How To Stay Connected With Office When Working From Home?

Make the most of technology to compensate for communication troubles when working from home.

By Radhika Udas On Mar 23, 2020

A pandemic that has forced the world to ‘work from home’ has actually further accelerated the existing trend in most IT companies. Internet connectivity and easily connected devices have eased remote working in more ways than one. Productivity and communication, however, is something that might take a hit during these times.

The good news is: You can boost productivity and better communication with work colleagues in a lot of ways. Why should you work on this? We have collated some tips that might help your productivity reach zenith.

Here is how to make working from home interesting and fruitful:

Messaging Platforms

WhatApp would be a more informal platform to have conversations. Slack or Google Hangouts can be your rescue to having crisp, professional conversations. These instant messaging platforms will make it easier for you to follow up on your work, solve problems and communicate everything you are doing on a timely basis. Slack shows you the availability of a person by their status and so you are aware who is at their desk at the moment and who isn’t.

One on One with Boss

If you are working for a fairly big organisation, there is a chance your boss will be communicating with the team more than one on one. However, remote working can be tough and so you should insist on having a one on one conversation with your boss. By doing this, you will be clear on your goals, how you are expected to achieve them and any information that you need to achieve your targets.

Create a Work Area

You should create a specific workplace in your house. This is more to do with your psychological need than a physical need. When you attribute work to a particular area and attend to all your calls in that area, you are automatically wanting to work there. Since there is no office atmosphere of working, you need to create one for yourself at home. Your colleagues will also be aware of your availability based on when you are in front of the laptop and when you aren’t.

Block distractions

Your calls and messages would happen on your smartphone but that would also mean looking at a lot of distractions. With your phone right next to you, you will tend to scroll through social media. Download apps that give you a count of how many hours you are spending just scrolling on social networking sites. This will help you be in check of the time you are wasting while working.

Develop a habit of daily or weekly update

Since communication is already compromised, it would be a good habit to give your boss a daily or weekly update on all the work that you have done. This will help the boss stay updated on your work and remind them of including you in their schedule. Even when you aren’t working from home, this would be a good habit.

Chat with your co-workers

Don’t deprive yourself of office gossip and humour. Colleagues can be a real stress-buster since nobody understands what you are going through better than them. Be sure to chat with your colleagues about work or anything else so you feel a sense of belonging to your office.

Work From Home is Great And Fun…

Not having to commute to the office and working in your pajamas is something most people dream of and you have it at the moment. While it can be very productive and rewarding to work from home, it can be fun as well. Virtual communication as described above can help you get through communication trouble and also making you feel wanted.

This is a time you use to your advantage to spend quality time with your family and friends to avoid the feeling of loneliness. It would be the easiest way to achieve a work-life balance when you are working from home.