What I got after reading the article "17 Tips when Having to Work From Anywhere" from Rintisan magazine volume 19.
Remote working or WFA (Work From Anywhere) is one of the common assumptions of workers in the era of the COVID-19 pandemic. Especially workers in the startup industry who have made remote working a common thing. Of course, working in this way has challenges and weaknesses that must be able to be dealt with appropriately. For that, we can find some interesting insights that can be applied regarding remote working or WFA.Here are 17 tips that we must apply when working from anywhere:
1.Do Daily Standup PeriodicallyHow to do it so that the work is still done like when working in the office? The trick is to do daily standups remotely. Make sure the boss knows what the updates are from the team members, and finally ask about progress, obstacles, and other questions about work.
2.Intense CommunicationThis is useful to ensure all messages are conveyed, clear, and everyone knows about the purpose of their respective jobs. Communicating intensely will also keep us away from misunderstandings that lead to unnecessary waste of work time.
3.Intense Communication is Important, But Don't Go Too FarThe point of this point is that we should not talk too much because, it will reduce the duration of working hours of the team members. Stay consistent to communicate at predetermined hours so as not to disrupt the performance of team members.
4.Utilize Video ConferencingThis is a tip to avoid misunderstandings when working. Try to always have the camera on when having a video conference. This helps us with understanding non-verbal communication.
5.Agree to Define "Done"Before we get into misunderstandings, it's best to first define what the word "done" means. According to Agile methods, "done" means meeting all the criteria that will be accepted by the user, team, or customer.
6.Documenting the WorkSince everything is done remotely, text is one of the tools that can be used as evidence when the work is done. Organize all work lists neatly using some relevant documents.
7.Take Notes During MeetingsThere will be many benefits from taking notes during meetings, such as creating a history or recording of meeting results, being used as reference material, and as a reminder of the due date of the project being worked on.
8.Make Sure Everyone Knows What to DoSeveral tools can be used for project management, such as Asana, Monday, or Trello.
9.Got work to do in short bursts? Organize with Sprint ModeUtilize the Pomodoro Technique, which is a technique to increase productivity by setting the duration of work for 25 minutes, then given a break.
10.Need to share your opinion? Just Do Online BrainstormingTo improve the quality of brainstorming during online work, we can use some relevant apps. For example, Miro and MindMeister.
11.Eliminate DistractionsThere may be some things that can be a distraction from work, such as pop up notifications that can distract you while working. Some apps that can be used to block sites include RescueTime.
12.Track AssignmentsWe can coordinate task schedules with team members in real time. Some of these apps can help such as, Todoist and Notion.
13.Make a Synchronous VS Asynchronous PlanSynchronous plans are channels that are managed directly, such as phone calls, video calls, and in-person meetings. While asynchronous plans are channels such as messenger apps, documentation, etc. 14.Make Good AssumptionsGet used to assuming good messages when we receive text messages. This is because text messages have the potential to be misinterpreted when we cannot hear the tone of voice, body language, and see the emotions of the sender.
15.Managing ExpectationsFor teams that communicate with outside startup employees, there may be times when it takes a long time to get a response. Therefore, it would be best to manage expectations from the beginning of working with vendors such as making an agreement regarding the time to complete the work.
16.Get it Done With a MeetingIf we find work that is discussed using email with more than three threads, then we should plan a meeting for shorter work time and work can be completed effectively.
17.Explaining the Reasons and "Why" Behind the Work ProcessRemote work often misses moments that lead to work-related decision-making. For that, as a leader, we can explain some of the reasons behind the decisions or business processes that occur.Those are 17 tips that we can practice with team members to stay productive and not feel burnout. So WFA is no longer a thing that makes work difficult if you follow these 17 tips.
