What should I do to be productive while working from home?

Simply put, working at home is not an excuse for you to be clumsy. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • If you live with family or friends, let them know that you have work to do and that you expect minimal disruptions.
  • Remember to take short breaks to refresh your body, otherwise you will be courting burnout.

Q: My employer has introduced a policy that requires us to work from home on alternate days. While most of us are yet to take advantage of this policy, we have been informed that it will soon become mandatory. I want to embrace this new way of working, and was wondering what I need to do to ensure that I deliver efficiently on all my roles and responsibilities.

Working from home is not a new concept, the practice has been around for decades, enabled by advancement in technology and internet connectivity.

It may feel foreign in our context, but I know of several organisations that have embraced this with success.

I presume that your employer has provided clear direction because not all roles can be performed remotely.

And for you to work effectively from home, you need resources such as a computer or laptop, mobile phone, and internet connectivity.

You will also need access to your employer’s systems that facilitate workflow, be it emails, software or other online platforms.

Phone calls to customers or colleagues must continue as expected, and this means you need a reliable phone network and airtime.

Whereas these resources may be easily facilitated by the employer, you have a key role to play.

Ensure your laptop and phone remain fully charged in case of power outage, and designate a quiet room or corner that can be used as your home office.

If you live with family or friends, let them know that you have work to do and that you expect minimal disruptions.

Maintain your usual routine. Wake up; prepare for work; dress down but in a way that makes you feel good about yourself; take the tools you need; walk to your office and start working.

It is important to prepare psychologically so that you can be more settled and productive.

Being in a meeting with a customer at noon while wearing pajamas may create a casual feeling, and you may not take the call seriously.

Simply put, working at home is not an excuse for you to be clumsy. Remember to take short breaks to refresh your body, otherwise you will be courting burnout.

Work-life balance applies even when you work from home.

Mwikali Muthiani - Managing Partner, MillennialHR (@MwikaliN; [email protected])