More and people work remotely, or at least work semi remotely. They work from home, a cafe or a coworking space. They travel the world. Some even move to another country while doing their job.
Working from anywhere is a dream for many people. You have more freedom, more free time for hobbies or family, and the opportunity to travel. When you work remotely, there is a better balance between work and private time.
It’s quite funny, many offices are filled with people that work with nothing more than a computer and an internet connection. Both of which are the main requirement to work remotely.
So, why is work still done in the office?
At the office, there is a desk reserved for you. There is the (spoken or unspoken) expectation that you are supposed to be there. It is also important to meet your colleagues and have face-2-face interaction.
Have you ever looked at photos of people working from a nice café or from some tropical island? Do you wonder: Could my job be done remotely?
In this blog, we will have a look at this.
Look at your tasks and see if you can work remotely on them
If you are a digital worker or a worker in tech, have a look at your tasks and see what tasks would be good to do remotely.
Not sure? Click here to see if your job could be done remotely.
There are tasks that require brain work or takes a lot of concentration. Where would be your ideal location to do that kind of work remotely? Maybe from your own home, where you can’t be disturbed by colleagues? From the local library, in silence? Or would you prefer the buzz of a cafe?
What tasks are better to be done in an environment that stimulates creativity? And what is that environment?
For example, I love to do my writing during times when I don’t have access to wifi, which happens quite often since I travel a lot. Not only because it is a task that requires no wifi but also my creative process does not get disturbed by incoming emails or other distractions.
Is your company remote friendly?
Some companies are more remote friendly than others. The biggest frustration many people share with me is that their work could easily be done from anywhere, but that their bosses don’t let them. There are many reasons why they don’t allow employees to work remotely. However, I find most reasons invalid.
But there are some good reasons, too. If your company cannot create the right conditions and make sure that you can successfully work remotely… it is probably better not to do it. That is where Hello Monday Club comes in, we can help you to make your company more remote friendly!
It is important that your company opens up to working remotely. There are many ways to become more remote friendly: for example, I know a company that allows employees three weeks to work remotely. In return, they only expect employees to be in-office 1 week a month. Why not let your employees (and yourself) work remotely from a sunny location for 6 to 12 weeks during the winter? That will certainly increase team happiness!
Tip: Implement mandatory online meetings, like Skore does. It’s a simple yet very effective way to communicate to your team who works remotely.
Should you work remotely?
And if you COULD work remotely, doesn’t mean you SHOULD.
If your company provides an office space and is quite small, you can choose to work remotely or not. That is a choice that comes very natural to some. Others should consider what they want and need. An office space can provide the structure and routine that some need.
Working remotely requires a lot of self-insights, discipline and finding your balance. Avoiding distractions is not always easy when you work remotely.
Working from home requires a quiet space (especially if you have roommates or children). Working from a café sometimes limits the ability to make phone calls. Travelling comes with the challenges of staying productive and finding strong wifi.
In the end, it is all about the balance between being more productive or more efficient. For some, working remotely helps them get the best results. For others, they just need their ‘own’ space.
How to start working remotely?
Maybe you are not sure yet if working remotely is for you. Think about what you want. Would you prefer working from home? Or while traveling? Do a trial. Work from home for 1 day a week for 3 months, or for 2 weeks in a row.
Go to a location where you always wanted to go for 3 weeks and work from there.
Tip: try to take 1 additional day a week off so you have more time to relax and enjoy your environment!
Talk to your boss, ask them to coach you through it. Remember, it is not always easy to work remotely. It’s important that you are being kept in the loop and supported.
Photo by Csaba Balazs on Unsplash
