Working from the office and from home is becoming more popular. We shall look at how to be more productive in both environments and to deliver good-quality work.
Hybrid working is an increasing trend, providing employees with the opportunity to combine remote and face-to-face working. Many people would agree that hybrid working can help people to balance their professional and personal responsibilities while being able to pursue different aspirations, e.g. living in a preferred location.
Plan your day ahead:
At the end of each working day, write down a to-do list for the following day. Jot down what time you plan to start and finish, and a few important tasks you plan to complete. Do make sure that you allow some flexibility in case something urgent crops up which needs your immediate attention. If you are working from home the following day, you might want to plan some tasks which require you to pay close attention to detail. Many people would agree that one of the benefits of working from home is the lack of interruptions. You will be able to focus more closely on detailed tasks at home if you do not get interrupted by office conversations.
Regular breaks:
Taking regular breaks from the screen is essential, both in the office and at home. Try not to schedule back-to-back online meetings and have sufficient time away from the screen. Do not forget to get up and walk a little, as sitting for long periods of time can negatively impact your health. Drinking plenty of water throughout the day will help you combat fatigue and headaches and will help you maintain your productivity.
Plan time for exercise:
Do plan some time for physical exercise for each working day and try to vary your exercise routine. You could take a walk in your lunch break, go for a jog after work, play badminton or take a yoga class before you start your day.
Batch your tasks:
Task batching is a fantastic way to accomplish more in less time. It is the opposite of multitasking. You group together similar tasks to complete within a given period of time. You eliminate distractions by focusing on similar tasks and increasing the quality of your work. This can be done at home and in the office. You may batch all the phone calls you need to make, all the filing to get done or the e-mails to answer. The key here is to minimise distractions. Disable e-mail alerts, refuse to check social media or turn off your personal phone if you need to.
Talk face-to-face:
Have you ever found yourself reading and rereading e-mails and unsure about how to respond? While your inbox is towering with new unread correspondence, you may easily fall into the temptation of procrastinating. The secret is to read a new e-mail once and choose from five options: e-mail back, talk, flag, file or delete.
If your response is fairly straightforward, it is best to ping back a quick reply. However, if you are dealing with a complex matter, you might like to quickly phone your recipient or knock on their door (if they are based near your office at work). Oral conversations could save you hours of e-mail back and forth. At the end of the conversation, you could send a quick summary e-mail for record-keeping.
Think a bit like an entrepreneur:
Every e-mail you send has a cost attached to it. It demands the time of the sender and of the recipients. It can distract people from important, high-value activities.
Many companies recognise the daily costs of emailing. Well-known North American entrepreneurs have been openly encouraging their customers to avoid e-mails and instead revert to oral communications. When you are an entrepreneur, you are responsible for creating products or services. Strike up collaborations, forge partnerships, design marketing campaigns and manage the finances. You are usually rewarded for the results you deliver and not the hours you spend working. You become more time-savvy.
Before you create a new e-mail, ask yourself if you really need to do so. Think about whether you really need to copy in others. Reflect on how you could make your e-mail more to the point, clear and concise. When it comes to e-mail, less is often more!
Boundaries are key:
When working from home, your personal and professional life can be blurred. You may find yourself continuing to work in the evenings instead of recharging your batteries. Try to set firm boundaries to your work life and not to check e-mails after you have finished for the day.
Reach out:
Many people working from home face social isolation. Hybrid working can be helpful to tackle this issue; however, some workers may still experience isolation on their home working days. Arranging face-to-face catch-up meetings with friends can help, as well as joining local cultural events and activity clubs.
Time to think:
If you have been working from home for a while, you might find it helpful to look at your home working environment with a new perspective. Take some time out of your schedule, and reflect on the following self-coaching questions:
What would help me to become even more productive while working at home?
Does my university / higher education organisation offer support that I can access?
What do I find distracting in my office, and what can I do to eliminate it?
To what extent do I enjoy home working?
Would I benefit from some mental health support?
Be wary of burnout:
Maintaining your resilience is a daily practice. Having a supportive community is paramount. Regular reflection can go a long way. Techniques can make a difference. However, you need to recognise when developing more resilience is not the answer. You can burn yourself out by staying in permanently unhelpful environments. There may come a time when sticking things out even longer will not work. At times, changing direction could be the best remedy for better resilience. Recognise when it is time to make a complete change and courageously go for it.
Find more advice:
The Benefits of Hybrid Working in Higher Education
Working From Home – 5 Tips to Help You Manage
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