Working Remotely

Our mission is to get the job done and enjoy the perks, while trying not to go stir crazy in the isolation. Let’s get into it.

This is what my home workspace looks like!

1. Set up an effective workspace

Set up a separate space where you can “go to work.” Having a designated workspace will give more structure to your day. And when you step away from your workspace, it feels more like your workday is ending than if you let your workspace bleed into your personal space.

Your workspace should have everything you need to work effectively. Get as many monitors as needed for effective work flow. Use an ethernet connection for internet if you can. It’ll improve your speeds, especially if you’re connecting to a VPN. Get any other office supplies you need such as pens, pencils, notepads, post-its, keyboard, mouse, mouse pad, scanner, printer, and headset.

Take some time to perfect your environment. You can get a really good chair, set up a foot rest, use a fan or space heater to set a comfortable temperature, and put on some music. Put out a few tchotchkes, photos, or even candles to brighten your mood.

2. Stick to a schedule

I still wake up at the 6am, the same time I usually to wake up when I commute. I do my morning routine, exercise if I feel up to it, walk and feed the dog, eat breakfast, and change out of my pajamas into my work pajamas. I start my work day at 7am. I take an hour lunch around 12pm, where I cook a yummy lunch and walk my dog. Then I log out around 4pm and shut down my computer.

It’s easy for your work to bleed into your personal time when location no longer separates the two. And having a set schedule adds needed structure to your day. I would also recommend not veering too far off your typical work schedule, so that you don’t have as much trouble getting back into the routine when you go back to work.

Something to keep in mind when setting your schedule is your productivity. If you feel more productive in the morning or in the evening, your schedule might want to take advantage. If the VPN speeds slow down in the afternoon, you may want to start your day earlier and take advantage of the faster connection. Just make sure your supervisor and team are aware of your hours.

3. Improve your task management

So let’s talk about how you’re going to get your work down with all this newfound freedom and without your manager breathing down your neck.

First, you need to take control of your deadlines. Mark them in your calendar as soon as they’re assigned to you and schedule reminders if you need them. You won’t have others reminding you about your deadlines as much as when you’re in the office.

Now, create your to-do lists. Start with the big picture and breakdown your deadlines into manageable goals. These goals might be creating an outline, finalizing a draft, finishing a QC check, etc. You’ll want to assign dates to these goals and keep yourself accountable. Then move onto the little picture and create your daily to-do lists. I like to project out the full week and keep it to five manageable tasks. You’ll want to check your daily’s to your goals to make sure you’re getting to where you need to be. Here’s an example of what your daily to-do might look like for two days:

Monday
- Review inspection report
- Revise platform sketches
- Set up design parameters in model
- Respond to client comments
- Meet with the team
Tuesday
- Prepare meeting minutes
- Write up alternative two in the report
- Run first load combination in model
- Send initial model results for peer review
- Review updated design schedules

Finally, you need to go work at it. Start crossing those things off your list.

4. Get the right tools

To be able to effectively communicate with your team and managers, you’re going to have to use effective communication tools. You’ll want email, phone, instant message, screen share, and webcam. Each one of these modes of communication provide a different types of value. Instant message can be used for quick exchanges or to see if someone is available for a meeting. Screen share allows you to review documents together in real time. Webcam can bring back a human element into conversations and can be used to share quick sketches done on paper.

To be able to work effectively with your team, you should take advantage of collaborative and project management tools. Figure out how to make the most of Microsoft Teams, Basecamp, Newforma, or whatever you use. Create collaborative documents where multiple people can access documents at once. Create task-lists for everyone to reference and update. Share documents and emails. Try to find ways to make collaboration more effective without daily face-to-face interactions.

5. Socialize with coworkers

In the isolation of remote work, you may find yourself missing the quick chat by the coffee maker or discussing weekend plans at lunch. But just because you’re working remote, doesn’t mean you cannot still socialize with your coworkers. Set up a social group chat for a substitute for the usual workplace banter. I have even seen people set up webcam happy hours!

Figuring out ways to keep up the socialization aspect of the office can maintain positive team dynamics, allow you to informally bounce ideas off of people, ask quick questions to the group, and fight the monotony and boredom of the workday.

6. Show off a little

While we’re all working from home, there still may be some great opportunities available such as promotions, mentorship, raises, bonuses, interesting projects, etc. But without being seen around the office, it may be easier to get lost in the mix (especially at a bigger company). You want people to think of you for these opportunities, so you’re going to have to show yourself off a little bit.

Celebrate your wins with your team and supervisor. Share when a client is happy with your work. Note when you go above and beyond. Point out when a work product is finished early or under budget, but remember to give credit to the team. Do what you can to help yourself shine a little brighter. Be proud of jobs well done.

7. Enjoy some of the perks

There are some perks that you should take full advantage of and some that you should stay far far away from.

Let’s start with the “do’s.” You can let your dog cuddle in your lap when you read that report, fit in a quick workout during your lunch break, and cook yourself a delicious lunch (burgers, nachos, banh mi, what have you). You can let loose with your appearance. You can rock that messy hair, skip shaving, and wear your comfy clothes (just remember to put on something presentable if you’re going to webcam). Without neighboring coworkers to bother, you can let your music play through your speakers. Make the most of your work from home - let your farts fly free!

Moving onto the “do not’s.” Leave the TV off. If it’s diverting your eyes, it’s too distracting for you to be working effectively. Don’t take long unscheduled breaks that make you randomly unavailable to your team. You don’t want to get a reputation for being unavailable. Stay away from working in bed - don’t make it easy for yourself to fall into that mid-day nap. Do not rely too heavily on email communication. Sometimes it’s quicker to make a phone call and it’s good to practice your vocal communication skills. Of course, it’s totally your prerogative to do whatever you want. But be careful at what bad habits you let into your workflow.

8. Careful with the snacks

I probably quadrupled my caloric intake in my first full week working remote. It’s totally easier to portion control when you bring a lunch to the office. It’s almost impossible to resist finishing off the entire bag of chips when the bag is sitting 10 feet away. But we’re not trying to gain 50 pounds while we work from home.

I found that snacking was a problem born out of boredom. I was used to the usual hubbub of the office with phones ringing and overhearing miscellaneous conversations. Working from home was a little too quiet and, as weird as it sounds, not distracting enough to maintain my concentration for 8 hours. To curb the snacking, I now use music and social group chat to provide the right amount of distraction to keep me from going HAM on those snacks.

If you have any tips for working from home, comment below and share!