Many different companies, whether they are firmly established or just starting up, have taken the step of trading in the more traditional-type office spaces for ones that are more agile and remote in nature.
This is thanks largely to the fact that numerous studies have shown that when employees are permitted to work remotely, they are not only much happier, but much more productive in the workplace as well.
Working remotely certainly comes with its share of pros and cons that many individuals can take advantage of. On the other hand, however, this kind of thing also comes with its share of disadvantages, as well as costs.
Perhaps the biggest disadvantage involves coming up with the most reliable way of communicating and collaborating with fellow team members and other employees.
When people work remotely and there are decisions that need to be made at the drop of a dime, this can result in employees relying on things such as instant messaging and email to communicate with others since they are not able to talk to one another directly.
Here are some useful tips to consider when it comes to working remotely.
Other disadvantages? Not really
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Some of the more common disadvantages of operating a virtual-type team are considered to be your run-of-the-mill “blessings in disguise.” These include the fact that virutal-type teams are essentially forced to use some of their deeply-held and deeply-shared values to form bonds with other employees.
In addition, employees who work on a more remote basis are subject to experiencing less distractions, despite the fact that these particular employees are pretty much being forced to work asynchronously.
In terms of communication, employees who work remotely must learn how to engage in this on a more deliberate basis, especially since they will not be able to physically interact with other fellow employees directly and in-person.
The result of all of these types of disadvantages will actually be a positive one, as it will create a team full of fewer amounts of distractions, more unity of a meaningful nature, and communication skills that are well above average. This is an instance where technology becomes a major part of the game thanks to the many instant messaging systems that are available, which means a much less-cluttered email inbox.
How to make collaboration work
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When employees work remotely, this can essentially create a major with collaboration and freelancing that is both deep and inherent in nature. This issue involves effective communication with other individuals. Emails and instant messages are certainly convenient, especially in a more remote-type setting, but face-to-face meetings are still considered to be the finest method of communication in terms of completing tasks and engaging in discussions.
This is another instance in which online remote collaboration tools are essential, and these tools are things that virtually any kind of business can benefit from.
In addition, these remote collaboration tools are also useful for IT departments that are considered to be overworked and small in size, as well as various project management and other types of financial teams.
These specific tools are cloud-based and are designed to enhance the overall productivity level of employees, as well as improving an organization’s overall efficiency level.
Here are some useful tips to make note of and follow in terms of collaboration, whether you are part of a company that is large or small, or even if you are a freelancer working with either kind of business.
Make yourself available
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We all know that working collaboratively means that you are working with a group of people on a particular project or assignment; however, there will be times when you will be required to work independently before meeting up with your team to discuss different ideas or share outcomes that you’ve come up with.
When working in an office-type setting, you generally will be able to peek up over a cubicle to share a quick idea or two with a fellow employee. You can also say something to one of them while simply walking down the hallway.
Ultimately, you will not have the same kind of experience if you are resorting to working from home; however, there are ways to change that.
Utilizing such services as email, instant messaging, and the telephone while conducting work from home is a wonderful way to help provide nearly the same kind of experience that you would receive while working from the office, especially during normal work hours.
On the other hand, you do not have to immediately make yourself available if you find yourself being irritated to the point where you feel like you absolutely have to answer a phone call or an instant message from a fellow employee. Instead, be positive when answering requests from them.
The same thing applies when you receive these same kinds of inquiries from your customers as well. Positivity is the one thing that will help to keep the conversations more natural, as well as keeping the lines of communication open. If that communication is essentially turned off, it will result in you also turning off the chance to work both collaboratively and effectively.
Remove distractions
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One of the biggest disadvantages of working from the comfort of your own home is the fact that there are many different things around you that can essentially distract you from getting any important work done. From gaming consoles to a refrigerator full of food, it’s often easy to get distracted from completing important tasks.
Perhaps the most efficient way to counteract this is to set up an office space in a specific area of your home, located away from these kinds of distraction areas. In addition, when you sit at your home office desk to do work, treat the space as you would any other professional office space.
One useful tip to consider for this is to pretend that your boss is just around the corner from your office and could drop in on you at any time. Regardless of the space that you select, it’s important that you make sure it is the most effective enough for you to work with.
You will also want to make sure that everything you need for your home office is well within easy reach. It can be incredibly distracting if you have to constantly get up to go into another room to retrieve any important tools.
Think about time zones
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When it comes to collaborating with fellow employees, it’s important to keep in mind the particular time zone that they live in when scheduling things such as phone calls or meetings with them. Keeping time zones in mind is certainly something that will take a bit to get used to, but it’s certainly not an impossible kind of task.
One useful tip to consider is to always ask questions before scheduling anything. This will show your fellow employees that you respect their personal time and that you’ll also be able to determine a good time for the both of you to converse about business matters.
On the other hand, if your fellow employees have no opposition of being notified of any potential urgent matters in real time, then feel free to pick up the telephone and call them.
Respect the work hours
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Perhaps the biggest and most common reason that traditional 9-to-5 jobs don’t work very well is because employees who works those kinds of jobs really aren’t at their most productive during that particular time of day. After all, people who are used to getting up early in the morning should always be at the top of their game, while the proverbial “night owls” should have no issue with staying up late or potentially pulling all-nighters to work on and complete projects.
In addition, when these kinds of people aren’t working in an environment such as an office and/or are able to set their own work hours, their biggest enemy can become procrastination. In terms of working remotely, procrastination can also become a big issue, even though people are simply tryiing to break from the normal routine of things.
Another useful working remotely tip to consider is to incorporate plenty of short breaks into your work day, which is extremely ideal for those who work better in spurts that are intense, yet brief.
This kind of idea derives from something known as the Pomodoro Technique, which essentially trains you to have a much better concentration level over a short period of time.
The best length of time for working and taking breaks typically depends on the particular individual, as well as what specific kind of work they are trying to complete. However, always making time to relax your body and your brain is an effective way to help deal with all of the distractions that you may find at home.
Collaboration tools are a must
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Regardless of the kind of business that you are involved in, it’s important to keep in mind that remote collaboration tools are an absolute necessity. You should also take as much time as needed to determine exactly what kind of remote collaboration tools will work the best for both yourself and your team of fellow employees.
The overall goal of remote collaboration tools is to not only help your entire team stay as organized as possible, but also to help you keep track of everything that you are doing business-wise. These kinds of tools can also help alleviate any pressures you may be feeling involving impending deadlines, as well as affecting the outcome of a particular project in a positive manner.
Ending thoughts – the benefits of working remote
When people are simply not interested in setting for outside of their traditional comfort zones, collaboration is something that can be difficult, especially in a physical setting. Regardless of the type of business environment, all employees understandably crave their own personal connections and privacy.
With remote collaboration, all employees will have the power to be alone together, as well as giving individuals who consider themselves to be introverts the ability to offer feedback that, otherwise, they may have avoided.
As previously stated, working remotely also offers employees a collaboration options that is asynchronous. We are able to ponder ideas and contribute opinions for longer periods of time thanks to aspects as a multi-owner Google document or a instant messaging window that has been left open. Many individuals can spend hours working alone, yet still be able to eventually confer with other fellow employees to obtain feedback on different aspects of projects that they are working on.
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