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For both employees and employers, remote work requires intentional design and implementation to be effective. People find remote work challenging because the established mindset says that being in an office is how work gets done. Remote workers also need to prioritize their mental health, by taking breaks, getting exercise, and having a social life. Despite the challenges, when remote work is done well, the advantages to employees and employer are sufficient to make it worthwhile.
The first starting point for remote employees is to have clear separation between home and work. This can be done through physical separation, by having a dedicated home office, or even working at a shared-work facility, such as Regus or WeWork. It is also helpful to have a transition point, something to replace a commute, that delineates the shift from being at home to being at work. Some people have found taking their dog for a walk, or simply going out the front door and coming in the back door of their house is enough to make the mental shift and start focusing on work.
Successful remote work is not just up to the employees. Companies and managers must make extra effort to exhibit transparency and establish trust, because you don’t have benefits of casual conversation and body language like you would working in the same location. Psychological safety is needed for remote working, and this means managers must be prepared to be vulnerable. Once a manager shows they are comfortable sharing something difficult, then employees will be more comfortable reciprocating. Humble said, “You have to fundamentally trust people because you can’t see what they do. They have to tell you.”