working-remotely Archives

2022 Trends in Remote Team Building

It’s been almost two years since many companies began adopting remote work policies. From the looks of it, many of those policies may be here to stay. Remote workers overwhelmingly report that they like working from home, and there is mounting evidence showing that remote work has a lot of benefits.

Despite the benefits of working remotely, some workers report that they feel lonelier, more isolated, or unsupported. Whether you’re working remotely or in a hybrid model, building and maintaining cohesion among teams is essential when working remotely.

The best way to build a remote team is to find opportunities for them to collaborate in ways that make them want to engage with each other and help them feel valued. Even if it’s not strictly work-related, finding the right opportunities for team-building is vital. Here are some ways team leaders are doing that in 2022.

Virtual Hangout Spaces

Although daily conversations around the watercooler may not be prevalent or even possible when most of your workforce is remote, companies are giving their employees virtual hangout spaces or places where they can informally engage with each other outside of work meetings. You can think of them as virtual break rooms—online spaces where your employees can catch up, decompress, and be themselves.

While you can create an informal space for employees using Zoom, you may want to consider more creative solutions, especially if you’re all starting to feel Zoom Fatigue. For example, Mozilla Hubs allows employees to share files, chat, and interact directly via virtual avatars. Gather Town is a similar platform that functions as a hybrid of Zoom and an 8-bit online video game.

Playing Games Remotely

Speaking of games, playing games together remotely has become a popular way for remote workers to socialize and work together in a fun, low-pressure environment. It’s a great way to build relationships and blow off steam after work by solving problems, learning about each other, and having fun together.

You have many options when it comes to choosing something that your team will genuinely enjoy. Some board games, like Werewolf, can be played remotely. There are also some party games that teams can play nothing but a smartphone and a computer with a webcam, like the popular Jackbox series. Of course, if you want to keep things simple, you can even play a few rounds of bingo over Zoom.

Virtual escape rooms, murder mystery nights, and similar activities also give remote teams the chance to do something fun together while working towards a common goal. While they may not be everybody’s thing, they’re a fun, memorable excuse for teams to learn about each other and be themselves.

Messaging Apps

Messaging apps like Slack, Microsoft Teams, and Discord are a must for remote teams. They also provide opportunities for relationship-building.

Messaging apps often have features that let teams communicate in private channels that can be organized for specific purposes. Create a dedicated channel for celebrating each others’ successes, sharing good news or photos of pets, or talking about niche topics, and you will give your team a low-pressure space to have positive conversations that bring everyone closer together.

Some teams have even started having “gif battles” over Slack or other messaging apps, wherein two participants at a time try to find, for example, “the best gif of a zebra” while the rest of the participants vote on who “wins.” When it comes to building relationships between remote teams, sometimes it pays to get creative and maybe even silly sometimes with the tools your company already has at its disposal.

Design Clothes As A Team

Some companies have been giving their employees the chance to collaborate by designing team t-shirts, hoodies, jackets, hats, and other custom clothes with their company’s logo on them. Giving your team the freedom to be creative can be an excellent way to learn more about each other and have positive experiences working together doing something fun.

Letting your team design clothing they’ll actually want to wear shows that you value their input, making them feel respected. It makes the designs they produce feel more personal and more connected to the company’s identity. It’s also an excellent team-building exercise for a remote team. Plus, who doesn’t like free stuff?

Gift Exchanges

Everybody likes either giving or receiving gifts, or both. The holidays are an obvious opportunity to bring your team together for a gift exchange, but why not make it a regular thing?

Some companies have begun treating their employees to “Quarterly Christmas” or “Quarterly Care Package” events. Using tools like Trello or Slack, some remote teams exchange gifts or host virtual White Elephant events every quarter. Team members send each other small gifts, like coffee from their favorite local cafe or copies of their favorite books.

5 Tips to Increase Productivity While Working Remotely

We all wish that the “working from home is perfect and you can save so much time” myth were true. In theory, home-based work eliminates all the time we spend going to and from the office, and it lets you organize your own schedule, eat home-cooked meals, and so much more. So why is it so difficult to focus and work while you’re at home?

