Since the pandemic, remote work has become an increasingly prevalent aspect of the modern world and is not likely to go away anytime soon. This way of working provides remote workers benefits such as increased flexibility, shorter commutes, and better work-life balance. Companies enjoy the benefits of reduced overhead costs, better employee productivity, and high-performance levels.
According to Zippia, 68% of Americans would prefer to work remotely. However, despite this trend, many remote employees still need to adopt the right tools, manage productivity, and ensure effective communication.
In this article, we will discuss remote workers’ common mistakes and provide tips on how to avoid them.
How To Avoid Common Mistakes Remote Workers Make
While remote work offers many benefits, it can also present a unique set of challenges. Here are some common mistakes remote workers make and practical tips on how to avoid them.
Mistake #1: Not establishing clear boundaries.
One of the biggest challenges of remote work that frequently gets negative criticism is creating a clear separation between work and personal life. It’s easy to get sucked into work when you’re working from home, especially if you don’t have a dedicated workspace.
Here are quick tips on how to establish clear boundaries when working online:
- Set up a designated workspace that is separate from your personal space.
- Establish specific work hours and try to stick to them.
- Communicate your availability to your colleagues and manager.
- Turn off notifications on your devices when you’re not working.
- Take regular breaks and step away from your workspace.
- Feel free to say no to work requests outside your established boundaries.
Mistake #2: Overlooking setting clear goals and priorities.
Building a remote company culture that fails to establish specific daily or weekly targets is counterproductive. Without set targets, there are two possible scenarios for remote workers. On the one hand, employees may approach their responsibilities relaxed and informally, leading to incomplete urgent work. On the other hand, pressure and unnecessary overtime may result from a lack of priorities.
In either case, confusion about deadlines and objectives creates stress and complications, undermining productivity and potentially leading to frustration.
Here are some quick tips that will help establish a remote company culture that focuses on setting clear targets:
- Review your long-term goals and prioritize tasks that will help you achieve them.
- Break down larger projects into smaller, achievable tasks.
- Set deadlines for each task and hold yourself accountable to them.
- Share your targets with your manager or colleagues to help you stay on track.
- Block off time on your calendar to work on specific tasks.
- Evaluate your progress regularly and adjust your targets as necessary.
Mistake #3: Not communicating enough.
When you’re working remotely, feeling isolated from the rest of the team is a distinct possibility. Remote work means fewer face-to-face communication opportunities, making staying in touch with colleagues and managers challenging. It is, therefore, important to have regular check-ins with your team members, supervisor, and manager and keep them updated on your work progress.
Consider these tools that you can include in your communication strategy for effective communication and project management:
- You can use instant messaging tools like Slack, Wimi, Google Chat, Microsoft Teams, Whats App, Rocket Chat and many more, for personal and real-time communication.
- For delivering important messages, emails are a reliable option.
- For project management, tools such as Trello and Asana allow you to assign tasks to each team member and track their progress.
- Use embedded integrations to connect and integrate data from multiple systems, apps, and devices in one application for file sharing and cloud storage. For instance, Slack and Gmail integration allows users to send new emails as Slack messages and receive Slack notifications for new Gmail emails.
Mistake #4: Working in isolation.
To avoid feeling isolated, remote workers must realize the differences between remote and in-person work environments to avoid feeling lonely and isolated. Being in the same physical space as your colleagues make collaborating and exchanging ideas on work tasks easier. However, this process can be conducted through online meetings when working remotely.
Here are tips for staying connected with colleagues when working remotely:
- Ensure that you regularly communicate with all team members each week.
- Be purposeful about involving your colleagues in the decision-making process.
- Participate in virtual social events like team lunches, tea time, and calls.
Mistake #5: Getting easily distracted while working.
One of the most common mistakes people make when working remotely from home is getting distracted by everyday things around the house. This is particularly true for those of us who have to manage a household while at the same time working remotely.
For example, when working from home, you may get sidetracked by cleaning tasks or organizing things that can wait. You may use such tasks as a break from work, which can affect your productivity and focus.
Here’s what you can do to help limit distractions:
- Use noise-canceling headphones: Noise-canceling headphones can help block out background noise and help you focus on your work.
- Minimize phone and social media use: Try to limit phone and social media use during work hours to avoid getting distracted by notifications.
- Communicate with family or housemates: Let your family or housemates know when you need to focus and minimize interruptions during those times.
Key Takeaway
Remote work presents unique challenges that can lead to mistakes. However, by establishing clear boundaries, setting clear goals, frequently communicating, collaborating, and limiting distractions, remote workers can avoid these mistakes and thrive in their remote work environment. Remote work requires self-discipline and focus, and by adopting the right attitude and approach, it is possible to be productive and successful while working from home.
Establish effective and healthy habits for remote work.
Don’t let common mistakes ruin your remote work experience and damage your career! Follow our expert tips to avoid distractions, set clear boundaries, and stay connected with your team. At Advanced Digital Media Services, we understand the unique challenges of remote work and offer valuable resources to help you succeed. As a Winter Haven SEO agency, you can consult us about the various resources to set you up for remote work success.
Contact us today to learn more about our SEO services and how we can help you optimize your remote work setup, boost your productivity, and achieve your career goals.
