Remote Working Part 2 – Why self discipline is important
I have been working remotely for almost a decade since I first uncovered Quickbooks online an ‘on demand’ small business accounting software service and was inspired by the fact that if you can do accounting online then why shouldn’t it be viable to perform other important types of work away from the conventional office?
Whilst working remotely has substantial gains there are numerous pitfalls which convert into problems that result in decreased work output and reduced morale. The key reason for reductions in productivity in remote workers is disruption and it is a established and well publicised fact that it can take a professional up to 0.33 hours to return to their original productivity level after experiencing a disturbance.
Studies also show that persons who are continuously affected by disturbances are more likely to suffer from lower memory ability and are prone to developing mental health issues in old age. We exist in an over communicated era and it is essential that you know the issues this causes before you begin working remotely. Whilst operating remotely you have to do everything feasible to mitigate the threat of being distracted.
Here are my most important tips:
1, Get a routine, make sure that everybody knows it and stick to it!
Good examples are a regular time of day when you review or write and send electronic mail and make or receive phone conversatiions. Before I began working remotely I used to receive in the region of hundreds of e-mails every 24 hours. Now I think I am unfortunate if I get more than 5. To ’reset’ my electronic mail experience I modified my e-mail address and vigorously took steps to protect the details being passed on to anyone. I then educated every person who I gave my e-mail address to, to use it prudently. I also configured an auto-responder that swiftly informed anyone sending me mail my schedule for attending to mail and if someone required my urgent attention to mark it as ‘Urgent’.
2. Get rid of alerts.
Turn off every possible mechanism that can send you a interruption. This includes portable and
conventional phones and types of alerts from electronic mail such as visual alerts, warning sounds, screen changes to your inbox folder and of course facing a window. Get a door on your work place and put up a ‘do not disturb’ sign on it.
In ‘Remote Working Part 3 – The ‘kit’ list’ I will reveal my favourite tools and software.
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