COMBATINGTHECHALLENGESOF WORKINGFROM HOMEAPRIL 2020

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Working remotely is not as easy as itsounds.  When companies started working from home four weeks ago, it was clear foremployers and employees that there were two priorities: maintaining goodhealth and keeping business afloat.  The initial focus was geared toward equipping employees with the necessarytechnology, tools, and flexibility to successfully work from home for what wouldideally only be a short period time. Now, four weeks later, it seems that it willtake quite a bit longer before we can return to the normalcy that is workingonsite at the office.   At the moment, we are in an unfamiliar work arrangement with new challenges.How do we cope with the uncertainty and fear about the future whilemaintaining our mental health and engagement when working from home?How do we work in isolation from our colleagues and maintain productivity withfamily members, children, or roommates that have their own demands andneeds? 

How do we cope with theuncertainty and fear about thefuture while maintaining our

mental health and engagementwhen working from home?

It is company leadership's directresponsibility to ensure remote teammembers feel included and valued.Enabling and promoting a safe andsupportive environment forcollaboration, creative expression, andgrowth is the key to maintaining employee engagement. Though the complexity of remote work environments

creates obstacles for maintaining employee happiness and productivity, itremains the responsibility of leadership to observe and identify theopportunities for improvement and offer a helping hand to the employees thatstruggle and need support to perform at their best. The key is leading by example. Engaging leaders produce engaged employees.When you demonstrate care, open communication, and respect to your team, itencourages the same kind of behaviour within your team. It’s easy to talk abouttechniques and methods to build remote team engagement, but in reality allyou need to start is a leader that cares about their team. Show them that youappreciate them.

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Be empathetic Employees will be working from thesanctuary of their home. This bringswith it all kinds of challenges, from theWhite Tennis Shoe Syndrome - findingany distraction more appealing thanthe current task, to the lure of thefridge, to kids that also happen to bestuck at home. During remote work meetings, you maycome across employees that haverecently woken up after a rough nightor distracting work spaces with loudbackground noise. In this new workformat, some people will be hyper-productive and others will be wallowingin procrastination and doubt. Managersare not immune to this. In fact, theymay feel the pressure more than most. Everyone responds differently tochallenges, so it's important to askpeople how they’re doing and showthem that you care. Emphasize theimportance of the organzation'smission and how much theircontribution counts toward the greatergoals. It's also important to maintainclarity about performance objectiveswhile allowing space to adapt to thenew arrangement.

Create a culture ofrecognition Leverage remote work to encouragerecognition among peers and leadersalike. A simple first step is expressinggratitude by saying "thank you." Thenext step is public recognition. Whenteams are distributed geographically,they miss the small wins. Take theopportunity to recognise these winsby broadcasting daily or weeklygroup updates that are dedicated togood news, gratitude, and successstories. Some larger companies maycongratulate good performance withbonuses, while smaller companiesmay give a gift as a reward. It doesnot have to be anything expensive. Itmay be a nice bottle of wine or abouquet of flowers to brighten upsomeone's new home office. You mayconsider giving the employee anafternoon off for their goodperformance, allowing them tospend time with other familymembers that are also staying inside.

So what can managers do to support their employees? They can show empathyand availability, stay connected with communication and meeting tools,recognize the impact of isolation, and encourage online training. But mostimportantly, they can show their employees they value them.

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Maintain Structure When working from home, it'stempting to roll out of bed and gostraight to the computer. Maintainingstructure, especially in mornings, cango a long way in helping people feelcalm, cool, and productive. Routinehelps us physically and mentallyprepare for the day. So, when the alarmgoes off, start the day like you would ifyou were physically going to the office:wake up on time, shower, and getdressed. Schedule your time. Set regularworking hours, including breaks andself-care practices between differenttasks. Check in regularly with yourmanager and colleagues. It's also veryimportant to continue to respect yourlimits. Resist the temptation to keepworking beyond established workhours.

Have a designatedworkspace To maximize productivity in aworkspace, create a setup thatmimics the elements of an actualoffice. Some essential items mayinclude strong internet connection,good lighting, a comfortable chair,and an inventory of supplies. As a leader, you can model what aneffective remote workspace lookslike, especially during videoconferences. Try facing a windowfor natural light, or place a lampnearby so your team can clearly seeyou. Invest in noise-cancellingheadphones. This is a great way for

Maintaining structureHave a designated workspacePhysically distancing ourselves can make us feel disconnectedStay connectedProtect your mental healthMute what you have to and follow reliable sourcesFocus on the silver liningsPersonal developmentOffer virtual wellness trainingMental health check-insAvoid micromanaging

Challenges to anticipate:

Know, respect, and share your limitswith those around you to avoidburnout.

