Coronavirus. 9 tips for teams to stay productive while working from home
I have decided that due to the threat of Coronavirus I would recommend remote work at Profil Software (Python Development Company).
Below are some tips on how to remain productive within teams during remote work in the IT world, namely Software houses.
To begin with, I would like to explain the rationale behind this decision.
It was made for the following reasons:
First of all, I would not like to put anyone’s health at risk when the threat and its scale is increasing.
The second reason is the fact that I am confident of my teams work efficiency. Besides having invested in Agile training (Scrum, Kanban), I have also had the opportunity to verify the efficiency of everyone’s remote work, as it equals approximately 20% of our working time here at Profil Software.
We began with a lower proportion but we gradually reached this level without a loss in work quality.
In the meantime we learned a lot about each other and remote work. We established some simple rules that we follow, which allow us to maintain the appropriate level of responsiveness and commitment.
Here are the tips for staying productive while working remotely:
1. Be punctual
Be on time for meetings that are already planned and ones that will be appointed by Scrum Masters and Team Leaders.
Waiting for others isn’t pleasant, so make sure it doesn’t happen. It’s a waste of time — every 10 minutes that four people have to wait for a fifth person is a total loss of 50 minutes.
2. Get ready for the video conference earlier instead of at the last minute
Check if everything is working 10 minutes before the meeting starts so that you have time to fiddle with the settings.
Also make sure in advance that the microphone selected in the settings is the one from your headset and not the one that is built into your laptop.
3. Be aware of the visual advantage of communication
When working remotely be open and prepared for the fact that your colleagues can often propose a meeting in the form of video conferencing due to the inability of “approaching your desk”. If in doubt, always ask for a video conference (it’s how you save time during remote work).
Visual information is also more effective and allows you to solve problems faster than writing an email/message on Slack.
4. Turn off the microphone while others are speaking
A useful trick in improving conversations is to turn off the microphone while your interlocutors are speaking (all tools like Hangouts, Skype and Zoom have such an option).
It is worth doing whether your interlocutors are present in the same room or you are sitting in a room with other people who are not participating in the conversation because they can potentially interfere with the conversation.
5. Avoid situations where you speak at the same time as another person
To avoid the situation where two people speak at once (which in the case of video conferences will result in the misunderstanding of what participants are talking about) you should wait for 5 seconds of silence to be sure that someone has finished speaking.
6. Turn off WiFi on your phone
It might be obvious but it is worth a reminder as we tend to forget even the simplest things.
It’s all about the speed of the Internet connection. It’s worth knowing that sometimes disabling unnecessary software that is potentially using the Internet connection will help you get better video and sound quality. Especially if someone notices that you are “breaking up” (with Google Hangouts, if we’re “late”, sometimes it helps to hang up and reconnect — the old “turn it off and on again” rule:D).
I also recommend turning off WiFi on your phone because in the background various things can be downloaded and often seriously restrict the connection (e.g. application updates via Google Play or AppStore, backup of our data in the cloud, file updates in Dropbox or similar services, Android software or iOS updates). In extreme cases you can try to turn off Slack, but as it is often used to communicate simultaneously with communicators such as Skype or Google Hangouts, I would do it as a last resort.
7. Find the right place at home to work
When working from home, it’s important to find a suitable place where the sounds of the household or TV are not heard. Make sure it’s a quiet spot.
8. Inform household members that you are working remotely
The remaining issue of working from home is to ensure that you will not be disturbed. In order to do this, inform other household members that you are working and that you would appreciate if they respect this and not disturb you. It is worth explaining before you start working to avoid any misunderstandings.
9. Remove temptations out of your sight and learn how to fight procrastination effectively
Personally, when I work remotely I choose a place where I wouldn’t be tempted and if I don’t have a designated home office room at least I try to find an area that would not make me procrastinate instead of working (It’s about objects like PlayStation or snacks: cookies/crisps — when working in the kitchen). We have to manage our work time well and be sure to avoid any distractions that can affect our concentration. It is worth to be aware of what procrastination is and how to fight it. I recommend reading about the Pomodoro Technique that states, among others, we should remember to reward ourselves consciously (e.g. with a coffee or a few minutes on social media after each time block). Breaks at work are important — when they’re planned well, they will help you feel in control of your work schedule.
