Best Practices for Working Remotely

… and How to Keep it Together During a Pandemic

Given the tumultuous events of the past few weeks, I was recently asked to put together some tips for our teams on working remotely. But here’s the thing- with distributed offices in three different countries, all the advice I had was exactly what we’d already been doing for ages. It’s 2020. We know how to work remotely, we’re no strangers to getting things done when we’re not in the same place. Honestly, in these times, we’re fortunate that we even can do the majority of our work remotely, so thank goodness for that!

GSuite, Slack, and Zoom remain trusty tools that enable us to connect seamlessly with other team members from anywhere with an internet connection. We have meetings with members from different locations all the time, so really, has anything changed?

Well, yes, frankly. Panic is something that has changed.

When we weren’t in the whirlwind of an ever changing pandemic, working from home could be considered a break, an increase in productivity for some, a chance to welcome deliveries or nurse a sick kid for others. Now, it’s enforced. The GOVERNMENT has said it’s a good idea- oy vey!

So for me, it’s not the logistical “how” we’ll do our work- but rather the emotional, motivational “how?”

How in heaven’s name can we stay focused on our work when everywhere we look online people are talking about a global crisis? How can we prioritize business goals when we’re forced to imagine being either desperately ill or laid up in quarantine with only a 10lb bag of rice to survive on? All of a sudden, the daily important work challenges seem very far away. And my kids are RIGHT ON TOP OF ME.

And while this is challenging for everyone, those of us living with children in cities where we rely on childcare and schools being open for our kids have another set of challenges ahead of us. If both parents are working, (and that is the case for many of us) We will need to divide our time, costs will be higher, time spent directly devoted to work will be lower, the list goes on!

I have four kids. Even if I had a giant, sprawling home, (which I don’t, tiny apartment, natch) that many children of any age have a way of, shall we say “filling up a home.” My children bounce off the walls, roughhouse like crazy, oh, and I should mention, one of them is a toddler. Dealing with that situation isn’t terribly different than trying to entertain a tiny, aggressive drunk. Yes, while he’s exponentially more adorable than your average barfly, I still need to keep a sharp eye on him if he starts to fall off his chair.

Indoor activities: Dr. Seuss themed story time.

But being all together doesn’t have to be a nightmare scenario. There is indeed a crisis, but will reacting to the news that school is cancelled by completely freaking out and downing an entire bottle of red wine in an evening make anything easier? It turns out the answer to that is no. And not that I would know (from experience.)

But here are a few things we can do:

1. Take deep breaths! Seriously, literally breathing deeply will give oxygen to your brain and let you make more rational decisions.Try it! It helps.
2. Turn off social media- Really, get rid of it. Take it off your phone for now. Definitely check the real news a couple of times per day for accurate info, but don’t take in all of the poison that is out there. I confidently told my boss that the London metro had shut down after reading some crap and it was pretty mortifying when I realized I’d been duped.
3. Set up a distraction free zone. This can be a little corner of your home but make it comfy and functional, however small that may be. I live in less than 500 sq feet -45sqm with my four kids and husband, so if I can do it, I’m pretty sure you can too. :)
4. Set a schedule, communicate it and stick to it. Planning is everything. Your kids thrive on predictability and structure- and you will too. You won’t have a 40hr work week, so just accept that now, but you may very well have an extremely productive 30hr one.
5. Be flexible not only with your space, but with your time. Without a commute and with many more hours to spend with the family, you can easily break up your work time into say, 3 2hr blocks of work with a two hour block off in between- two hours at at time per parent. When you’re 100% dedicated to your tasks during that block of time, there’s no arguing or finger pointing over who is doing what and when. This will make your life better and happier. Below I’ve included just an example of what that could look like.
6. Increase meeting frequency and don’t miss them. There’s a reason that software companies do “daily stand-up” meetings, it’s an efficient and quick way to get the pulse on a project and give it the fuel it needs to keep going. Daily check-ins (by video, not phone!) will help everyone feel on track and on the same team when they’re working remotely. (Plus, it will encourage you to change out of that ratty T-shirt and sweatpants.)
7. Prioritize your emotional wellbeing. Tap someone in the company to just “be there” for people. Even with the deep breaths and superior organization, things are bound to be tricky. Talking it out and not holding on to feelings of uncertainty and panic is key to keeping a level head. I’m reading a beautiful novel called The Map of Salt and Stars by Zeyn Joukhadar about a little girl trapped in the Syrian crisis. Reading the very real and current struggles that some face every day really puts things into perspective, and helps me disconnect from the media-induced panic of (comparatively) comfortable Western Europe.
8. Stay healthy. Amidst the stress that we ALL are feeling, and is inevitable, don’t forget to take care of your health now, control what you can, and practice the same healthy habits for yourself and your family that you are used to. I was reminded of that last night when one of my sons showed the telltale signs of pinworms (again), and oh boy- did that snap me back into reality.
9. In conclusion, I totally get it that you want to freak out. But I am here to tell you that not doing that will REALLY help. Take a deep breath, get yourself calm, and get organized! Oh, and don’t’ beat yourself up about it you freak out a little. We’re all human after all, and are blessed to be living in interesting times. But if in doubt, support one another, connect regularly virtually and infrequently and responsibly in person. And don’t forget the Dr. Suess.

Sample two working parent schedule.

Kid/home duty should be divided with 1) chores that include the kids 2) an outdoor activity if humanly possible, (even just a walk can clear your heads!), and 3) indoor play, crafts and learning activities.