COVID-19: How to improve your remote working skills for the next few weeks

It might feel new and scary that you’ll be working home for the next few weeks or months due to the COVID-19 global pandemic. In fact, it could almost feel like you’re on vacation because working remotely kills productivity; because you might end up getting distracted and losing focus on actual work.

You may even doubt your abilities to perform well under this recent change to your work culture but it’s not the end of the world as remote working is not a curse.

In fact, remote working has been in existence for a while now but has only become a thing in the Nigerian work economy in the last few years.

This means two things: one, that remote work was an already practised work culture and two, that you can acquire skills to help improve your remote working ability. A bonus point is that after this pandemic, you may be master of a sort-after work skill.

So how can you make the most of working from home?

• Good Internet is King in Remote Working

There’s really not much which can be done in remote-work without a good internet connection. Therefore invest in an internet provider actually offering great internet network. You may want to test run an internet provider in your home before purchasing or subscribing to be sure there’s good coverage in your area.

Mifis and internet routers offer several affordable plans which meet the needs of a diverse audience.

• Convert a Part of Your Home Into an Office

Remember you’re going to be actually working during this period and not on vacation. Therefore, it’s important to take your work process seriously. This means treating your work as though you were at the office.

To maintain this formality, you may have to convert a part of your home into your office space. Based on your preference, pick a spot with a desk and chair should you have these. Otherwise, pick a spot in your which you’ll be dedicating as your office.

If possible, have a bath each morning before setting off to work. This could put you in a working mood.

• Stay in Touch With Team Members with Tech

One of the most important elements while working remotely is staying connected to your team members and line manager or supervisor. However, communication could prove difficult while working from home.

Applications like Hangout, Zoom, Skype, and GoToMeetings, are great platforms to connect with your colleagues and team members. Set up meetings using any of these platforms and inform interested members accordingly. 

These business video call platforms are also great as they allow conference calls.

Slack is a great asset for workers handling a singular project as they can communicate safely and swiftly on the platform.

• Set Weekly Targets, Goals and Milestones

There’s really no way for your supervisor or line manager to assess how you go about your work from home. To make their evaluation process easier, you can proactively create a weekly or monthly target list. This list should contain your goals and milestones.

This way, you’ll have something solid to present as your output throughout the period you worked from home.

• Keep It on Speed Dial

For those times you experience glitches or problems with software or hardware, you’ll be glad you have members of your IT team on speed dial. Don’t be shy to message or call them when you are confused about a ‘techy’ problem you might be experiencing. Remember that they’re in their own homes and presenting your problems on time would give them enough time to address them.

Mastery of remote working skills is built basically on accelerating your communication and proactive skills. For instance, it’s not enough to communicate but communicating clearly and assertively will get the job done better. It’s also not enough to sit around complaining about a problem, but thinking up sustainable ways to solve these problems would put you on top of the remote working game.