5 Challenges of Working RemotelyAnd How to Overcome Them
5 Challenges of Working Remotely
Remote working has been exponentially progressing since the last few years. Due to the pandemic, it has now become the new normal, something everyone is getting used to.
Remote working has considerably phenomenal benefits like flexible hours, lack of commute, reduced stress, better health and a lot more. But like everything else, there are a lot of downsides to this as well. This article will give you insight into the obstacles you might face and how you can easily overcome them.
Challenge #1: Self-Quarantine
The legendary Greek Philosopher Aristotle once said, “Man is by nature a social animal… Society is something that precedes the individual.” He meant to say that people are social beings and it’s something that we are incapable of controlling. If the individual is living alone, this self-isolation can be very negatively impactful to the psychological health of a said individual. The lack of experiential and emotional intimacy can make anyone crumble to the shell if they have to live like that long enough.
Solution #1: Don’t isolate yourself
Always have regular calls and video calls with your friends. Keep in touch with your family through the same. If you are living alone and feeling extremely melancholic due to the loneliness, try to get a quarantine buddy, a roommate of sorts, and stay with unless this is all over. Try to develop and maintain an environment where other members of your team and you yourself feel comfortable to feel talking about any problems
Challenge #2: Overworking
This is something that people often tend to do when working from home. A study shows that people are more likely to work more when they work remotely. People will often wear themselves out because they have been sitting behind the computer for way too long and this is very hazardous for their mental and physical health. There is a multitude of health issues that can arise from working too long in front of screens.
Solution #2: Reminders and Distancing
Keep reminders on your phone to alert you when it’s time to take breaks, do chores, and everything else in your routine. We sometimes tend to get carried away while doing work and therefore we tend to forget when we were supposed to do the next thing. Reminders are a great way to prevent that from happening. Also, physically distance yourself from your workplace, so as to prevent yourself from getting tempted to start working again.
Challenge #3: Time Management
Most people have been drawing a blank here. The 9 to 5 job always gave everyone a steady routine and this quarantine has led to havoc in the schedule. If a schedule is not followed, there will be flaws in the work done and a decline in productivity. This all becomes even more complicated when you are working as a part of the team because the schedule and tasks need to be synched.
Solution #3: Prioritize and Schedule
Time management is something everyone struggles with. But there’s a simple way of tackling that issue. You need to prioritize on what’s currently important and what can be handled later. If you are having a difficult time on this one, focus on the deadlines of the tasks that need to be done. Keep in mind the things that need to be done on a particular time — like eating, sleeping and exercising. Log these into a schedule and share it with your colleagues to decide on the weekly schedule for each member of the team. Be flexible and try adjusting sometimes when others in your team can’t accommodate your schedule.
Challenge #4: Being motivated — as a team and individually
During the last couple of months, the situation has prohibited working in a physical office and forced the employees to choose the remote option, which is not something that everyone can adjust to. The distractions offered at home also make it difficult to maintain the proficiency of the work done. Even if one member of the team is in a slumber, it will have a domino effect and affect the other team members. Members of a team need to have a sound frame where they can encourage and motivate each other.
Solution #4: You’re up mangers!
If there are distractions at your place, set up a kind of signal or keep a fixed schedule so your family members understand that you are not to be disturbed. If the team is feeling down, the manager and the team establish goals to give direction to the employees. If you are a manager, acknowledge the team’s achievements. Keep communication active to avoid gaps. Have check-ins with the employees not only to ensure that work is done on time, but also about small updates on the employees themselves to maintain an open and comfortable environment.
Challenge #5: Communication Hiccups
Virtual working is very liberating but it limits communication among the team members, making it almost impossible for building strong remote teams because communication is one of the major stepping stones in virtual team building. The decrease in proximity doesn’t permit small talk and reduces the work talk, too. The members of the team need to be proactive and constantly give their updates to the team There is also the issue of not being able to clearly convey what the required task is.
Solution #5: Strong Structured Communication
It is important to implement a strong structured communication system where the issue of lack of communication, as well as conciseness and clarity, could be tackled with ease. There needs to be a schedule for updates to be given. To avoid your message being misconstrued, be concise and clear, and avoid jokes; but try to keep it light-hearted. If the emails and messages are not answered even when you have been concise, you can always be persistent. Try to arrange video calls because they are more engaging and can convey the message more clearly.
In this pandemic, remote working and remote team building has been more difficult than ever, but not impossible because there are solutions offered for the same. Managers and Employees should both engage and collaborate efficiently to produce quality work. There should be team cohesion as well as a good connection of the individual team members with the manager to maintain the fluidity of communication exchange. If done properly, remote working might produce better results than working in the physical offices.
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If you want to look into more of our virtual team activities, please head to our page on virtual team building activities. We assure you, they are completely worth your while.
