Corona Crisis: Productivity Tips For The Home Office

HOW CAN THE HOME OFFICE SUCCEED?

The corona crisis has turned our lives around completely, many have shipped the crisis to their home office. How the new working life can succeed: The home office is the new word for the largest work and social experiment in human history. Of course, there is a very tragic reason for this with the Corona crisis. But now it’s time to make the best of the situation. And haven’t some of us always wanted a more flexible place to work? Then it is time to turn things around a little bit, set up and start again. Here I have productivity tips for the home office to make your home office a success.

MAINTAIN ROUTINES

We, humans, are creatures of habit. That’s why we need our routine at home. Most have developed certain rituals in the course of their working lives. Experts advise simulating everyday work as well as possible and maintaining it as well as possible. Anyone who has been doing physical activity in the morning should continue to do so. There is also no reason to change wake-up or breakfast or fixed working hours. Recurring meeting appointments will continue to take place if possible – only online. And the break at 11 a.m. is now available on the balcony. Of course, you can also call friends and family during these breaks. In general, you should remain disciplined during working hours and avoid distractions as much as possible.

SET UP YOUR OWN WORKPLACE

For example, a permanent job helps. Because even at home the following applies: If you look for your work documents for half a day or constantly change your place of work, you won’t get any further with your work. The home office needs its own space – however small it may be. It is important to find a quiet place that will only be used for work in the future. It is best to set up there with all the necessary utensils. That order is half-life takes on a whole new meaning in the new environment.

The home office does not have to be an office of its own – but a fixed place in the house is recommended.

COMMUNICATE CORRECTLY

Many of us were sent to the home office overnight. But: We were by no means banished, we simply expanded locally. Many companies use online programs to keep everyone in touch and up to date despite the spatial separation. Most companies are using Zoom, Skype or Slack. WhatsApp groups and simple conference calls also work. Finding the right tool for every task and connecting everyone to it can sometimes take a while, but it definitely pays off. Once everything is set up, nothing stands in the way of productivity. And so that nobody has to wait later, it should be ensured in the morning that everything really works.

CREATE A STRUCTURE

After the kick-off, the planning comes: Who does what by when must also be clear at home. If the tasks are divided, to-do lists and project management help. What can be done today? When do I do what? To fix that at the beginning gives the structure more every day and the distraction fewer chances. And if you keep an overview, you don’t run the risk of forgetting something if your colleagues don’t constantly remind you. “It is important to set deadlines and goals in everyday work. This is very important because time flies at home pretty quickly. If you are working from home for the first time, you need a little discipline and planning in order to be able to work effectively, ”says management theorist Jennifer Chatman.

And also self-reflection: at the end of a working day, it is definitely worth looking at what you have achieved – and where you need more concentration or where there is a need for improvement. This can then be implemented the next day. Because work and private life are no longer so clearly separated, routines for ending the day are also advisable. Options would include cooking after work or doing physical activities.

Calendar: In the home office, it should be on the mandatory program. The ultimate bullet points for working from home. Everyone has to find out which methods work best but the ideas above help you quickly get to grips with the workplace within your own four walls.

PRODUCTIVITY TIPS FOR THE HOME OFFICE STEP BY STEP:

Set up your own workplace
Keep your morning routine
Set fixed working hours
Structure your everyday work
Take regular breaks, also take your lunch break
Get a regular overview of the tasks for the day
At the end of the day, reflect on what went well and what you can improve until you find your own rhythm

THE KIDS IN THE HOME OFFICE?

Parents now face the additional challenge of having to look after the children at home. How can this be done? Experts agree that even more structure and even more discipline. You need schedules and you may have to determine how much internet and computer time is available for everyone. And: “You have to think about how to divide the house or apartment so that everyone can do what they have to do,” explains management theorist Chatman. So that the home office with children does not become an ordeal, the structure is also required here.

IS THE HOME OFFICE THE FUTURE?

One thing is certain: the Home Office experiment can succeed. There is no question that the crisis will accelerate digitalization. And maybe this change is also a very big opportunity for our working life. For example, the futurologist Matthias Horx wrote in his blog on the world after coronavirus:

“We will be amazed at how quickly digital cultural techniques suddenly proved themselves in practice. Teleconferencing and video conferencing, which most colleagues had always resisted, turned out to be quite practical and productive. Teachers learned a lot about internet teaching. The home office became a matter of course for many – including the improvisation and time juggling that goes with it. ”