First of all, you’re dealing with all kinds of distractions, your brain isn’t used to the environment that you normally perceive as anything but professional, and chances are, family. Luckily, there are ways to deal with all that and so much more that might be playing havoc with your ability to work remotely. Let’s check out a few useful tips to boost productivity.

Limit digital distractions

Our online habits are different when we’re at home or at work. It makes sense to feel the urge to go on Facebook or Instagram, but there are tools to help you minimize these distractions. For example, the Chrome plugin called Mindful Browsing lets you know when you’re being unproductive, but without sounding judgmental. Instead, you get to see some lovely nature photos and get a reminder to focus on work.

Tools like Freedom, on the other hand, can be connected to a wide array of digital devices and you can block apps and sites that distract you during a designated time of day. Block off your work hours with such apps, and you won’t be procrastinating that easily soon.

Amplify your Google Workspace

In addition to what you’re not supposed to do while working, there are things that you can do better to be more productive. Like most professionals using Google Workspace, you likely communicate with your colleagues via email and other tools regularly, but you also need to swap contact details with each other.

Since Google Workspace doesn’t have that feature built into the system, you can share Google Contacts with the help of a dedicated add-on called Shared Contacts. Once activated, it lets you seamlessly exchange contact details with your team members, assign editing rights, and organize your contact base properly. You’ll no longer waste time searching for contact details, but have everything at your fingertips and ready for your teams.

Organize a dedicated work area

As we’ve mentioned before, your work setting has an impact on how productive you’ll be. So, if you’re spending your work hours stuck in an uncomfortable chair, slouched over a desk that’s too low, and without proper lighting, you’re bound to have issues.

Design your home office to be adapted to your work needs, so add a well-organized file cabinet, a supportive chair, and don’t forget a LED lamp. This should help you feel good while you work and avoid all kinds of strain that would lead to a lack of focus.

Choose a smart project management tool

With so many digital outlets you’re using, you could be feeling overwhelmed with messages, tasks, and managing everything flooding your inboxes. Getting a project management tool like Zoho Projects can simplify the entire process significantly, keeping it all under one roof, with automated alerts and notifications.

Organizing your projects and tasks can be much simpler with one tool to do it all. Then, you can check your progress, see which milestones you need to meet, and what you can delegate to free up some of your time.

Stick to a work schedule

Just like your evening routine can help you amp up your mornings to be energized and refreshed, setting a clear and detailed work routine will allow you to focus properly. When we work remotely, we’re tempted to spend most of our time checking our personal social media pages, doing some laundry, and enjoying the occasional cup of coffee. All that’s natural, but when it’s time to work, you should be able to avoid finding all the other chores that suddenly need to get done.

Create a schedule that gives you an overview of what needs to get done each hour of your workday. That alone will help you grasp how much there is to finish, and how much time you really need for each task. The schedule can then help you refine your hours based on performance and give yourself the chance to get more done.

Finally, we need to say goodbye to the idea that productivity can or should be a constant state. It fluctuates and you’re allowed to be a little slow on some days, especially when you don’t get enough sleep or you’re handling a particularly tedious project.

Despite it all, you can use these and other tips inspired by them to improve your ability to focus and get more done in less time, no matter where you are or who’s around you.

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How to Stay Motivated When you’re Working Remotely

Is Monday killing you? Has work from home affecting your mental and physical health. If you dread Monday’s then it’s time you motivate yourself.

Telecommuting has many advantages such as you get to be close to your family, or roommates, or have the luxury of wearing whatever you like and comfort zone of home. The flexibility due to remote working is productive and boosts motivation but it can be distracting too.

With pandemics most of the companies have made work remotely a mandatory option due to lockdown but if you are not able to get into your usual work groove then there are surefire ways to motivate you, and give boost to increase your productivity.

Dedicate space at home for Home Office

Netflix and Chill has become a mantra these days with so many rules and regulations on all other entertaining options. And Netflix available on all the devices that you work on its pull is too enticing.

People enjoy sitting on the couch, watching television, and snacking in the kitchen so let’s face it if you combine the working with any of these favorite home activities then you are not going to be so motivated to get the work done.

