. If you have more to add, please contact us at carrie@mchalegroup.us or by clicking here: