By now you have probably been working from home on and off for nearly a year now. Not only can this be very inconvenient for most employees but it also feels extremely mundane and sometimes draining. Those working from home reportedly have a hard time balancing their work and life needs, as now your homes have become more than just your family home but also your workplace. However, there are some positive aspects to working from home which could help change your perspective! So how can you stay positive whilst working from home?
Bonding with your team
Microsoft Teams is a great way to stay in contact and bond with your team members during and outside of work hours. At Qlic we put Microsoft Teams to great use, from hosting our meetings to our virtual social catch-ups on Friday evenings, Teams is a great communication platform for your team. Not being able to see your co-workers in person should not be seen as a negative aspect, as Teams’ features allow you to chat instantly with your team as if you are in the same room!
Creating a daily schedule
Having a schedule whilst working from home is vital, not only can it maximise your productivity but it also reduces stress levels creating a more positive working environment. There are many ways for you to create a schedule, starting with Outlook Calendar, this can be used to organise your meetings and help manage your workload. You can even share your calendar with your team members so they know when you’re available to contact. Another way to stay organised whilst working from home is with Microsoft To Do, this can help manage your day-to-day tasks with a checklist system to make managing your tasks easier. Similarly to Outlook Calendar, Microsoft To Do also has the sharing function so that your colleagues can see which tasks you’re working on and when.
Managing your screen time
After creating your daily schedule, it is paramount that you manage your screen time to help improve your work patterns and to help you know when to step away from the screen. Microsoft MyAnalytics is a great way to manage your focus, wellbeing, network, and collaboration time. It gives you a monthly review to help you discover your work habits and help you to work smarter. It details the percentage of time you spent sending emails, how often you were in meetings, your ‘quiet’ days and the number of days you had to ‘focus’. This can really help you to manage and optimise your screen time to really make the most out of working from home and ensure productivity.
Seamless collaboration
Collaborating on projects and documents using traditional server & VPN methods has proven to be very difficult in these unprecedented times. However, with Microsoft SharePoint, you can collaborate effortlessly in real-time with your colleagues, just like being back in the office! You can share files, data, news and resources to help streamline your processes – teamwork makes the dream work!
If you wish you find out more about the softwares mentioned above, please contact our Technical Account Managers on [email protected] or 0203 904 3464
