Working from home or hardly working?
Sometimes we have no choice but to work from home; whether the kids are off school or you've got the flu and don't want bring it into office.
With increased need for remote connection due to COVID – 19, it’s likely that we will have to adapt this new method to suit our needs, roles and ways of staying productive. Video based appointments, telephone consultation and online assessments are expected to be the new norm moving forward.
Luckily for me, we have VOIP phones so all I need is an internet connection to speak to my clients - and they wouldn’t know I’m sat at home with toast crumbs all over my PJ’s. Even our CRM is cloud based, so I can access all of my customer information and update accounts as I go.
What is agile working?
In short, the agile working is the ability to work from wherever you can find a desk, power supply and maybe a coffee. More and more businesses are adopting this approach, but why? Start-ups are already well entwined with the digital era, using technology create revolutionary solutions. In a similar way, they’re shaking off habits of traditional workforces and ditching commercial spaces in favour of this more efficient way of working.
Given the UKs current set of circumstances, larger businesses are replicating these methods. Not only is it necessary at the moment but it’s actually pretty cost effective and better for the environment.
But is it working from home or hardly working?
Environment has always been key to office moral. I have always been able to focus better on my own, but for many the social element of coming into the office is instrumental to staying motivated. Apps like skype, GoTo Meeting, Slack and Zoom aren’t just useful for replacing face-to-face meetings. They’re an amazing way to stay up to date with the latest gossip from your colleagues. You may even find, that as you’re seeing each other less, these conversation are more fulfilling and take up less of your day.
Working from home also has the added benefit of no commute. Extra time can be spent getting organised, learning a new skill or catching up on a little more sleep! Better still, this time can be spent catching up with colleagues or loved ones to further counteract the social isolation you may be feeling.
Being alone all day may sound a little stark, but you’ll no longer have to have to juggle 5 mugs on the tea run and listening to your favourite songs without fear of embarrassment could also make you feel more motivated - depending on your self-isolation situation.
So I guess the benefits of being at home might not be socially orientated but with a few daily stresses taken away I am intrigued to see how this will impact both my colleagues and myself. Those in industries that aren’t as technologically savvy could struggle to make such a huge adjustment. But with the right tools at home, you may discover a new level of productivity and look forward to working at home for a week or two.
How are you guys finding working from home? Let us know in the comments!