Working Remotely 13 Mistakes to Avoid in Order to Thrive in Your Job

Working Remotely 13 Mistakes to Avoid in Order to Thrive in Yur Job Remote work and telecommuting are becoming mora common. Many roles today require knowledge work, which doesnt necessarily necessitate someone being in a specific schauplatz, and therefore offers mora location flexibility to employees in those roles. Similarly, employees are seeking mora work-life balance and integration, which means many teams and jobs are more open to telecommuting. Recent research from Stanford University has also indicated that companies also benefit from employees who telework, citing increased productivity and lower turnover among their employees. The reality is that more of us are working across a wide range of time zones and locations, so even those in office locations are engaging employees remotely.However, even with the shift towards remote work and the myriad of benefits, many companies, managers, and employees hold unfair assumptions about colleagues who perform their job from home that t heyre secretly slacking off during the day or arent working as hard as those folks in offices.Ive been a remote employee, managed in aller welt teams of employees in different locations, and am a huge advocate for remote work where possible. Here are common mistakes employees make when they start working remotelyand how you can avoid themCommon Mistakes of Teleworkers1. Keeping the same routineWhen you shift from an office role to a remote position, you probably shouldnt keep the same daily routine. Things youll likely need to add to your calendar include intentional networking (because you wont be bumping into colleagues in the hallway or elevator), in order to keep and develop strong relationships with your colleagues.You may also need to add more frequent interactions with your manager to ensure she understands your priorities, can provide you with informal feedback, and keep you apprised of any office news that is important for your role.To help you develop your remote routine, connect with successful remote employees in your organization to learn how they have adjusted their calendars to reflect their remote status.2. Under-investing in senior relationships.Demonstrating your expertise to senior leaders is part of building your professional reputation, as is ensuring they understand both the impact you have on the geschftliches miteinander and your professional ambitions. All of these become more challenging with remote work, since youll often face fewer opportunities to casually promote your great work to senior leaders.When youre remote, you have to be intentional about developing those senior relationships. Identify which relationships you need to keep healthy and which additional relationships you need to cultivate, and work to maintain and develop those connections.If those leaders travel to your area, go out of your way to meet up with them when possible. When youre in their geographic area, work to get some time with them to share updates on releva nt projects, some industry issues youve been exploring, or simply shake their pranke and let them know how much youre enjoying your workand which challenges youre looking forward to slaying next.3. Working without breaks.The day can fly by when youre remoteyour colleagues cant just swing by your desk to persuade you to join them for lunch. Make sure youre taking time to stretch, move, hydrate, and eat throughout the day. It may sound basic, but employees in many types of work arrangements can struggle with remaining healthy and mobile in our desk-bound work environmentsSimilarly, digital eye strain can result from too much time staring at digital devices, including computer screens, mobile phones, and tablets, without a break. Experts recommend a variety of tactics to reduce eye strain, including following the 20-20-20 ruletaking a 20-second break from screens every 20 minutes by looking at something 20 feet away.4. Using your couch (or bed) as a desk.Having a dedicated space for yo ur home office will allow you to keep your materials close at hand and ensure your bed remains a place for sleeping, bedrngnis working. Unless your doctor recommends you remain on bedrest, or mobility challenges require you to be bed- or couch-bound, developing a separate space helps you set boundaries between your work-at-home space and your relax-at-home space.5. leid investing in great headsets.Theres notlagehing more frustrating than a conference call conversation with one participant on a poor connection. When youre a remote employee, you cant rely on your physical presence in a meeting to have an impact, and your contributions need to come across flawlessly to others in the teleconference.Avoid losing your ideas to static by investing in a great headset or speakerphone and testing it with a few of your trusted colleagues. Ask your companys IT or telecommunications team if they will provide phone equipment (or reimburse you). Even if they will not, it is worth a personal invest ment in effective equipment to ensure your participation is truly heard.6. Assuming your current phone setup works fine.Ensure your choice of voice connection is reliable. I had a coworker who used an internet phone (commonly referred to as VOIP phone), because she didnt want a landline. Unfortunately, this persons connection was often spotty, unreliable, and undermined their presence in virtual meetings. You may have occasional connection issues that you cant control, which colleagues may forgive more readily than a steady, persistent challenge.7. Ignoring conference call etiquette.When you are a remote employee, you are often communicating more regularly on group conference calls. You can set yourself apartand ensure your presence is welcomeby becoming an expert in conference call etiquette.Some of the basics include Managing your calendar so you can dial in a few minutes early, or at least on time Announcing yourself in meetingsComing prepared with everything you need to contribu te to the meeting Load any screen-sharing and web conference software before the call, so as to not slow anything down Using your mute button so participants cant hear you drinking your coffee or taking notes on your keyboard8. Expecting colleagues to pick up on non-verbal cues.Generally, communicationis comprised of what you say, the tone of voice you use, and your body language. When you are remote, your body language is often impossible to