Struggling to adapt to remote work challenges?

Adapting to remote work challenges requires a proactive approach to address common hurdles effectively. Start by establishing a dedicated workspace that promotes focus and minimizes distractions. Maintain regular communication with colleagues using digital tools and platforms to stay connected and aligned on tasks. Prioritize time management and establish a daily routine to maintain productivity and work-life balance. Embrace flexibility by adjusting schedules as needed while setting clear boundaries between work and personal time. Lastly, continuously seek feedback, learn from experiences, and leverage available resources to navigate remote work challenges successfully.

Understanding what the team you're leading needs to deliver optimal results in remote settings is also key to effectiveness. Consider holding a team effectiveness session to ideate and align on remote role clarity, ways of working, meeting cadences, your availability, time zones, preferred mode of communication, preferred means of feedback and frequency, and how you will still create cohesiveness to bring about a one-team spirit despite the distance.

Learn to use platforms like Zoom or Microsoft Teams for seamless virtual meetings and collaboration. Familiarize yourself with features such as screen sharing and recording to enhance communication and productivity. Utilize tools like Asana or Trello to track tasks, set deadlines, and collaborate with remote teams effectively. Learn to create and manage workflows to ensure project milestones are met efficiently. Explore platforms such as Google Workspace or Microsoft Office 365 for document sharing, real-time editing, and secure storage. Understand file sharing permissions and version control to maintain data integrity and accessibility.

Working from home can be a perk--unless (like me, as a single parent) home can be chaotic. Finding a balance in remote work involves two types of boundary setting: (1) setting boundaries for your environment (having a designated area and designated times when you work and having clear boundaries for those in the home around those spaces and times) and (2) setting boundaries for yourself to bring clarity into how you're balancing home and work life. Being clear with yourself about when you're present as a professional and when you're present in your personal life can help you bring yourself fully to both situations without feeling like you're juggling too many things at once.

Remote work adaptation struggles generally come in one of two buckets. Either the person in non-productive due to not being able to concentrate in their home office, or they blur the lines of work time and personal time and work to the point of burnout. An awareness of self-care is critical particularly to addressing the latter. Look for opportunities to add structure to your day and work space. Take breaks that include getting out of the house for a walk. Consider some form of meditation, whether that be a formal program or just letting your eyes refocus on objects at a distance vs a computer screen.

Know thyself! First, do you like remote working, or possibly just the idea of remote working?! Consider, what aspect of remote work is challenging for you. Is it motivation? Distractibility? Lack of connection with colleagues? Isolation? Ergonomics? Systems? Tech? Do you know your work preferences? E.g. do you work better in the morning? Do you work better in focused sprints? Would you prefer hard deadlines or regular updates with your manager or team to help keep you focused? Are you clear on your goals and priorities? Is it a broader issue? Pinpoint the source of the challenge(s) and then experiment with possible solution(s). Ask yourself, 'what one thing could I do to improve this?'. Then test it out!