I’ve been working remotely since 2007. Working remote doesn’t mean working from home exclusively, although, in the current world’s circumstances, it is the only option.
It means being able to work with people that are not physically next to you. Removing the face to face element and still making it work.
Here are a couple of tips I’ve picked up throughout the years:
1) Time is unmanageable: even if you do a hard start at 9 am, and a hard stop at 5 pm, work is always next to you, and you will find yourself wanting to get more done.
After the 5 pm mark, you will feel like you haven’t done enough, and the guilt will not allow you to enjoy the rest of your day.
2) Distractions will get in the way: you can get distracted in an office, same as a home, but when you are in an office with other people doing the same as you, it is easier to get back to what you were doing.
When you have other people doing something different -more fun- or solely with a different energy level, they will tend to interrupt you.
3) Your work becomes invisible: for an anxious -and inexperienced- remote boss, or an overly controlling client, you will have to overcommunicate your progress.
Because they can’t see you working, you need to find creative ways to show progress.
