Working Remotely During Covid-19
To all our valued clients,
This is undoubtedly a time of uncertainty. We are all in uncharted territory with the rapid spread of the novel COVID-19 virus and though it is a scary time, we are all in this together.
Here at RhinoHub, we are practicing all the recommended precautions including working from home, but that’s not new. We took our operations remote two years ago in order to live the lifestyle we promote. We take work-life balance seriously! That means we get to do what we love while getting work done on our own time or get dung done, as we rhinos like to say.
Not everyone has the luxury of working from home and we don’t take this lightly. Because this may be new for some people, we have a few tips to share with you to be the most productive with remote work in a time when your mind might be preoccupied with other things...
1. Have a Designated Workspace
Having a dedicated work area will help you get in the right mindset when you sit down to get dung done. Organizing a desk for yourself will help you feel more comfortable and be more productive. Especially if you visit the same place every time you sit down to work.
Even if your “desk” is at the kitchen table, or is a mobile one that goes around the house with you, you should have a resident work platform. But everyone will have a different place where they feel most effective.
For some, like this copywriter, it may be out on the deck in the sun for 20 minutes, then back in the physical office in the extra room with the monitor, and then on the couch on the lap desk. Our designer likes to be in front of huge monitors to see the finer details. He also likes to have a pad of paper nearby to do a quick sketch or map out a user pathway that makes the most sense for a web user. Our web developer likes to work in an area of the house that is free of distractions. That means in an area that doesn’t see so much traffic, that’s not a common area like the living room. Our creative director has a whole floor dedicated to a home office and loves drawing plans out on huge sheets of paper. He also always has a daily to-do list; physically crossing things off feels so good!
2. Music, Good; TV, Bad
Music can help some remote workers be super productive. Others need complete silence. But one thing that is not good for concentration is TV. When your mind is preoccupied with trying to figure out how a Netflix series ends, it doesn’t leave much room to finish the task at hand.
This goes the same with podcasts. Some workers can do fine with conversations in the background but it all depends on what they do. For example, designers may be inspired by something they hear in a podcast while perhaps, writers may get too distracted!
3. Collaboration is Key
Whether it is through a platform like Slack, Google Hangouts, or Zoom, or a task manager like Asana or Clickup, staying in touch and sharing your work with fellow remote coworkers is key. When everyone is working in the same vein, it keeps them all responsible for their part and that’s how projects are completed efficiently, potentially more so than with employees who frequent the water cooler!
Getting on the phone, joining a video call, or meeting face-to-face (with six feet in-between for the time being) to check in with team members frequently is pretty important too. Not only for your sanity but so you can make sure you aren’t working in a separate silo and to see what everyone else is working on.
4. Take Breaks and Sustain Yourself
Taking 10 minutes to get up, stretch, or go on a walk outside will actually help your workday productivity. In an office setting, people come and go pretty frequently, reminding you that you can get up and get some coffee or chat with coworkers. When you work from home, you can easily lose track of time only to realize you haven’t stopped in hours. We’ve all done it here at RhinoHub, and we can tell you, it only leaves you feeling kind of awful at the end of the day. The task may have been completed in half the time but that’s also how you burn out.
Take breaks, go outside with the dog, make sure your water bottle is full, and have good snacks nearby!
5. Set the Kids and Dogs up with Distractions
This tip is specific for the time we are in with the coronavirus pandemic school closures, but setting the kids up with games, tasks, time outdoors in the fresh air, and yes, maybe even some screen time, will help your own production. That goes the same for dogs. Give them a tasty bone to gnaw on and make sure you take them out on long walks before and after you sit down to get dung done. As of now, you can still venture out onto a trail or to a park as long as you practice social distancing!
We are living through a strange time, one in which there is no playbook or manual. That being said, the coronavirus outbreak is not a time to panic, hoard, or stop all business practices. In fact, making sure your brand’s messaging and client-facing material is the best it can be is really important right now. And we can help. Marketing is essential right now as long as it is done conscientiously, correctly, and yes, consistently. There’s no better time to be there for your customers or clients than during a crisis.
Here’s what the global marketing VP of media at Google has to say about marketing during COVID-19.
Take care of yourselves, hug your fellow quarantined family members, and don’t hesitate to reach out if you need anything even if it’s just to chat to boost morale!
Sincerely,
All the Rhinos at RhinoHub