Today is National Swap Ideas Day. Observed annually on September 10th, this day encourages us to share creative and helpful ideas with someone and trade them for their thoughts in return. As a global pandemic continues to loom large, many businesses including Iptor continue to support a remote workforce. For employees who found themselves working from home, this change was largely a matter of convenience – but for others it was transformative and remains so. The opportunity to study such an unprecedented move have found pros and cons, but generally speaking productivity has not been deterred by a shift to remote work and many employees will remain in their current work from home situations.
With that in mind and in the spirit of Swap Ideas day, we have asked a few of our fellow Iptorians to share their best remote working tips and life hacks to maintain a positive mindset, remain collaborative and inclusive while staying productive while working from home. Here’s some feedback from our staff that spans work from home newbies to work from home warriors:
Mike Kissel – Iptor’s Marketing Director (WFH level – 5+ years)
- With regards to a morning routine, treat WFH the same as going into an office. For me this means getting up early enough to allow time to take care of my family needs while also having enough time for self-care (taking a shower, getting dressed, eating a healthy breakfast, etc.) and resisting the urge to sit in front of my workstation in PJ’s. There are times that still happens, but I don’t let it become the norm.
- Have a dedicated and properly equipped workspace.
- Set clear boundaries between work / home life. It can be difficult to “log off” when WFH, I still have a hard time not responding to emails outside of my normal working hours but I’m working on that.
- It’s OK to tackle things around the house during a workday IMHO. With 2 kids, laundry in our house is a constant battle and throwing a load in between calls isn’t going to kill your productivity.
- Get the best internet package you can afford. With the amount of people cutting the (TV) cord and a major shift to remote working / reliance on collaborative tools like MS Teams, bandwidth can become an issue.
Sofia Correnti – Iptor’s Marketing Communications Manager (WFH level – 2+ years)
- I start the day as if I were going to the office. I get up the same time, I do my normal morning routine. Take a shower, getting dressed etc. For me this results in a more professional and productive feeling throughout my work day. Also you never know if a spontaneous meeting will happen, which makes it much better to be ready for it.
- I take small breaks every now and then to get fresh air and also some daily exercise. I go for a walk with my dog, I call someone in my family or a friend, read a magazine etc.
- I attend social digital coffee meetings or after works with colleagues or friends with my camera on. It makes me feel like I’m actually meeting the person I am in the meeting with which is important to me.
- I eat some snacks in the afternoon to my coffee when I can get an energy dip. Can be fruits, chocolate, nuts or whatever I feel like.
- I add something fun and creative next to my workspace which makes me happy. When my dog is not around as my assistant, I feel happy with a nice colorful flower bouquet or a magazine.
Yvonne Piquet – Iptor’s Facilities Manager & Executive Assistant (WFH level – 2+ years)
- I agree with the previous to keep the morning routines as if I was going to office.
- Take breaks (coffee/tea and lunch)
- If you can, call your colleague at teams instead of sending an e-mail. It’s important with the interaction.
