Finder’s research reveals that 60% of the UK’s adult population worked from home at the height of the COVID-19 lockdown. Although you may fancy the freedom that comes with remote working, it isn’t uncommon to feel overwhelmed while working from home, primarily if you are used to traditional office culture. Luckily, you can continually sharpen the relevant skills necessary for success in a remote role in diverse ways. Please consider these points if you want to learn about your skills to succeed as a remote worker.
1. Tech-savviness
A vast number of hardware tools and software are undoubtedly crucial to your role as a remote worker. As such, it is essential to be tech-savvy, so you can perform your duties despite not having an IT department by your side. Consequently, prioritize mastering the digital tools your company uses every day so you can leverage this software with little to no assistance. Project management, video and web conferencing, instant messaging, and document sharing software are some of the essential tools you should master for a smooth remote working experience. In addition, you should be able to handle any issues you might experience when using your hardware and digital tools.
For instance, you should know how to keep your computer’s software updated, use basic anti-malware tools to protect your system, and solve connectivity issues. Luckily, there are numerous resources you can find online to assist you with some tech problems you may encounter. For example, you can search online and read on how to fix your macOS Monterey WiFi issues, in order to solve any connectivity problems you might face after installing the new macOS.
2. Time Management
A flexible schedule is typically part of the remote working experience, as long as you meet the deadlines for all your work. However, this freedom can become problematic, and you may struggle to meet deadlines as a result. Thankfully, there is no shortage of ways to make the most of the time available to you to enjoy a smooth work-from-home experience. For instance, you can identify the period within which you feel most productive and mentally transparent and schedule the majority of your work for completion within that time frame. What’s more, you can take 10-15 minute breaks every two hours, stay hydrated, use to-do lists, minimize social media distractions, and set other boundaries that work for you to remain productive.
3. Good Communication Skills
As per Buffer’s State of Remote Work 2020 report, 20% of remote workers cited communication and collaboration as the most significant challenge they faced. That said, it is crucial to stay in touch with colleagues as a remote worker, so developing excellent communication skills is vital. To begin with, you should know how to communicate through email, video meetings, text messages, online chat, and other platforms effectively. In addition, prompt replies to contact from colleagues and employers are necessary to maintain effective workplace interactions.
Furthermore, remote working often relies on asynchronous communication that does not demand real-time responses, allowing every worker to contribute to discussions according to their availability. You may likely be unavailable to clear any doubts when your coworkers see a message you sent. Therefore, it is vital to be as clear and concise as possible when sending out messages to colleagues. You can read, edit, and proofread your message before sending it and keep it brief and correct to prevent any miscommunication that may affect overall productivity.
4. Self-motivation
The absence of coworkers and a boss when working from home affects some remote workers’ motivation levels. However, it is vital to develop an internal drive to be productive and accomplish goals despite having no one around to monitor or cheer you on. To achieve this, it would be best to learn how to create and stick to your schedules and routines to keep you focused on tasks. In addition, focus on limiting distractions to keep you more motivated to focus on work. For instance, you can hire supervised care for your children or explore other ways to keep them occupied while you work from home.
Additionally, an excellent home office with a door is an excellent barrier to household distractions like TV or laundry, so you can invest in this to make finding motivation easier. Finally, people are motivated by various things, including external incentives, the fear of failure, perfectionism, and a sense of accomplishment. Consequently, discover what fuels your desire to complete tasks and use this as a drive to keep you focused on achieving your daily targets.
*collaborative post