A guide to working from home
Whether you are a long-established remote worker or you are adapting your work routine to the need to social distance or self-isolate, here are our top tips for staying collaborative, focused and sane – wherever you are.
1. Collaboration
If your work is already set up on the Cloud, then you are a step ahead. You can share your files easily and even collaborate in real-time. We use Office 365 to keep our Zambian and UK teams in daily contact but if you don’t have such tools in place, you can get creative. Make sure you have the files you need with you on a secure USB, hard-drive or even emailing them to yourself if you need to. Use OneDrive, GoogleDrive, DropBox, WeTransfer – whatever free tool you can to make sure you have the files you need and can share work online with your colleagues.
2. Cyber security
Whether you are working from your own device or one from your organisation, it is vitally important to have basic cyber security set up. Drawing on the UK National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC)’s Small Charity Guidelines, read our tips here to help you keep your organisation’s data safe. However you chose to share files, make sure your anti-virus software is up to date and that you scan any USB or external hard-drive you use, as well as your PCs and laptops.
3. Connectivity
If you don’t have a reliable internet connection at home, look into alternative and back up options. Your phone network may offer an affordable data only package so you can hotspot to your phone if needs be or use a Wi-Fi dongle. Also keep some tasks handy that you can do offline just in case.
4. Communication
Chat with your team and establish the tools you will use to communicate, whether Microsoft Teams, email or one of the many online apps out there. WhatsApp calls can be set to low data usage and if you are really in a fix, you can add a small amount of credit to Skype and then call phone lines around the world. This is really helpful if you need to contact a colleague who hasn’t got an internet connection for whatever reason.
For us, we have one weekly team check-in meeting and then set project update meetings as required. Work out what works for you and you team. Upping your communication game is vital for setting expectations and problem solving when you are no longer sat at neighbouring desks.
4. Create your workspace
Working from home, it can be difficult to separate work from life and switch off at the end of the day. Though you may not have the space for a dedicated study or office, try to make one area of your living space the ‘work zone’. Alternatively, pack up your laptop and documents at the end of the day and put in a cupboard to recreate a sense of ‘just got home’.
5. Build a routine
Though working from home comes with a degree of flexibility, many people find it helpful to keep regular working hours. It also helps to keep your colleagues up to date with the hours they can expect you to be at your desk. Similarly, as comfortable as those pyjamas are, getting dressed in work-like clothes can help you feel focussed and help you separate down-time from productive time. If you have children in the house now studying from home, a routine will also help keep everyone on task when needed and more relaxed during leisure time.
6. Take breaks
Always keep an eye on the latest government advice, but whilst the outside is still open to us, take regular breaks and step outside when you can. Even a quick walk around the block can refresh you mentally.
Generally, it is important to keep as active as possible. To help people with these extraordinary circumstances, the Peloton app have boosted their free trial to 90 days for their range of online classes whilst Headspace have put together a free pack called Weathering the Storm.
7. Stay (digitally) social
Staying in touch with colleagues through video call won’t just help you keep your work flowing. It will also add a bit of social interaction into your day. Digital coffee meetings are a thing. You can make 5-10 minutes at the end of your meeting into a free chat to act as a ‘just met in the kitchen’ moment. It’s not the same as face to face but it’s a pretty great replacement. You can also sign up to online webinars and events as a way to keep connected.
What are your tips for working from home? Stay in touch, and please let us know if there is an IT guide on a particular topic that we can put together to help you and your teams during this period.