The coronavirus outbreak has highlighted our need for flexible work structures, with many organizations mandating remote work this month. Certainly distributed teams and satellite offices have grown in popularity in recent years, thanks to the wonders of high-speed Internet, cloud applications, and fancy collaboration tools, but it’s been something of a learning experience for this surprise new WFH-force.
Perhaps you’re still in the honeymoon phase, that blissful period when you realize you no longer have to wear pants with zippers, but the psychological aspects of remote work may set in before long. We’re here to help. Our Operator Collective team is fully distributed – from New York to Berkeley, Vancouver to Houston – so we’ve had to figure out what works for us. Here are our top tips for getting into that remote work groove. We’d love to hear your tips for working from home, too – Please share them at @OperatorCollect.
Mallun Yen, Founder and Partner
- It can be easy to forego exercise. Two mornings a week, we block out time for exercise and don’t schedule meetings until 9:45. But don’t cheat – Sign up for classes in advance to keep yourself accountable.
- Keep your video on when you Zoom into meetings (try these tips). It keeps everyone on task and connected.
- Look to the pros. Zapier, a pioneer in distributed teams, has been sharing tips for a while.
Leyla Seka, Partner
- Make your desk area beautiful. I cover mine in flowers and things that make me happy.
- Get moving! I try to walk 10K steps around my house before noon. I may look crazy yapping on the phone as I circle the house like a shark, but it keeps me sane.
- Do something for you. My friend April suggests growing a vegetable garden. I dress my cat up in costumes (a lot), but you could try learning a language or making every recipe in a cookbook.
Ambrosia Vertesi, Operating Partner
- Reserve the first five minutes of a virtual meeting for watercooler talk. At Duo, Dug Song would start meetings by sharing appreciations which helped build connectedness.
- Play Team Chatroulette to connect with people outside your immediate orbit.
- If you don’t schedule snack breaks and bathroom breaks, nobody will.
Ruthie Miller, Head of Marketing
- Create a basic schedule and stick to it. Resist the urge to sleep til noon.
- Don’t work from your bed. As tempting as it is, that’s a slippery slope.
- Use your regular commute time to do something for yourself – read, send a card, get an #OfficeDog.
Marley Sarles, Events and Operations
- Don’t forgo team building. Use Zoom for a team coffee, happy hour, or remote dance party.
- Throw in a load of laundry between meetings. You can be so productive at home!
- If you don’t have a lot of calls, switch things up by working at a coffee shop or restaurant.
Your turn! Please share your tips for working from home with us at @OperatorCollect.