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Physically distancingourselves can make usfeel disconnected A top priority is maintainingrelationships with co-workers andmanagers. This is critical not only towork performance, but to emotionaland mental wellness. Without the in-person social cues in an office, it'seasy for the hours to pass by withouttaking a break from work. Technology can serve as an aid forimproved communication. Toalleviate feelings of isolation, somecompanies encourage setting virtualcoffee breaks during work hours, orthey organize the well-known Fridayafternoon drinks to discuss the weekand celebrate the successes, whilealso allotting time for non-workconversations.

you to keep focused on the task athand. If your workspace is smalland difficult to separate "work"from "home," try practicing simple,everyday habits that can cue thestart and end of your work day.Once you've finished for the day,try to mentally disconnect fromwork.

Stay connected A lot of people are accustomed toand appreciative of conventionaloffice life where they experience asteady rate of social interactions. Thechange to remote work as a result ofthe COVID-19 pandemic might causea surprising, even if relatively mild,deterioration of mental health.

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It's vital that you support your mental health while also protecting your andyour family’s physical health during this pandemic. These simple steps willwork to maintain positive mental health.

Turn off email notifications

before and after workinghours.

Protect your mental health

#1 #2

Get sufficient sleep - aim

for 7.5 to 9 hours.

Keep a proper sleep

schedule to maintain afeeling of normalcy.

Eat healthy, stay hydrated,

and ensure balancednutrition throughout your

work day.

Exercise regularly. The gym

may be closed, but theoutdoors are not; get

outside for a daily 20-30minute walk.

#3 #4

#5

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Work is likely to slow down formany people during thepandemic, which may open thedoor for other opportunities.Think about what else you or yourteam can do during this period todevelop additional skillsapplicable to your work. Thiscould involve taking an IT courseor learning another language. Thekey is to do something to keepyourself cognitively active. As aleader, you can offer your staff acourse or additional training in aspecific area. Every employeewants to develop, and it is ineveryone's interest that the skilllevel of the company increases.When employers invest in anddevelop their employees' skill set,they feel appreciated and becomemore productive. As well asbolstering long-termemployability, lifelong learningimproves happiness and cognitivetraits like memory.

Mute what you have to andfollow reliable sources Almost everybody is guilty of sitting onTwitter all day, waiting for updates withan unhealthy level of anticipation. Beaware of the amount of informationyou’re consuming, as over consumptioncan contribute to an unhealthy andoverwhelmed state of mind. Take timeaway from social media and the news,and mute or hide keywords. If you wantto keep updated, follow reliable sourcesof information and turn off notificationsfor all other sources. Schedule your time. Set regularworking hours, including breaks andself-care practices between differenttasks. Check in regularly with yourmanager and colleagues. It's also veryimportant to continue to respect yourlimits. Resist the temptation to keepworking beyond established workhours.

Personal development Work is likely to slow down for manypeople during the pandemic,

Think about what else you oryour team can do during thisperiod to develop additional

skills applicable to your work.

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Offer virtual wellnesstraining Employees will take time to adapt to anew way of working. Some will takeadvantage of the extra time and go forwalks or sport. Others may lack themotivation to get out of their pajamas. Encourage employees to:

Mental health check ups Whether conducted by leaders, peers,or internal wellness ambassadors, it isworthwhile to schedule mental healthcheck-ins to make sure everyone iscoping with the change to remoteworking.

Avoid micromanaging For some leaders, it can betempting to constantly check inand make sure employees are ontask while they're working fromhome. However, micromanaging ateam will only make them feel likethey aren't trusted. Instead, keepcommunication channels open andallow team members to workautonomously. Rather thanmicromanaging, collect employeefeedback on how they’re feeling. For example, set up an employeeengagement survey to understandthe general mood within yourremote workforce. Emotions arehigh right now, and teams aregoing to take some time to adjustto this change.

Move throughout the day Provide them with resourcesto encourage mindfulnessand peace Promote healthy sleephabits and discourageworking late Keep training sessions shortand focused Encourage the use of self-assessment tools to buildpersonal insight

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