(NOTE: this post was written by Kelsey Smith, owner of NWA Brand, mostly virtual but all local marketing agency; 2017 Bumpers College graduate in agricultural business management and marketing)
During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people find themselves adjusting to more virtual arrangements. These times have challenged business owners, decision-makers and entire organizations to rethink how they function. We see resiliency and innovation at exponential rates with software rollouts, notable updates, digital thinking and socially distanced connectedness. What an impressive time to be alive!
If remote work or remote classes are new to you, here are five tips to help you to excel at your virtual situation.
- Create a Plan. Creating a plan includes setting boundaries. The biggest challenges many people face are at-home distractions and demands that will daunt you while at your desk. Creating a plan for an ‘ideal workweek’ which outlines a potential routine and schedule can help you to stay on track and motivated. Designate specific times for chores around the house and for physical activity or getting outdoors to create balance. You can feel co
nfident that everything will be achieved if you have time blocked for what’s important to you and your mental and physical health. During these unprecedented times, we find ourselves working or doing classes from home with a house full of other people, some of them small and loud, so this could be a full-on reassessment of what the week looks like. A system that is used by many motivated individuals is Michael Hyatt’s ideal work week concept. Consider taking a look! - Prioritize by your highest energy times and most demanding work. Be in tune with your ‘peaks’ throughout the day. If you are highest functioning at mid-morning, consider your deep work or work requiring the most thought or intensity during this time. A sense of satisfaction can be derived from accomplishing a handful of small tasks. There are countless way to organize your work but one consideration is to bulk together tasks that take less than five minutes or batching by clients, topics, projects or however you categorize your work.
- Designate a space – There are copious benefits to designating your space (or spaces) to work from home. Recently, an article was published on the blog that encourages your work environment (Strategy, Tips On “Going” To School From Home & Working Remotely). In an effort to respect your efficiency, you can dive into that article separately.
- Assess your tools. There is an increasing number of online software that can allow you to communicate or get organized. Finding the tools that work best for your style is important. Examples include but are certainly not limited to:
- Loom – A free video recording software. Like most digital platforms, there is also a paid version for upgraded capabilities and storage.
- GSuite – G Suite by Google provides a myriad of tools. They have both free and paid versions. The paid versions allow for personalization in items such as business email. The basic paid option starts at $6 per month per account. Features such as Team Drive, Email, Google Hangouts and Google Calendar are all features within G Suite.
- Zoom – A common video conferencing platform.
- Asana or Basecamp – Both impressive project management tool.
- To-do ist – This organization tool can be used alongside other traditional calendars and prioritization tools.
- Slack – A team communication tool.
- Off Time – It can be a bit too tempting to scroll feeds instead of engaging in work. One can easily look up and realize valuable hours are gone with scrolling. Consider limiting times and being cognizant of efficiency with apps such as OFFTIME.
- A phone call – Sometimes regardless of the endless number of digital options, the best option is to pick up the phone so that issues can be resolved more efficiently.
- Don’t be too hard on yourself. Many articles will recommend getting dressed professionally, never working from the couch and other hyper-structured things. My encouragement would be to do what works for you and allows you to be most effective in your work. Let’s be honest, an opportunity for a professional woman to forgo makeup, the chance to dive into writing an article on the couch or take too long of an afternoon break because the sun is out and the trails are calling your name – it is all acceptable. Allow yourself a bit of grace.
As you navigate this potentially new season, just know that you’re not in this alone. This can be a setback or it can be an opportunity to grow personally and professionally. You’ve got this.
Recent Comments