When you’re used to a busy office environment, the change to working from home can take some getting used to. The normal buzz of the office and work banter has been replaced with just you and a makeshift desk.
In times like this communication with your team is key, for both business purposes and your own wellbeing. Here are our tips on how to stay connected with your team when working remotely.
Make the most of video
Video chats are by far the easiest way to catch up with your colleagues and there are so many apps available for businesses/teams to use to stay connected. You can include multiple people within group chats and calls, allowing you to still have meetings and catch ups and they also offer instant messaging and file sharing capabilities.
Having daily catch ups (even twice a day!) with your colleagues will not only help you to keep on top of work but also give you a chance to have a chat and ask how people are. It is surprising how much difference a team call can make to productivity and morale.
Be proactive
When working from home, it can be easy to slip into a habit of focusing on your own work and losing touch with what other teams are doing. Use this as an opportunity to make a conscious effort to communicate more with your co-workers, in particular those in different teams; ask questions, host video catch ups, and send group emails– anything to keep communication levels amongst the team levels high!
Remember to talk about unrelated work subjects too!
During a normal work week, a large portion of your time is spent with your co-workers and, for many, chatting with colleagues is the main source of social interaction in a day.
In this uncertain time, it’s important to remain sociable, ask people how they are and express your own feelings too. If you have a team or a colleague that you feel comfortable to confide in, ensure you do. You will feel much better for it. Not everyday will be great and that is okay!
All staff/team emails are also a great easy way to share updates and fun pictures! Whether it is a thread of pet pictures or what you’re having for lunch, it can provide five minutes of entertainment and interaction for everyone.
Understand everyone’s individual needs
Working from home gives you a chance to be flexible with your schedule. If the standard 9-5 isn’t working with your children, or you’re finding that you’re struggling to be productive at certain points in the day, communicate with your manager/team and see if you can be flexible with your hours.
If you are working different hours, make sure to keep your team members in the loop to avoid any confusion and enable everyone to be productive.
Stay confident and positive!
At first, working alone from home can feel overwhelming but it’s important to remember that your whole team are in the same boat and your line manager and colleagues are just a phone call or email away.
Focus on the positives of working from home; you no longer need to commute to work and get stuck in traffic, you can start your day with a workout or your daily walk outside, or you can maximise your sleep!
Find out more of our working from home tips here.
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