Working From Home in #Tanzania
Tips to Maximize Productivity for Individuals & Teams
The world, as we know it, is taking a dramatic and an unexpected turn of events due to the unfortunate spreading of COVID-19. A ‘normal day’ as we used to know it carries a different meaning today. Businesses and lives are severely impacted and while this is happening, most of us cannot afford to put a pause in our lives. We must continue to work to earn a living.
An increasing number of businesses and individuals in Tanzania are currently implementing digital transformation strategies to stay efficient, productive, and scalable while most of their staff are working from home.
There is no denying that there is a major shift in how we work. How can a business that is already established keep up with the trend — how do you turn your company into a successful distributed team that works effectively?
This is new to a lot of businesses and it impacts the productivity of individuals negatively — which is not such a good thing.
Our company, Ellipsis Digital, has been ahead of this curve for quite sometime now. The foundations on which we established our practices through employing various strategies allowed our clients and our team to work in remotely distributed environments all over the world. Today we’ll share some of the tips that have allowed our team and our clients to quickly adapt to the sudden changes while maintaining maximum productivity.
Tools are just Tools
We’d like to start off by stating clearly that tools are essential for individuals/businesses to stay productive while working from home but that’s just about it. Tools are simply tools and while having them will give you an advantage over others but they’re useless if you don’t use them (self explanatory). The most important thing is — you. What you are doing with the tools you have makes a lot of difference and that’s the secret.
Tips for Individuals
In an article that we published on the 5th of February, 2020 titled “REMOTE WORK IS THE PRESENT” the author defines remote work as;
“a working style that allows professionals to work outside of a traditional office environment. It means that you don’t have to resume to the physical office of the company you work.”
The idea of ‘working from home’ fits perfectly in that definition and the following are some of the best practices for individuals who are looking to stay productive while working from home in a Tanzanian environment.
Define clear boundaries
While almost every person in Tanzania has a completely different lifestyle we can all agree on one thing — ‘kazi ni kazi’ — which is a common Swahili saying that translates to ‘work is work’ and that should be the basis of your boundaries.
Most Tanzanians live in extended family settings (grandparents, parents, siblings and relatives share the same household) and there are some exceptions in which people live alone, live with significant others or live in a collective/shared environment. Regardless of your living conditions you should start communicating work boundaries with people around you by simply emphasizing the importance of work (for them and for you) and we, Tanzanians, respect work. Work = Life.
Your boundaries should clearly inform your people that while you’re physically there you are still required to continue working to be able to support yourself and them (if that’s your case). It doesn’t mean you should be rude or disrespectful, no, it only means you should communicate what is expected from them and from you.
Create a schedule & manage your time
This is the most challenging thing for most people. Our homes are supposed to be places that we rest, hide from the world and recharge our energies but now they’ve become our new offices.
It is very easy to be distracted into doing everything else including challenges on Instagram, Tiktok and the like — except work. Partly could be because most of our work setups encourage ‘sticks’ instead of ‘carrots’ mentality, therefore in an environment where your supervisor is absent it is very easy to forget your role.
We have discovered that having a dedicated time for work by developing structures and having routines around what forms work time vs. personal time helps remote workers develop strong boundaries, improve productivity and supports overall well being.
However, remember people who hired you think differently, they’re judgmental and they have expectations. If you fail to meet their expectations you can already guess the outcome. Therefore, start your work day at the exact same time you would start if you were at the office, take coffee/lunch breaks as usual and end your work at the usual time too. Nothing more and nothing less. Show your company that you’re an asset and you are capable of self management.
Create a dedicated work space
We’ve learned that when your home is your office, the temptation to overdoing your work can be strong and the opposite is also true.
The best way, to avoid both, is to dedicate a space inside your home as the only place that you will be working from and respect it as such. Of course, some people have small rooms but that shouldn’t be the reason you work from your bed. You can find a table and a comfortable chair and use it as your setup.
Whatever you do avoid working from your bed. This is very important for your physical wellbeing and for your productivity. There are reasons your company has office chairs instead of office beds and one of those is your own health.
When it’s time for your lunch/coffee break we strongly encourage you to get out of the work space and move around occasionally for some fresh air while maintaining advised precautions by the World Health Organization against COVID-19.
Constantly communicate
One of the things that proves to be crucial while working from home is communication. It doesn’t mean random chats in Whatsapp groups or Google Hangouts with your team mates, while that could be really good for company culture, however in this context it means openly discussing work tasks, challenges and achievements/drawbacks with members of your team every morning. Set a timetable that works for everyone and maintain it. No excuses. Make sure you have Internet, your devices are fully charged and always be direct and on point.
We normally conduct our daily stand ups with the entire team every day at 09:30 am and everyone has a minute to explain what they’ve been doing on a previous day, what challenges they face and what are they planning to do on that particular day. This is very important for you as an individual to learn what the other person is working on and it motivates you to keep delivering results. The habit of speaking openly with other members of your team teaches you two things — confidence and the art of listening.
Tips for Teams
We have explicitly covered this topic in our article published on the 19th of February, 2020 titled “The Secret Ingredients For An Organized and Productive Remote Team That Works” and you can read it here. We went deep in this topic to also highlight some challenges that come with remote working and how to overcome them, you may read that here.
Conclusion
This article is simply a tip of an iceberg and this topic runs deep, however it is possible to adapt to the ‘new normal’. Remote business culture is not about your office — it is about diversity, transparency, self-responsibility and the way one works.
We know that because our company runs on the veins of remote work culture and at the heart of Ellipsis Digital you’ll find our core values that include efficiency, innovation & of highest quality which pumps the needed energy to create a thriving work culture.
Your team can actually maximize productivity too, especially during these times that require establishing a clear vision, strong strategies, having people on the same right mindset, giving them the tools they need to succeed and making everyone feel valued and included.
Discover how your business can integrate a smooth transition from office to remote/home working environment by visiting here.We’ll navigate you safely into the best practices, digital tools, processes that make remote team work in Tanzania while ensuring maximum productivity from each member of your team.
