Overcoming the 7 biggest challenges of remote working
Having struck by the COVID-19 waves, work-from-home has become inevitable. No monitoring, travel, or tiredness. Working from home is amazing as it is. Yet, remote working is not very much comfortable as it sounds due to many hidden challenges.
First of all, remote work is highly demanding than usual. Turning your room into a workplace is not easy in many cases as the technology may fail to cooperate. For instance, the company may have given an internet connectivity allowance yet your place might not support the network most of the times. This, in turn, increases work hours and delays work.
Work without challenges is no fun. Working remotely may be quite different and unexpectedly challenging, yet there’s always a way to overcome it. Now, you are about to witness the 7 biggest challenges of remote work and how it can be overcome.
1. Communication Issues
When working from home, an uninterrupted online and telecommunication between team members is the key to attain the best results. Be it to clarify a misunderstanding or to explain ideas, it is practically impossible to maintain communication with teammates at all instances
From the start, organizations need to set up a clear communication protocol. Even then, communication problems are common to face.
Ways to Overcome
- Set a team meeting once or twice a week to brainstorm ideas or for a general client discussion.
- Use online audio and video tools like Goto meetings, Zoom meetings, for group calls.
2. Technology Troubles
When working away from the office, the lack of reliable internet connectivity is a big risk. For smooth functioning, every device concerned with work needs to be perfect for remote-working professionals. Some shocking scenarios like device malfunctions, network errors and unavailability of spare in the remote areas might happen.
Ways to overcome
- Use only the apps or tools you may require and uninstall any other unwanted stuff including the unnecessary devices.
- In the case of internet issues, go for mobile hotspot connection as a backup plan and avoid delays.
Work from home can get you lost in the technological maze and so conscious working is recommended.
3. Poor Time Management and Productivity
It’s common for everyone to lose the track of time while working from home due to many acceptable reasons. One of the major reasons is household maintenance from cooking to cleaning. Though it may be burdensome to manage time while working remotely, it is essential to maintain a good level of productivity as you work at the office.
Ways to Overcome
- After every 25 minutes is up, take a short break to grab a snack or get a coffee or get a breath of fresh air. This way you can complete your work faster.
- Maintain a checklist for the day before starting the work.
- Use time-tracking software for self-work tracking.
Working remotely is not problematic unless and until you form your comfortable protocol for hassle-free working.
4. Overworking
When both personal and professional works are on your table, it is very difficult to finish your work on time. While the company may think the workers would work less, it is quite the opposite. Remote-working people tend to work for more time than actual.
Ways to Overcome
- Set alarms to refresh yourself from time to time to manage your stress & work.
- Prioritize your tasks and check them at the end of the day to avoid any loss.
To avoid burnouts from overworking during your remote working, frequent short-breaks can be the best solution.
5. Handling Distractions
At the office, you will be surrounded by only the working professionals. Whereas at home, the scenario has parents, siblings, spouse, children and even pets. In such a home, distractions and interruptions are what you have to likely deal with.
It may be painful to not attend important celebrations during your online meeting or disturbing when your children pester to play. In any situation, acting-wise enough to handling distractions is advisable.
Ways to Overcome
- Work in a private closed space instead of an open place at home
- Distract your children with other games so that they don’t disturb you
- Stick to consistent working hours.
6. Lack of Recognition
Whether you are a fresher or an experienced employee, you deserve an appreciation for your praise-worthy work. Since your superior authority couldn’t monitor your performance directly, there may be chances of no recognition. But don’t get demotivated rather work to your complete potential and prove yourself.
Ways to Overcome
- Update your works to your superior without fail and get acknowledgement
- If there is an opportunity, visit the office to make yourself physically present
- Have good communication with your entire team
7.Isolation
In the instances where you may not have anybody to stay beside, you may feel isolated and lack motivation. While you work remotely, loads of household work, as well as loneliness, may cover you up adding to your work stress. With enough efforts taken, your isolation can be avoided greatly.
Ways to Overcome
- Allocate time for your social work
- Set time and interact visually with your colleagues
Undeniably a remote work job affords more flexibility yet it equally has its challenges. Some spend more time working while others spend time in stressing out. It is all about how you’re overcoming and conquering your remote-work challenges.
Some of the adverse effects are rest deprivation, lack of private time and exhaustion. Plan before you start working regardless of the conditions to attain peace of mind and good productivity.
