Although you may fancy the freedom that comes with remote working, it is not uncommon to feel overwhelmed while working from home, primarily if you are used to traditional office culture. Luckily, you can continually sharpen the relevant skills necessary for success in a remote role in diverse ways. This article will share 4 skills you need to succeed as a remote worker.
Self-motivation
The absence of coworkers and a boss when working from home affects some remote workers’ motivation levels. However, it is vital to develop an internal drive to be productive and accomplish goals despite having no one around to monitor or cheer you on. To achieve this, you need to learn how to create and stick to your schedules and routines. In addition, focus on limiting distractions to keep you more motivated to focus on work. For instance, if you are a working from home parent, you can hire supervised care for your children or explore other ways to keep them occupied while you work from home.
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Good Communication Skills
As per Buffer’s State of Remote Work 2020 report, 20% of remote workers cited communication and collaboration as the most significant challenge they faced. So, developing excellent communication skills is vital. To begin with, master how to communicate through email, video meetings, text messages, online chat, and other platforms effectively. In addition, prompt replies to contact from colleagues and employers are necessary to maintain effective workplace interactions.
Furthermore, remote working often relies on asynchronous communication that does not demand real-time responses. This allows every worker to contribute to discussions according to their availability. You may likely be unavailable to clear any doubts when your coworkers see a message you sent. Therefore, it is vital to be as clear and concise as possible when sending out messages to colleagues. You can read, edit, and proofread your message before sending it. Also, you can keep it brief and correct to prevent any miscommunication that may affect overall productivity.
Tech-savviness
A vast number of hardware tools and software are undoubtedly crucial to your role as a remote worker. As such, it is essential to be tech-savvy. This allows you perform your duties despite not having an IT department by your side. Consequently, prioritize mastering the digital tools your company uses every day so you can leverage this software with little to no assistance. Project management, video and web conferencing, instant messaging, and document sharing software are some of the essential tools you should master for a smooth remote working experience. In addition, you should be able to handle any issues you might experience when using your hardware and digital tools.
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Time Management
A flexible schedule is typically part of the remote working experience. You just need to ensure you meet the deadlines for all your work. However, this freedom can become problematic, and you may struggle to meet deadlines as a result. Thankfully, there is no shortage of ways to make the most of the time available to you. For instance, you can identify the period within which you feel most productive and mentally transparent and schedule the majority of your work for completion within that time frame. Also, try to take 10-15 minute breaks every two hours, stay hydrated, use to-do lists, minimize social media distractions, and set other boundaries that work for you to remain productive.
Additionally, an excellent home office with a door is an excellent barrier to household distractions. So, invest in this to make working from home enjoyable. Finally, people are motivated by various things, including external incentives, the fear of failure, perfectionism, and a sense of accomplishment. Consequently, discover what fuels your desire to complete tasks and use this as a drive to keep you focused on achieving your daily targets.
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