Creating Efficiency While Working from Home

We have been hearing a lot of news about how virtual team meetings are being compromised by hackers and how some businesses are struggling to work from separate spaces. At FullScope IT, we are dedicated to making sure your digital assets, including virtual meetings, are protected and secure, and that the organization can continue to function, even when you are working remotely.

Creating efficiencies while working from home can be challenging, especially if you’re not used to being at home alongside your family while managing a remote team. We are here to tell you that we understand and are working with our clients to make the process as seamless and secure as possible.

Review your current technology

Do you have what it takes to move your team from the corporate office to off-site? We offer a thorough for Working Remotely to help you decide. At no charge, we review your current set up and provide recommendations to you on how to transition to a remote business quickly and safely. This is a great no-obligation introduction to our team and services.

Identify a space where you can work.

This can be challenging. Even if you are used to working from home, you were likely not used to homeschooling your children or having your spouse or significant other at home with you during the workday. If you can, have an office from where you can take phone and video calls. While it is tempting to work from bed, it will take away from productivity. Your brain will not know when it is time to work and when it is time to rest.

Also, your coworkers do not need to see your bedroom, even if it is doubling as an office. Try to have lighting and background that are clean and neat, not your headboard and dirty laundry, when attending a virtual meeting. Bookshelves, plants, and/or photos or paintings make clean backgrounds. Here is a secret: Your co-workers are all in the same position as you. They too are positioning their cameras to face the cleanest corner of the house, even if it is a bedroom and even if the rest of the house is a mess. Be like them.

Create a space where you can work and perhaps more importantly, leave work. Ideally, if you can close the door to an office when you are on a break or at the end of the day, that is great. It resets your brain and gives you space between work and home, even if it is only a commute down the hallway.

Create a work from home schedule.

While not all the days will go according to plan, it helps to have a work schedule. Let your family know when you are working. Put a sign on your office door. Post the schedule where everyone

can see it like a family whiteboard or shared digital calendar. This will help cut down on interruptions.

Modify the schedule as needed. Perhaps you work four a few hours before the family wakes up and then later at naptime or bedtime. Work that out with your manager to make sure you are not missing important deadlines or meetings and can still deliver what is needed on time and at the quality expected.

Take care of yourself while working from home.

Get ready for work. Take a shower. Get dressed, even if it is just a clean pair of sweatpants. Brush your teeth. Eat breakfast. Whatever you were doing before, modify for today. Keeping a schedule will switch your brain from home to work and create efficiency while working from home.

While your family needs to understand your work schedule, you also need to keep doing what helps you do your best. Take care of yourself. Do you normally go to the gym? Plan for a family walk. Take a run. Workout with the kids. Have a family dance party. It is beneficial to have family time and for everyone to relieve stress with physical activity.

Schedule your day as best you can.

Creating efficiency while working from home takes a bit of an adjustment. If you are having trouble finding time to do everything, first evaluate what you want to accomplish. Then time block your schedule for both business and personal commitments. Include meals and break time along with focused work time. You may find that tasks take a shorter amount of time now because you can focus on one or two things without interruption.

Plan for the next day before you go to bed. If this keeps you awake, do this in the morning at the beginning of your day.

Business Continuity Services

In addition to our FREE Remote Access Consultation, FullScope IT offers business continuity services to make sure your organization and client or patient information is protected in the event of a catastrophic event.

• Internet connection. Make sure video chatting works even if you have another family member(s) online at the same time.
• VOiP. Utilize VOiP so you are not using your personal cell phone for business calls. Not only is this reflective of your employer, you are allowing clients to call you on what should be a personal line. They will continue to use it, so we encourage you to use your business line instead.

You can assure clients and colleagues that data is protected, that there is access to it, and that business can continue to function even while working remotely.

As you are thinking of how to create efficiency while working from home, we recommend working when you are most awake so you can be the most productive. Do the most challenging tasks during these hours. Set a time for your workday to occur and establish the space where you will work; this will help you maintain a work-life balance.

If you are experiencing technical challenges or would like to schedule a Free Remote Access Consultation, call us at (410) 403-3218 to schedule an appointment today!