read (when you are having a phone call) or limited by the transmission of some elements via video conference.To engage with teammates and clients without the option of face-to-face meetings, youll need to work harder to monitor the tone of your voice and content get your points across clearly. If you disagree strongly, dont let your silence speak for itself. Instead, share your concerns and rationale for others to consider. Practice talking in more succinct statements, or even telegraphing emotions more overtly, saying, Im very excited about An is idea because or What concerns me about the recent client feedback isYou can also ask a trusted colleague or manager for advice and feedback to ensure youre communicating effectively when in a remote environment.9. Working in pajamas.There is a tremendous amount of advice (and judgment) around womens clothing in and out of the workplace. For many, one of the benefits of remote working is a more flexible wardrobe. However, research suggests that our clothing influences our performance.Theres no standard dress code for what is appropriate for all remote employees. I recommend you develop a neat and professional set of outfits that represent a work-from-home wardrobe and avoid items like pajamas or anything particularly unkempt.My personal guideline has always been to ask myself, If the CEO of my company needed me on video immediately, would I be comfortable doing so? Button-down shirts, soft sweaters, and relaxed tunics can be incredibly professional on video, while also giving you a break from a more formal set of work clothing.10. Staying at home.Spending too much time alone in your home office can be a challenge for many remote workers. Over time, many remote workers report feelings of isolation when working from home. While each remote role differs, I recommend identifying opportunities to mixtur up your work-from-home arrangement as much as you might need to.For example, if your role requires you to spend time doing deep thinking and individual brainstorming, you may want to book a study room at a local library or college to change up your space. Or, if you miss socializing with colleagues during lunch, make intentional efforts to meet others for lunch, or even take yourself out to a restaurant or coffee shop to give yourself space in your day.You may have colleagues or friends nearby that also work remotely. To mix up your routine, you could rent coworking space together regularly or even rotate houses on a certain schedule to provide some opportunities to experience coworkers.11. Multitasking during meetings.When participating in a meeting as a remote colleague, it can be challenging to remain engaged in the discussion. This gets even more difficult when meetings are long and other participants are in the same physical space, while youre one of the few people on the phone.Multitasking, or engaging in two tasks simultaneously, really results in doing two or more things poorly. If a meeting is worth your time to attend, engage in the meeting by shutting down other tech distractions, as appropriate, and working to actively engage in the meeting. Ask clarifying questions, speak up when there are side discussions you cant hear, and connect via video if the group is whiteboarding so you can contribute.If the meeting isnt valuable for you to attend, explore whether you could read meeting notes or capture a summary (as needed) instead of half-listening while half-working on another project.12. Keeping quiet about your ideas to avoid inter ruptions.When youre participating with other colleagues in a remote environment, it can be hard to get your point across. There is plenty of research and writing on this topic, specifically on the phenomenon of men interrupting women.Jessica Bennett, author of the wonderful bookFeminist Fight Club, provided many techniques on how to avoid man-terruptions for Time Magazine, including the idea of creating a buddy system with a friend to call out (and redirect) interruptions.However, in a virtual meeting, your ideas and participation are even more verbal, since you cant rely on non-verbal cues like getting up to write an idea on a whiteboard, or even leaning forward and signaling youre about to speak.So, get more comfortable with appropriately interrupting. Think of it as actively participating in the meeting and ensuring your business gets the most out of your time in the session. While Im not advocating for stepping over someones idea midstream, dont wait for a long pause in the disc ussion before you feel comfortable speaking your thoughts.13. Avoiding video.Many of us shudder at the thought of a video conference. However, the reality is that video can provide a more engaging format for group discussions and serve as a powerful proxy for in-person sessions.As women, it can be tempting to worry about our appearance on video, so we might decline video sessions or claim our camera isnt working today. However, if your company or clients are using video to communicate and youre not engaging, it can undermine your ability to connect with important stakeholders and grow your career.Remember that most of us arent thrilled at watching ourselves on video, but the purpose is effective communication and not to worry about our appearance.The Bottom LineWhile there are many mistakes employees can make when working remotely, the benefits can be tremendous. In addition to company productivity gains, employees spend less time commuting (saving money while having a positive impa ct on the environment) and often reap the financial benefit of a less costly work wardrobe (with fewer clothes going to dry cleaning).Many companies also reimburse for internet connections, phone lines, and other related expenses. Employees with demanding lives outside of work (and, isnt that all of us in some way) often attain more flexible schedules when not tied to a specific office location.With remote work comes great responsibility to ensure your own productivity and improve the impression of the efficacy of remote working, so even more businesses embrace the option for their employees. If youre curious about where you could go to find remote work, there are many resources to help you do so, right on the web.The Feminist Financieris on a mission to help women build wealth and own their financial independence, by improving financial literacy and taking the mystery out of money. Ms. Financier is also a shoe addict, travel fanatic, and wine enthusiast.