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Best Practices for Working from Home

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It’s strange to say that many businesses are officially “getting used to” working from home during the COVID-19 crisis, but it has become the new normal. Many people are still trying to adjust to this new norm, and if you are one of these people, this is the post for you.

Here are the best practices to exercise when working from home.

Tips for Working With Clients

If you’re meeting “face-to-face” with your clients via video conferencing, it’s important to put these policies in place for yourself and your team:

  • Mute yourself when you’re not talking. No one likes to hear dogs barking, microwaves beeping, or your spouse’s conference call in the background. Keep all the distractions to a minimum.
  • Turn off notification sounds when teleconferencing. Text messages, phone calls, and app notifications also bring distractions to the table, so make sure they are silenced.
  • Be aware of your background. Make sure you don’t have kids running around behind you or have a cluttered background. Try to have a simple, clean background like a wall with a single photo and not an open closet full of clothes. If your computer can handle it, many brands are giving free virtual backgrounds to use for your Zoom meetings to hide your actual background.
  • Use a reliable microphone and wear headphones. People often overlook this, and just because the speaker works well on your computer, having an echo during calls is quite annoying. By wearing headphones with a built-in microphone or using a good quality microphone like one of these, your conference call quality will go from 0 to 100.

Tips for Working With Your Team

Team interaction and collaboration is also important, so when you are meeting virtually, keep these tips in mind:

  • Keep a schedule for meetings. Keeping a routine should remain a priority in both your personal and professional life, and by holding internal meetings at the same time and day of the week, it will keep everyone on track.
  • Start using tools for seamless communication and collaboration. Slack, Zoom and G Suite are some of our favorite tools we use at GreenMellen. The best part about them: they can be used from any device, anywhere in the world without skipping a beat.
  • Keep them in the loop. We’re living in an unprecedented time right now, and your employees are definitely on edge. As their leader, the least you could do is be honest with them and keep them in the loop as much as possible as far as the landscape for the future.

Tips for Yourself

When you’re not meeting with your team or clients, here’s what you should keep in mind at this time:

  • Take advantage of free resources at this time. Tools, webinars, software, and financial support from many different companies are available right now. If you’re not sure where to start, The Hoth has a good list.
  • Set boundaries for yourself. This tip works both ways; you need to block time for work so you don’t get distracted, as well as your personal life so you’re not working nonstop. With your home playing both roles of your sanctuary and your office, building these boundaries will keep yourself on track to being present when you need to.
  • Ask for help when you need it. We (all working professionals) are all in this together, and we will get through this easier if we reach out for assistance in areas that aren’t our strengths. And, believe us when we say it, there are more than enough people and businesses out there who are eager to help right now.

No matter which of our best practices you use, make sure your work from home routine works best for your lifestyle. By adjusting your environment to match your needs, you’ll set yourself up for success.

If you have any questions about remote working solutions, we’re here to help! Contact us today to get started.

About the Author

Brooke Desmond

Communications Manager
With a passion for all things digital marketing, Brooke aims to give a unique perspective on the latest trends and ideas in this ever-changing space.

View Brooke's Profile

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