GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — When we think of going to work, we usually think of commuting to the office, grabbing a coffee on the way, and saying hello to our coworkers as we walk to our work space.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, the work commute looks a lot different for most of us. Instead of sitting in traffic or chatting with co-workers as we get settled in, we can stand bleary-eyed in front of our own coffee maker in our pajamas before sitting down at the kitchen table and getting started.
Any chatting we do has been replaced with phone calls, video conferences, and emails, as we all do the best we can from our new work environments.
Neal Gilbert with Robert Half shared some ways you can still be productive, even while working in an unusual environment.
The first thing he says to keep in mind, is that this is temporary. We will eventually be able to return to our office spaces safely. He also says it's good to remember that if this were happening 20 years ago, it would look very different, and be much more difficult to manage.
Today, we have a lot of ways to help keep ourselves and our companies going that we didn't have even just 20 years ago. As a whole, businesses, employees, and managers are all figuring things out as we go. Everyone gets a little bit of leeway right now. Plus, he says, we get to hang out with our families and our pets, so there are some positives to working from home.
However, one issue that may keep you from being as productive as you may like is the distractions in your home. "We’ve got kids, we’ve got pets, we’ve got chores that we think we need to do throughout the day," he says. "There’s those different distractions that come into play that can definitely become a little bit of a hurdle in order to get your job done that you want to do." Of course, it is a lot easier to get distracted with your cell phone, something on TV, or someone asking a question at home, when your boss isn't there to look over your shoulder. To help keep yourself on task, Gilbert recommends making a list of things you want to accomplish in a day. Then, share it with your co-workers and have them hold you accountable for accomplishing those tasks. You can also help them out in the same way. "Say, hey, what did you get done today, or did you go above and beyond what you were doing with that particular task?"
To keep up the connection that many people are craving since beginning to work from home, Gilbert recommends getting creative in the way you discuss things and show off your accomplishments. For example, have a bingo game with specific things people are supposed to do throughout the day as the squares. If you check off a box, make sure to let your team know. This is a simple way to cheer each other on, and feel good about our own accomplishments.
The balance between work and your life is never a simple one. Working from home can blur the line between the two even more. When working in an office, you have a time when you pack up and go home, and usually you don't need to bring work home with you. When working from home, it's easy to look up at the clock and realize you should have clocked out an hour ago. It can even impact the way you decompress from work. Before you may have had a 20 minute drive home to listen to music or work out your frustrations before getting home and being with your family. However, when it's been a good day, you don't have that time that keeps you from your family and you can sign off and then immediately be home.
Make sure to create a divide between working and being home and living your life. Don't let your life get in the way of you being productive, but don't let work get in the way of you living your life. "Make some time for yourself, because again, not having that time, to be between work and between home, sometimes that really helps people out, as far as staying connected with what’s going on in the world, but also, maintaining that personal sanity of some alone time as well" says Gilbert.
Gilbert recommends a schedule to help with that distinction. "Still continue to get up at the same time, take a shower. Go through the normal routine that your would have done, when you are working from the office, whether that’s getting the kids up," he says. "You can still go through that same routine."
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