How to overcome common WFH challenges (in Phase 3)
We’re no longer strangers to the online workplace: since 2020, employees around the world have scrambled to address WFH challenges while working minutes away from the sofa, kitchen and bedroom.
On the upside, workers and employers have been able to identify universally-experienced WFH challenges in the past few months. Here are three of the most common problems we’ve experienced, and how to overcome them.
“Serendipity is important: bumping into people, (seeing) people in the corridor. Quite a lot of the ways we make decisions in organisations aren’t made in meetings. They’re made in the corridors.”
Lynda Grattan, London Business School professor [Future of Work]
One of the most major changes of WFH is the feelings of disconnect and physical isolation that can arise. You’re switching from seeing your colleagues face to face, day in, day out; to not at all. A Bloom experiment back in 2013 already forecasted this potential problem. Online business school Pentacle’s founder Eddie Obeng then commented that he was ‘concerned’ about workers’ feelings of isolation and even loneliness. That is an inevitable effect of absentia of the daily social workplace interactions.
This may not seem to have any direct impact on work. But when there are consistent feelings of low morale and lack of connection to the company, it has negative implications on employees’ motivation. This could potentially affect their workflow and eventual results.
While virtual interactions can’t replace physical social settings and engagement, it’s still important to create social, stress-free opportunities to interact with each other. Think virtual themed happy hours, where employees can bring along a beverage of choice and talk to each other. Important: work as off limits as the topic of conversation.
DJ Hadad, the CEO of Hadad & Partners, cites how his company created a friendly remote chemistry right over Microsoft Teams. On the platform, employees feel free to keep up a casual stream of conversation throughout the workday. They share fun facts and maintain a space for lighthearted interactions.
As Phase 3 eases some restrictions on group gatherings, consider planning physical social interactions in smaller, more intimate groups. This may be even better than a large online gathering where some people are uncomfortable to speak up (a smaller but nonetheless relevant WFH challenge). On the upside? This will also facilitate team cohesion, and possibly create inside jokes for when everyone can meet again.
Of course, being at home has its benefits. Hungry? Stretch your legs and head to the kitchen for a snack. Having post-lunch fatigue? Your bed is a mere minutes walk away. Children back home from school? No problem, you can fix them a quick meal on the spot. Working at home is convenient, but all these can prove to be distractions too, making it a sure-fire WFH challenge.
The most direct way to combat the WFH challenge of distraction is to stick to a regular work routine. This means starting work at the same time you would normally as going into an office. Having a schedule has obvious benefits: it helps employees keep a semblance of normalcy and maintain familiarity with the workday by replicating a ‘normal’ work experience.
To make it even more effective, try a zero-based calendar too. A zero-based calendar is where you allocate every minute of the day to a certain task- including things like sleep, meals, and leisure activities. Such time-budgeting lets you stay on track and monitor progress according to your plans. It also forces you to leave time for the rest and relaxation you need, rather than trying to go through an entire workday with no breaks.
“By adding all tasks to your calendar with specific time blocks, you’ll start to become more aware of how long various tasks actually take. Having less ‘open space’ on your calendar can protect your free time and increase your productivity.”
Cathryn Lavery, co-founder of BestSelfCo
With no sign of things going completely back to pre-Covid arrangements, the lines between work and life have become increasingly blurred. Some may feel that there is no segregation between work and non-work life. Take social interactions, leisure activities, hobbies, and rest being all contained in the same space of home. This WFH challenge is insidious, making it tricky to address in our daily lives.
What do we do when the online workplace feels like it has seeped into other aspects of our lives?
One way to combat the blurring of boundaries is to implement an iron schedule suggested above.
Alternatively, those who prefer a more flexible approach can use the ROWE mindset: results only work environment. This is when you do not track your hours, or care about when you do the work, as long as you accomplish the objectives.
The idea is to forget about measuring how much time you actually sit down to work on a task, but focus on whether you are getting results; on pure goals and metrics.
CEO of Entelechy (leadership development and training company) Terry Traut opines that it’s alright to mix work and life. “Instead of trying to force yourself to be productive when you’re not, or to relax when your mind’s whirling, just go with the flow. You’ll find yourself more productive and happier.”
