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Malcolm Rands: Make working from home, work for you

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Sat, 23 May 2020, 12:02PM
Photo / 123RF
Photo / 123RF

Malcolm Rands: Make working from home, work for you

Author
Newstalk ZB,
Publish Date
Sat, 23 May 2020, 12:02PM

Remote working 

The advantages of remote working are obvious, and also good for the planet in many cases. Many of us now have experience of this through the lock downFossil fuels use has plummeted as a result, and the atmosphere was noticeably clearer. 
 
It's not all smooth sailing, so here are some tips for making it work long-term. 

Loneliness: This is especially an issue for the singles, 
and more extrovert personalities. Naturally, communal work spaces are a good answer to this problem.
At the very least, schedule yourself some time to get out of the house every couple of days, even if it is just working from a nearby cafe or a library for an hour or two. Join local groups if you can. Something as simple exercising with friends once a week can do wonders to keep you connected.
 

Being 'on' all the time: You can be always on, especially if your workmates are across different time zones.

Some people invent their own version of a commute, like a separate room (if you are lucky enough to have the space) or the local café. Or a ritual like dressing for work then at the end of day making a big deal of shutting down the computer at the same time every day and changing into more comfy clothing.


Distractions: Although these do happen in the modern open plan work places, but at home it is your kids or cat, or maybe putting on a load of laundry. 
You can invest in noise cancelling earphones and if you haven’t a spare room then make a special space that is only used for work. 

 

Communal serendipity moments: In-person communication is better suited for “shower thoughts” and unplanned idealisation. So it is important to have some face-to-face time and when that occurs make it creative, brainstorming time as well as business as usual.

 

Communication: Video chat tools like Google Hangouts and Zoom have improved tremendously, but they continue to suffer from connectivity issues, background noise, and “the loudest voice in the room” dynamics. A new etiquette is evolving, for example in a long meeting it is good to give people permission to turn the video off to remove the pressure of being unnaturally always “on”. 

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