Many employees that now work from home or remotely have enjoyed the advantage of saving hours of commuting to and from their offices and this means a lot to them. Remote working and traveling usually go together and many remote workers are constantly searching for ways to keep up efficiently with their assigned duties even when in transit. Here are some tips.
Be readily available for communication
One of the problems that come with working remotely when traveling is the difficulty in communication. This could be worse when you pass through areas that have limited mobile connectivity or even poor internet connection. It is good to make plans for your own internet. This would enable you to communicate effectively with your team members. To have a presence in the office even when you are not there, communicate regularly with the employees. Do more video conference calls, phone conferences, and detailed emails.
Make use of coworking spaces
Some people find it very discomforting when working remotely during a journey and desire to have a near-office environment to work from. This is where coworking spaces come in. They present a reasonably comfortable environment for your office work and will help you to focus better. There are several coworking spaces scattered around the globe. Do meaningful research about the places surrounding your destination and take note of the coworking spaces around there so that at any time during your journey, you can hurry to one if you need maximum concentration. There are so many coworking spaces in Los Angeles and New York. This is because of the ever-increasing demands for them in those locations. So let’s say you are visiting Los Angeles, you can easily search for one in advance before your journey.
Don’t forget any of your office tools at home
Some remote workers travel in a hurry and leave behind some of their office tools. To guide against this, it will be good to start packing some days before and in doing so, you need to make a list of important things to take with you. Examples are your laptop, a slim laptop sleeve, noise-canceling headphones for video calls and audio calls, a foldable laptop stand, and a super slim external keyboard. Depending on where you are going, you may want to take an internet-providing device for better access to the internet.
Minimize distractions
It is easy to get distracted when you are working remotely and traveling. Your mobile phone could be the greatest distraction and it is usually very difficult to realize that time is flying past when on the phone. People check their phones almost all the time which is why in some business organizations like some banks, the employees are instructed to put their phones away until they are on break. If you are distracted by anything at all, it could reduce your efficiency at work and affect the company in general. If you function well with some sort of background noise, then you should use the energy of the people around you to get your motivation going. If you don’t work well in such environments, then you should probably look for a quiet place.
Be wary of the time zones
Those who work with multinational companies or clients must already be familiar with time zones since they travel extensively. Scheduling meetings have to be done with the consideration of everyone that will be attending. You need to know how many hours behind or ahead your audience will be. With that knowledge, you can fix a time that will be comfortable for everyone.
Rest when it is necessary
Working from home or remotely usually appears differently for employees that have once worked from offices. As a remote worker who is also traveling, you could get so carried away with work that you forget break times or even closing times. This may not look good for your health. So, as much as possible, try to observe your break times and closing times judiciously. Remember that tomorrow will be another day to work and you can continue from where you stopped. Don’t break down in one day.
Choose a safe destination
This is very important and it is better you just work from home if you are not sure of the location that you want to work from. The key is in making inquiries and doing your research properly to be sure that where you are going is absolutely safe. Check the crime rates in that location and act accordingly. If you think that you could be a target for looking foreign, then you should stay away from such a place. It is no rule that you must go to a particular place to work remotely.
Final word
The culture of remote working is expanding everywhere in the world. Many companies are embracing it more and more every day and if it must be business as usual for the company in terms of the efficiency expected from each employee, some tips have to be followed. The tips here will help remote workers stay safe and deliver on their assigned duties with full concentration.
Post written by: Lisa Mottins