With the sudden shift many organizations, including Texas State, have had to make to online operations, many of us are learning to adjust to working remotely or telecommuting. Although there are many challenges, the benefit is that we are all learning how to use new technology tools.
One of the adjustments for remote workers includes how you show your “presence” when you’re not actually AT work. Remote work often gets the stigma that employees who work remotely don’t work a full day, don’t participate or engage as much with the rest of their team, and are hard to reach. If you happen to have a supervisor or manager that thinks that way, you probably won’t be working from home much! There are ways to prevent them from getting that perception – but it takes some effort.
Out of sight, out of mind; that is the pit the remote worker wants to avoid at all cost. The “why” is simple as it is the state where the supervisor and/or team members begin to question the productivity (or even the presence) of the remote worker. When that happens, remote working tends to become a less favorable option to management. For the remote worker, you never want to allow that perception to creep in. The next few paragraphs will help you with how to prevent that from happening.
First, you need to establish your presence and goals each day. In the morning when you start work, send an email or chat to your supervisor. Something like “Good Morning, [supervisor name]. Is there anything in particular you need me to focus on today? If not, my goal is to complete the xxx and document the yyy on the website.” This statement actually serves many purposes: (1) it establishes your presence in the workplace; (2) it gives the supervisor a tickler for asking for help on a project or task; and (3) it lets them know what you plan on working on for the day.
Second, at the end of the day, give a quick update email or chat. “I was able to complete the xxx as planned, and the documentation is on the website at http://www.xxx.yyy for you to review. Have a great evening.”
And lastly, don’t let days go by without some sort of check in during the day through a chat, audio, or video call. Perhaps every other day is adequate, although for many every day might be more the reality.
Remote work and telecommuting can be valuable tools for the workplace and for work/life balance. For it to work, it takes effort and structure on the part of the employee and management. I hope these tips help if you find yourself in a remote work/telecommuting situation.
Ken Pierce is Vice President for Information Technology and CIO.
