Knowing your team’s DISC assessment results is always beneficial since you can tailor everything from assignments to workstations to match your worker’s skill sets and preferences.
For remote workers,
the knowledge imparted by a DISC assessment is even more meaningful.
You’ll know how much support, attention and feedback each member will need, and even get a good idea of which of your team members can handle the sometimes-isolating aspects of remote work. Since each individual style needs different support and will value different aspects of remote work, knowing what to offer is essential if you want to have a successful remote program.
Click here for an overview of how to support your remote team based on their DiSC style.
The way we feel can be triggered by outside events.
And
that can change how we act.
And
the way we act can reinforce how we feel.
Of
course, the opposite is true as well, and far more in our active control.
How we act always changes how we
feel.
Two mood-changing actions:
1. This
is a perfect moment for upskilling. For a sprint in learning something difficult to learn. Not
because a teacher or a leader made us do it, but because we chose to. Not only
do we get to keep that skill forever, but
the act of taking control and expending the effort will change our mood.
My upskilling focus? Continuing to add skills and practice conducting activities for
our interactive virtual learning experience sessions.
2. And this is the perfect moment for generous
connection. Going way beyond the
news of the day, we have the chance to create intimate digital interactions
that last.
How are we creating connection at Aha!
Leadership remotely? We are holding virtual coffee breaks. We are designating 20 minutes for casual
conversation via video chat. We are
celebrating wins, exchanging personal updates and even sharing a funny meme or
two. It provides us the positive
connection people crave.
Who says you can’t have cake with coffee? Our intern turned 20 years old this week and here is a picture
of us celebrating with her virtually…pajamas and all! While it may not be her ideal way to
celebrate her new decade, I am sure it will be one she will retell fondly for
years to come. A little coordination
with a family member for the surprise went a long way!
It’s
a significant posture shift, one which might change who you see when you look
in the mirror.
We
might not be able to do anything about external events, but we have control
over our actions. Sometimes, it’s hard to stare right into that opportunity,
because it comes with a lot of responsibility.
As leaders of our teams, our families, people
are watching….what can we model? What
will you learn today? Who will you teach?
As we acknowledge our ‘new normal’ for engaging in business, including working remotely, we want to help make your online meetings meaningful and productive with these tips for video conferencing.
1. Computer positioning. Position your computer back a little to create a shoulder/headshot view vs. face only, so everyone does not feel on top of each other. 2. Prop to eye level. Prop your computer webcam up to eye level. Try using a ream of paper under your laptop to position it up for web calls. 3. Turn on your video camera. Humanize the meeting by turning on your camera so people can see you – and set the standard for others to do the same. We are social creatures and this aids connection. 4. Use a headset. Use an external microphone or headset to eliminate background noise. 5. Hit mute. When you’re not talking, hit mute. 6. Unclutter your background….position it for a less cluttered background. Some services even allow you to blur your background. 7.Momentarily unshare if… you need to walk away, let the team know and unshare your screen for a moment. 8. Add a professional picture to your webinar profile, so if you are unable to share your screen, people can still see your smiling face. 9. Don’t sit with the window behind you. The glare is blinding for others. A little effort on lighting goes a very long way. 10. Look at the camera. When you’re talking, spend some time looking at the camera, not the screen. You’ll appear more earnest and honest this way. 11. When you’re talking, go slow. To ensure understanding while using this new medium for many. 12. Don’t walk if you’re using a phone. And if you’re using a laptop, put it on a desk/table and prop it to be eye level vs. on your lap. 13. Organize yourself and materials before the meeting if you are hosting. Have all your documents open that you will be sharing during the meeting so you can share your screen vs. scrolling through your computer folders while on the call. 14. Assign a partner to aid you as the meeting host. They can help with follow-up or aid people with technical issues or manage the webinar chat box so that it does not derail the rest of the participants. 15. Have an email/cell phone list of participants available if you need to email or provide information while on the call. 16.…and remember to SMILE! It uplifts you and all during this social distancing time in our lives.
For many, working remotely is new and for others, it is not. We all need to practice patience and empathy as we learn this ‘new normal’ together.
People want to connect and have a conversation. They don’t want to be talked to. So remember to slow down, engage and talk with people. Connecting as human beings will add more value than making sure you get through all of your content.
We, at Aha! Leadership, have been working remotely and conducting training in a webinar format for 10 years. If we can help answer any questions or just want to pick our brain, please reach out to us. We would be happy to be there for you!
“The human has been working from home the last couple of days and every so often, they let me participate in the video calls. All the other humans cheer when they see me. I am the only thing holding their company together.” — Dogs everywhere
Working from home can be a welcome change – whether your workplace offers a flexible workplace schedule, allowing you to work from home some days while the kids are off for the summer, or this is your official office workplace.
While it has many benefits to you and your employer, be careful not to fall prey to distractions – One scenario….He sets his computer up on his dining room table, and is ready to get to work. Three hours later, however, he’s shocked to realize that he’s completed very little. What’s he been doing? Well, he had to make coffee. Then he did a load of laundry, took a phone call from a friend, and sorted through the mail when it arrived. One thing led to another, and now he’s really behind!
