Be Responsive but don’t go overboard on the updates!
Send updates but don’t overwhelm. While it is important to answer your phone and respond to emails during working hours, don’t feel the pressure to respond to each and every email instantly just for the sake of it. You’ll be measured on your productivity not on how fast you hit the reply button!
Yes occasional updates are necessary, but in general, let the real work speak for itself.
Top Tip! Unless your manager requires daily update emails, send a short and simple update email a few times a week with your progress and what you’re working on.
Be ahead of the Game!
Don’t wait for your boss to follow up to see if something has been done or actioned. You know what you have to do, so take responsibility and prove to your boss that you don’t need to be chased to ensure work gets done.
Maintain consistent working hours
This is as much for your benefit as anyone else’s. We all respond better to some form of routine. If you maintain consistent hours your boss (as well as your colleagues) can rely on you to be available during those hours.
Use collaborative tools
One of the best ways to prove your productivity is by utilizing tools that make distance collaboration easy.
In project management for example, you can avail of various software/apps to make sure that projects are on time, and that each member of a collaborative team is doing their part, when they need to.
One of the keys to proving your productivity is being available and having open communication. Make use of Microsoft teams, Zoom or even House party if that works for your office and let the conversation flow.
Video calls
Whilst working from home offers us a little more flexibility, be mindful that when you are on a video call that you look and act like you are in the office. Presenting a business plan in a grubby tee shirt just doesn’t help your case. Though your boss does not have any control over what you wear at home, use your best judgment and show your boss – as well as your work colleagues, that you’re taking remote work seriously. We’re not saying it has to be a shirt and tie, but resist the temptation to take video calls in your PJs. Be aware that you can set your own background on most of these apps so that might be your saving grace if your home office isn’t the most suitable background.
Be fully ‘present’ on office video calls. Don’t be tempted to check your phone messages etc. especially if someone else is talking or presenting. You wouldn’t do it in front of them in an office environment.
Also try to ‘arrive’ at your meeting a few mins early. It is important to engage in the chit chat with your colleagues too. Never underestimate the value of this. It is so important to catch up on how everyone is doing and what they are up to.
Be proactive!
If you find yourself in the situation where what you normally do on a daily basis has slowed down, use this time to show initiative and look at all the other things you never get a chance to do.
Project work
Advertising strategy
Getting in touch with key clients
Business plans
Systems work
Catch up on the dreaded paperwork
Consider other revenue streams for your business.
We all have an endless ‘to do list’. Now is the time to work through it.
