Transition to Remote Work
Transitioning into a remote work environment is not always easy for some employees. There are those who will take to it without hesitation. Others may struggle to balance between their work and personal lives. This is not good or bad. This is not success or failure. It is human nature.
Helping staff make the transition is not just the physical transition of providing computer, phone equipment, access to the network, etc. It also the mental and emotional transition. People are now working in their homes and not the structured environment of an office.
A good first step is to create a policy outlining the expectations of working remotely. What specific work hours are expected? How do they coordinate and communicate schedule changes? What does a work at home workstation set up look like and how do you ensure safety in their work environment? What technology will be used to connect to the company servers and what level of internet speed is required (yes, this can be an issue)? Documenting, publishing and communicating these expectations are important to setting the scene for the remote worker experience.
People are creatures of habit. We get up, get ready, drive to work, go through our work routine, drive home, have dinner, spend time with family or friends, go to sleep and do it all over again. Now with a remote work environment, this habit has been interrupted. Some of these elements have been taken away. Time to adjust and figure our new habits.
There was a superstar employee who transitioned into a full-time remote worker. She believed that she could just transition her current habits into the home environment and pick up where she left off. Sounds reasonable, right? Well, she struggled with her routine and it was showing in her work.
Now, this was a superstar employee so her manager asked if she was doing OK. The employee was honest with her struggles in developing a good routine and needed some help. She shared what was causing the challenges. She and her manager developed a game plan designed to help her establish a new work routine. With the support of management, she was able to develop a new mindset and was quickly back to her superstar status.
From creating a specific workspace at home to putting up a do not disturb sign, everyone needs to develop their own successful work remote environment.
Encourage breaks. Make sure people are taking a few 10-minute breaks per day. Get up and stretch. Go for a brief walk. Meditate. Something to break up the day to keep their mind sharp and focused.
It is also important to have a separation at the end of the day. Make sure employees completely disconnect and spent time with their family and friends. It is important to recharge even with the temptation to do just one more thing.
Help your staff develop a discipline that works for them. Talk it through with them, brainstorm ideas and help them identify what will work for them as individuals. Then, check in regularly to see how everything is going. In time, the new habits will take over and your team will thrive.
