As the world continues to shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, more and more people are being urged, or required, to work from home. This is especially difficult for some of us who are used to working at the office and leaving our work life there to navigate children and family when home. Now you are supposed to work at home and navigate children, who are also out of school, and complete expectations and operations to keep the business moving forward.
Chances are, your work is challenging in itself, not to mention the added challenge of getting it done to standard in a new environment filled with distractions.
This is the life of virtual assistants, the norm we encounter daily, and we have learned a few things over the years. We have put together a list of 5 must do's to have a successful workday from home.
1. Get up and get dressed.
Getting into your work clothes helps focus you on the work you need to get done. It also helps you look professional when you do video chats with clients or employees.
2. Virtual Colleague Interaction
While events/meetings of various sizes are cancelled to promote social distancing, what we know for sure is that the outbreak cannot be spread virtually. Gather your team for a daily video chat using Zoom, Check in. Set goals. Discuss tasks. Give encouragement. Having virtual meetings will allow you to feel in control of your day and get your mind set on the work to be done. Virtual meetings also encourage and promote daily accountability. Your employees can report in what they’ve accomplished and what they’re working on for the day. You will be able to ask questions to keep the work moving forward while you are out of the office.
3. Prioritize Your To-Do List
Have a visual list to remind you of what you are currently working on, when each project is due, and milestones to reach on your way to project completion. Prioritizing the list allows you to check off items that can be done quickly, while aside time to work on projects that are ongoing. It's a good idea to bring your to-do list to your daily Zoom meeting to make sure you have touched base on all issues/tasks involving other team members.
4.Compartmentalize
Be present in each area of your home by making them specific to their functions. (ex. the kitchen is where you eat, the office is where you work, the bedroom is where you sleep, etc.). This allows you to block time for the things you need to accomplish each day, take breaks and fully check out to handle family responsibilities and spend quality time.
5. Be Realistic
No matter how you slice it, we all get the same 24 hours each day. If you are aiming for a successful work experience from home do not schedule things into your routine that are impossible to accomplish or that will make other responsibilities difficult to achieve. When working from home, it is better to be a tortoise than a hare, slow and steady leads to success as you continue to move projects forward every day.