As a matter of fact you would want to finish one more episode of your favourite season as you munch on snacks such as popcorn or Doritos. Only to realize that you haven’t worked on the assignment and you put the hours for your rest to work and thus affect your productivity to great extent.

So if you want to get your work done then first and foremost ensure you have space dedicated for your work. The space should be hundred percent free of distractions such as away from television.

You need to have a door that locks you in for privacy and a silent place to work.

Set rules with the family, especially children about your office timing, during the working hours so as not to disturb you. No barging in the middle of the meeting. A corporate office kind of environment should be made.

Make the dedicated room look like an office. Like you have a table, chair, appropriate stationary, easy access to tools and supplies that you would need. Your table is well set with video conferencing equipment, papers, and more.

Decor of the room should be able to inspire you. Display your career awards, achievements and certificates. Room should feel like an office. This will motivate you like the workplace.

In case you have a space crunch, just make sure you are not working at the place where you sleep. The desire to sleep will be more powerful here. That 5 minute nap will keep you off mode from working and you will miss your deadlines.

Renting space or community work space is also a good idea as it has the same benefits of working remotely but few distractions from your home.

Wake up Early

The wish to stay in bed is too much to get out and start working from home.

When you have an office at eight, you are organized in your schedule to wake up, get dressed and leave on time to reach your office.

However with work from home there is a set schedule and desire to stay in bed or work on home projects or watch series is too high.

So it is advisable that you wake up early. Make a schedule. Morning is a good time. Studies have shown that morning people are more productive. They are more in charge of making things happen.

If you are not a morning person then no worries you are not doomed for failure. Night people are known to be more creative and even smarter. So if you know that mornings aren’t going to work for you, then do not try and waste time to be a morning person instead set aside time when you are able to focus best and do best work.

Regular Routine is key

Disorganization will lead to an overwhelming situation and so a better approach is to have a habit or schedule. Determine your working pattern, when you work best, when you need a break or rest, time to eat your meals and so on. Make a checklist of everything you want to accomplish in a day on a daily basis such that you are able to set a routine.

Once a routine is set, and you get into the mode it will be easier for you to stay motivated to accomplish your tasks daily. Achieve set goals as you plan ahead and execute them.

Use technology

Technology is there to make our lives easy. So guess what for this there is productivity software. You are reading it right. You don’t have to handwrite your to do list or memorize your schedule task.

There are several productivity tools or software which help in staying organized.

Examples of such software are Slack, Dropbox, Focus Booster, Asana etc.

These software help in organizing your work schedule, meetings, communication and files placements.

Clothing

Work from home entitles me to have casual Friday everyday doesn’t it? Casual clothes give a casual attitude. It is recommended that you wear custom jeans or office wear at the time of working. It gives a professional feel and motivates me to work. Keep your sweat pants aside and dress up for work. It will boost your confidence, make you feel powerful, and increase your ability to see the big picture. You feel better about yourself and more productive.

Regular breaks and Vacations

Work piles up at times and it feels like you have no escape from it. Working remotely has that burnout effect. The best thing to do to avoid all this is take well calculated and regular breaks. Be away from your desk. Taking breaks helps and plenty of scientific studies have already proven this.

Taking breaks helps better brain function, helps to stay focused and reevaluate the day’s goals. Keeps you on track.

Vital to take vacations as well. You need time to rejuvenate, recover and for that vacation is the best solution. Vacation helps in relaxation, recuperation and when you are back you feel refreshed to work and voila better motivation to work.

Eliminate the distractions

Your personal work space is great but if you still have those distractions such as checking on Instagram, or chatting or spending too much time on Gchat then your work is going to suffer.

The Internet is a huge distraction and so you really need to concentrate and ensure your attention to your work is hundred percent.

Turning off notifications on the phone is the first thing you can do.

Set up Reward System

Simply put if you are able to manage your work, achieve set goals then reward yourself which in turn will push you to work harder as well as be organized.

You can reward yourself as you are your own boss.

Fresh Air is the best remedy. DO go out for a walk. Get some exercise done.

As long as you are focused on the task, work from home is great. Follow the advice and you will have a thriving home office and stay motivated and be highly productive.