7 Top Tips for Successful Remote Work

Working from home has become the new normal for many of us. We’ve grown to love it and have found it difficult to go back to an office. In fact, many companies are “selling” working from home as a company perk and workers are choosing companies that offer a remote or hybrid option over companies that require in-person attendance only.

One result of the remote-only mandates that happened during the pandemic has been the discovery that remote and hybrid teams can be more productive and effective. Often more effective than in-person teams. People managers have needed to learn how to lead remote teams. Individual contributors, or remote team members, have needed to learn how to be effective and productive working remotely. The trick is to set up structures and expectations that lead to success.

7 best practices for successful remote work

I have been working from home for most of my life, so these strategies I will share with you are not only a result of my own experience, but the experiences of many of my clients who also have teams of remote workers. In this article, I will share the top 7 best practices of successful remote workers.

• Define and communicate your expectations
• Define structure
• Encourage and reward transparency
• Utilize tools
• Encourage and reward collaboration
• Encourage and reward creativity
• Encourage and reward innovation

1. Define and communicate expectations

Define and communicate your expectations and goals for successful remote work. By setting expectations and communicating them in advance, you ensure that everyone is on the same page and minimize the possibility of misunderstandings. Whether you work individually or with a team, here’s what to define and communicate:

• Be clear about each person’s role
• Define the amount of work each person will do
• Offer measurable goals
• Supply deadlines for completion
• Determine how often to communicate
• Determine which communication channels to use for updates
• Share company values and culture
• Find ways to be inclusive

On the topic of values and culture, sharing and inclusion is especially important for remote workers because it helps them understand how you expect them to behave and interact with each other.

I know what you’re thinking; it takes time to write out expectations and share company values and culture. At first yes, but you will find by doing this, work is completed smoother and faster and your team will work together better both in the short and long run.

2. Define structure

Defining structure is one of the most important elements of productive work, especially when working remotely. Creating routines and setting clear boundaries will help you stay motivated and organized throughout the day.

Start by creating a daily schedule that includes breaks and free time. It helps you focus on your tasks and gives you time to rest and recharge. Sometimes work gets so busy you have to force yourself to get up. Believe me, having a quick break every couple hours where you go for a quick walk outside will recharge your body and mind. If you have to, put a kitchen timer on your desk and set a time for your next break.

I also recommend setting clear boundaries between work and home life and ensuring these boundaries are strictly enforced. This means no need to check emails or phone calls during non-working hours, and no need to take on additional tasks after hours.

Observing these boundaries will help you stay productive when working and give you time to relax and focus on the rest of your life. Easier said than done I know. With smartphones glued to just about everyone’s face, it is hard to disconnect from work sometimes. Phone addiction is a real condition that people actually seek professional help for.

A quick tip that I did to reduce my need to look at my phone too much is to turn off notification sounds, including email. This helps me stay focused at work and reduces the amount of times I am distracted.

3. Encourage and reward transparency

Open and honest communication is important in any environment, but it is even more important in a remote work environment. Encouraging and rewarding transparency helps build trust and cooperation between team members, which is essential to any successful project.

When it comes to transparency, encourage your team to share their progress and challenges. Request and listen to their thoughts, ideas and comments. This helps people feel their opinion matters. Ask questions and ask for clarification if needed.

I make a point to reward transparency by recognizing and celebrating it where possible. This can be done through public recognition or small rewards such as bonuses or discounts. An easy and simple gift could be a small amount on a gift card.

4. Utilize tools

There are many handy and even free tools out there to keep yourself accountable to your own productivity. For example, Focus to-do is a Google Chrome extension that utilizes the Pomodoro Technique, which is basically a time management method that involves breaking down work into intervals, typically 25 minutes in length, separated by short breaks. The goal of the technique is to improve focus, motivation, and productivity by eliminating distractions and allowing for frequent breaks to recharge.

5. Encourage and reward collaboration

Teamwork is the key to success in any industry and even more so in a remote work environment. Fostering a culture of trust and understanding is key to encouraging free-flow collaboration among your team members and preventing silos between departments. Do this by holding virtual meetings in a regular cadence.

Here are some general guidelines for a well-structured virtual meeting:

• Define a clear agenda for the meeting
• Encourage participation with tools like virtual hand raising, polling, and break-out rooms
• Set clear expectations for behavior. This could include:
• Muting microphones
• Ground rules for the use of technology, like checking phones
• Any other expected behavior during the meeting to ensure a smooth and productive experience
• Use visual aids like slides, screen-sharing, and virtual whiteboards to help communicate ideas and keep participants engaged

6. Encourage and reward creativity

Creativity and those “ah-hah” moments in which great ideas happen are a key factor in successful projects. To encourage creative thinking and ready-made solutions when working remotely, I make sure to reward risk-taking. I do this with weekly brainstorming sessions or virtual meetings.

And the topic doesn’t always have to be about work. One company I know of has monthly meetings where everyone gets together and draws a cartoon strip for an hour about a random topic. You might think this isn’t productive but it creates new neuropathic connections in your brain and enhances creativity and independent thought.

Also, create an atmosphere of openness and safety by inviting everyone to share their ideas and suggestions. Be sure to model a “no idea is wrong” approach by rewarding all ideas, not just the ones that are “right.”

7. Encourage and reward innovation

An innovative mindset is essential for businesses focused on growth. To foster innovation, much like fostering creativity, provide an atmosphere where it's safe to take risks and experiment.

A couple of my favorite innovation exercises include reverse mentoring where senior leaders are paired up with junior team members to explore new technologies, practices, and ideas. This is a great opportunity to model risk taking. Also, I like to explore innovation through virtual prototyping, where teams use digital tools to rapidly prototype and test new concepts.

Apply these strategies to work effectively on a remote team

By following the tips in this article, you can make the most of your time in a hybrid work environment and stay ahead of the game. Remember to:

• Set expectations
• Establish some structure
• Encourage and reward transparency, communication, collaboration, creativity and innovation

By following these guidelines, you can be productive, motivated and focused while working in a hybrid work environment.

As a fractional CMO and entrepreneur coach, I partner with companies from around the world to help them make strategic decisions to remain relevant and competitive. Reach out to me through my Upwork profile to learn more.