Best Practices for Remote Work: Personal Guidance

Here are some tips and best practices for working remotely. 

• Create a routine for your days. Choose a start and end time. You can be flexible with your time when working from home, but it is important to not fall into the trap of working 24/7.
• Make sure that you are comfortable with the technology you need to work from home. Do you have the appropriate computing and internet setup to work from home? Make sure you are comfortable with the collaboration and communication tools that your team is using for communication and project or file management.
• Be "intentional and specific" with your communications. Make sure you are communicating clearly to your colleagues and manager over email or chat programs like Slack or Google Hangouts. It can sometimes be more challenging to ask questions over email rather than talking things through in person.
• Use organizational and productivity tools effectively. You may have more flexibility in your schedule than you had in-office. Use your calendar to create both blocks of time in which to get work done and also to schedule short breaks.
• Carve out a designated space to work from home, if possible. This may be especially helpful if you are new to working remotely. Even if it is not in a separate room, this will give both you and whoever else may be at home a cue that you are working. 
• Make sure that you establish a clear communication plan with your team and manager. Understand how you will communicate with your manager and team. Make sure you understand how to use the videoconferencing and file sharing or collaboration programs that your team will be using, if any.
• Keep your work status updated. It is helpful for others on your team to know when you are available or might be unreachable for a little while. Make a habit of updating your team with a message on Slack or your team's communication platform of choice.