In control of the Noise: Ways to make remote jobs work
Working remotely is a liberating and overwhelming experience at the same time. You don’t have to wake up very early to worry about beating the rush hour just so that you can report to work on time. It also means that only you have the power to devise strategies, deploy quick fixes and counter those distractions that prevent you from working.
Be it pulling a Matt Damon harvesting potatoes on Mars or a Sandra Bullock trying to get her way back home, telecommuters face challenges they have to resolve, using some quick thinking and a good presence of mind. Some of them have gone a step further to share how they were able to silence the noises around remote working and establish rules that make this style of employment not just fancy, but sustainable.
Combating noises from within
When your house doubles as your workspace, it is common for your family to think that a remote worker can handle small errands during the day. The situation gets out of control when people walk in unannounced into your space, creating a negative experience while you are on a very important call with a client or your team. Despite having a Trello board full of tasks and deadlines to meet, telecommuters often get overwhelmed with these sort of distractions. Jose John sat his family down and explained how interrupting him during his work hours was hampering productivity.
“I set up a separate room to mimic the physical office and instructed my young niece that I will not be available to spend time with her even when I am present in the house.”
This significantly helped him and now he is a successful remote worker of 1 year and still counting!!
Silencing noises from the outer realm
Now that you feel like you have slain the noise from within, the noise from outside knocks your door, literally! You may have visitors who will show no mercy to the doorbell. Delivery reps and the mailmen may require your presence at the door to sign off a package. When there is so much going on the outside, remote workers may not always be at their best, even when the noise inside has been silenced. Your distraction can affect that killer sales pitch you worked so hard on or can cost you a potential customer on whom you invested a lot of time and resource.
Shayla. M Franklin, a remote Client Account Executive based in Jacksonville, US, had to collect her mail and deliveries in between calls with customers. The sound of the doorbell was loud and distinctly audible even inside her study. To counter the interruption she was trying to figure out a way to let people know that she was working and shouldn’t be disturbed. Shayla. M Franklin went that extra mile to put up a sign on her door that lets people know that she is working. The sign also gave people a set of instructions to follow in case they need to reach her.
The idea inspired us so much that we created a template that all remote workers could use.
Turning digital noise into ghosts
Technology helps keep our social life in one place, accessible from phones and computers. Technology can be addictive and can affect your productivity, raising a few eyebrows since remote employees are monitored more vigorously than their physical office counterparts. A work from home parent can create detailed schedules to keep kids occupied until they end their work hours. They can set up separate messaging channels on messaging apps so that people who live with them can leave a message in case of an emergency. But what about notifications?
Push notifications enjoy a high open rate which causes app creators to use them way more often, warranting your attention every time your screen flashes up. To avoid the sound of a notification from distracting you, you can also do this by changing the settings of your phone. You can use the do not disturb setting on your iPhone or go a step further by silencing the notifications from specific apps. For remote workers using Android devices, you can reduce notifications by configuring the events that trigger a push notification and silence all the rest.
A business is as strong as its people. People are as strong as their support system and the environment that surrounds them. A step towards creating a calm space boosts productivity and performance. Remote working is a step forward to creating a sustainable practice, but it is one giant leap of faith for businesses owners. So make this one count.
Have you done something to make remote working possible? We’re all eyes and ears. Post your comments and let your ideas help make a change :)