Keeping productivity levels high is an essential touchpoint in the transition to remote work arrangements.
SINGAPORE
– Media OutReach – 19 March
2020 – Amid global health concerns over the rapid
development and spread of the novel coronavirus — Covid-2019, companies are
closing physical offices and shifting to remote work arrangements. Working from
home has its fair share of benefits and challenges. Potentially, there is a big
adjustment factor as not everyone is accustomed to working from home or
shifting their mode of work to a remote one suddenly. First Page Digital Singapore
was recently featured on Entrepreneur.com explaining their exact
process on how we managed operations remotely, be sure to check it out!
Working from home enables you to save time on commute, increase
time available to complete chores around the house and spend more time with
family. With every move, there are bound to be challenges as well. Staying
connected and focused on tasks can be difficult on the psyche over time as
well.
A digital marketing agency in Singapore, adaptability is a core
value for the team at First Page Digital.
Part of their social responsibility and social distancing measures, the agency
has been working remotely since the 9th of March this year, placing the health
and well-being of employees and clients first and foremost.
How can companies improve productivity as teams continue to
work from home for the time-being? From designated working environments to
collaborative work tools, the First Page Digital team is focused on efficiently
carrying out business-as-usual plans from home.
1. Setting Up A Conducive
Environment
Creating a distinct mental association for work and relaxation
is key to keeping productivity levels up during work hours. Though working from
bed sounds like a great idea, it could not be farther from the truth. Working
in an area where you predominantly are used to relaxing can weaken the mental
association between rest and work. It also increases the risk of blurring the
boundary between work and rest, eventually making your work hours longer and
directly affecting productivity levels.
Set up a designated work area that allows you to focus on your
work for periods of time, uninterrupted. Some essentials to include are
comfortable high quality chairs, a desk and noise-cancelling headphones.
The management team at First Page Digital Singapore leveraged
the services of a local courier provider to transport necessary work equipment
(laptops, laptop coolers, keyboards, mouse and monitors) over to the employees
to enable a smooth and productive remote work arrangement.
2. Keeping Distractions At
Bay & Being Flexible
You know yourself best. If your company is new to working
remotely, overcoming distractions can be tricky.
As the First Page Digital team works from home in the interim
during this challenging period, the best advice to offer is to steer clear of
anything that can potentially distract you during work hours. Some tips to
consider are keeping personal tasks to after work-hours, clearing the work area
of any magazines or games and taking regular breaks to keep concentration
levels high.
When you are aware of the distractions present, you will be
able to address them quicker and be much more productive with work.
Limiting your accessibility to personal social media networks
can reduce the number of breaks you take during the day, helping you stay focused
on task. Having your social pages within reach in a bookmark bar enables taking
breaks every now and then. Social media is a gateway to procrastination and a
rabbit hole that you can get sucked into without even realising it. Sign out of
all your personal social media platforms – Twitter, Facebook and Instagram –
during work hours.
Planning your day ahead of time can give you focused pockets of
time to work on priority tasks before tackling other deliverables. Likewise, it
is equally important for you to approach work agendas flexibly — schedules can
be shifted around during the work day when working in a dominantly
client-facing industry. Drawing up a simple plan before the day starts will
suffice in setting a goal for the day.
3. Using Digital Tools For
Collaboration & Communication
Fortunately, the rise of remote work has paved the way for a
suite of technology-enabled tools that enable teams to coordinate, collaborate
and communicate efficiently.
As agencies are used to spontaneous discussions, using tools
such as Slack and Skype helps the team communicate with each other in real-time
and stay updated on any new campaign developments. Using Trello and an in-house
task management system, employees are able to stay atop tasks and manage
deadlines.
Signing up for an online conferencing tool – Zoom, Google
Hangouts, UberConference – is a must-have for companies working from home as
well.
When the workspace moves fully digital, being able to stay
connected and coordinate with your team is pivotal to keeping productivity as
campaigns continue to develop.
4. Learning To Log Off
Blurring the line that separates work and play is a common
consequence of working from home. Everybody needs an adequate amount of time to
rest and relax. This is also where employees need to be honest with themselves
— reducing procrastination and focusing on work can result in a reasonably
productive work day.
Recharging your batteries at the end of the day is essential to
keep motivation and energy levels high when you start a new work day. Working
endlessly throughout the week without scheduled downtime can lead to burnout.
Creating the space for downtime, whether it is for personal hobbies or to
simply unwind, can improve mental and physical health — allowing employees to work
more productively.
Working Efficiently From
Home
Employees are encouraged to switch up their tasks, design work
days according to optimal times and share resources that help them stay
focused. Developing strong work from home etiquette and ability in your team is
a business advantage in the modern economy today.
Connecting throughout the day through Skype is one of the most
important ways the First Page Digital team stays grounded and aligned on the
shared vision, objectives and goals as a company.
About First Page Digital Singapore
As a digital marketing solutions agency, we help companies with
SEO, PPC, Social Media Paid Advertising and more. By helping companies to adapt
to the digital age and innovate in the marketing sphere, they are able to get
leads, sales and profits while levelling the playing field with competitors.
Find out more about us here
and connect with us on our social page on LinkedIn.