Working from home can be incredibly productive. But it’s also full of distractions. If you work from home, it’s up to you to make sure you’re doing a full day of focused, productive work. Below are some benefits and challenges to working from home and tips to help you be at your most productive during the day.
Benefits and Challenges
There are many benefits to working at home. For instance:
You can be more productive when you’re not distracted by casual phone calls, impromptu meetings at your desk, or interruptions from other team members.
You can be more relaxed and have better morale because your schedule is flexible and fits your needs. This can lead to less stress.
You can save money, including the costs of commuting, lunches out and work clothes.
You’ll have more time, as you won’t need to commute to work.
Of course, for all the benefits of working at home, there are also a number of challenges:
Working at home can be incredibly distracting if you’re not self-disciplined, especially if family members are also around during the day.
Without interaction with team members, you can feel isolated.
You may find it more difficult to be productive when you’re unsupervised. (This also includes “supervision” by the people you manage!)
Working from home can make it hard to separate work hours from off hours, causing you to work more.
People at the office can forget that you exist, meaning that you’re not selected for interesting or high profile projects.
Working at home is definitely not for everyone. Some people love the freedom and have the required self-discipline, while others need supervision to be effective, or yearn for the energy and camaraderie of a busy office environment.
Tips for working from home, whether temporarily or as part of your regular schedule:
Workspace – Having a productive and comfortable workspace is particularly important when working from home:
Have a dedicated workspace –preferably not your kitchen table! Ideally, this space should be a separate room with a door that you can close to shut off distractions. The more you make it feel like a real “office,” the more productive you’ll be and able to close the door after you, means you’re “off work.”
Get an ergonomic office chair – If your chair is uncomfortable, you’ll probably find plenty of reasons to get up and go somewhere else.
Make sure your “office” is a place where you enjoy spending time – Put some effort into making your working area appealing to you.
Organization – It’s important to keep your home office organized:
Make sure your desk is big enough – This will vary, depending on the type of work you do. Keep essential tools in an area that you can reach from your desk; this reduces frustration, and avoids the need to get up repeatedly when you need something.
Tidy your desk daily – Spend a few minutes at the end of each day clearing off your desk and filing papers.
Organize your information – If you work on several different projects at once, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed and disorganized because you’re handling so much information. Pull out what you need as you work on it; everything else, file until you are ready for it.
Time Management – Good time management skills are essential for productive working at home:
Create structure for your day – Get up, take breaks, and quit working at the same time you would if you were at the office. This helps create a rhythm for your day and a sense of normalcy.
Prioritize daily tasks with a to-do list – Knowing that certain items must get done by the end of the day will help you avoid distractions.
Make a to-do list of “in between” items – These are tasks that won’t take more than 10 minutes to complete. For instance, if you have a conference call 15 minutes from now, you can choose one of these shorter tasks that you can complete quickly.
Keep a timesheet – It’s easy to lose track of how much time you’ve spent on a certain project or client. Avoid this by keeping detailed timesheets. By tracking your time, your organization will be able to see how you’ve spent it. You can also identify when you are most productive.
Communication-As you’re not “visible” in the office, communication is especially important when working from home:
Communicate effectively with your managers and co-workers – They need to know that you are, indeed, working productively and available, even when you’re not at the office! If possible, redirect your office phone extension to your home phone.
Use tools like Skype or instant messaging – These allow people to check in with you during the day if they have questions or need an update. You can always set your status to “busy” or “unavailable” if you want to focus on a particular piece of work.
Go into the office on a regular basis – Where possible, do make the effort to go into the office one or more days each week. Not only will this help you remind others that you exist, it helps with the social relationships
Time tips
Train your children to let you work – Working from home with young children in the house can be especially challenging, and it’s almost impossible to do work of any quality while you’re looking after them. Make sure that you have appropriate childcare in place, and teach your children that when you’re in your office, you’re “away.” Put a sign on the door to help them remember. Although don’t be too rigid here: one of the real joys of working from home is, for example, being around to welcome your children home from school. Make sure that you take a little time to enjoy simple pleasures like these!).
Beware the Internet! – If you find yourself drawn, for example, to Internet news sites, use some of the time you save commuting to read these in-depth before the start of the working day. They’ll have little attraction if you’ve already read the most interesting content. And if you’re still struggling, you can use tools like Freedom and Anti-Social to block Internet or social media access for a pre-determined length of time.
Set alarms – If you tend to waste too much time on the Internet or with other distractions, then set an alarm clock or kitchen timer for one hour at a time. Do one hour of focused work – and when the alarm goes off, reward yourself with 5 or 10 minutes of doing whatever distracts you. Then set the timer for another hour of work.
Dress in work clothes – You’ll probably feel more productive if you dress just as if you were going into the office.
Home working is becoming more and more common. Make sure you have a dedicated, comfortable workspace that you like. Schedule your day just like you would at the office. If you often lose focus, identify what’s distracting you and try to eliminate it from your day. And, if possible, get involved socially with your team. Working from home can be isolating, so you need to make an extra effort to build your work relationships.
