For the past few months, all offices have been tentatively pushing back their in-office start date. Some companies decided early on that no one would be back on-site before January 2021, while others suggested September… and then October… before admitting we simply don’t know when it will be safe for in-person office work.
However, you may be in a job or part of the country that has been working on-site or will be returning in the new year. In light of our newfound flexibility, how can you better use the time in-person compared with working alone at home?
Time Block or Schedule Out Your Week
Since you’ve been working from home, you have learned the importance of clearly communicating your work hours to your teammates. When you transition back into the office a few days a week, you still need to schedule out your week to stay productive
Schedule Meetings for One Day
If you’ve been working from home for the past few months, you probably miss having in-person meetings. Now is the time to get those scheduled!
When possible, respond to a video meeting request with, “I’ll be in the office tomorrow, let’s schedule this for that time!” Obviously, some meetings are time-sensitive or should be video when the whole team can’t be present, but two- or three-person meetings can be scheduled for the days you’re in the office.
This also gives you more meeting-free focused work hours when you’re home, keeping you more productive in the long run.
Clarity of Obligations
If you’re using a flexible schedule for caregiving reasons, your team still needs to know that even when they see you in-person a few times per week. Clear communication still remains top priority to manage expectations and keep the whole team on track.
Anticipate Interruptions
As you’re scheduling out your day, remember that you may have more or different interruptions when you’re on-site than working from home. When you’re sitting at your desk, people may stop by to ask you a question, or you may be distracted by the conversations going on around you.
Instead of thinking about all the productive time you’re losing, anticipate the interruptions, and plan your workload around them. Maybe your on-site days are not the days to handle large deep-thinking projects. Choose tasks that can be put down and picked up again throughout the day. You’re in the office to build these connections and communicate face-to-face with your coworkers.
Save the work you can do at home for home, and look positively on the personal interruptions throughout the day.
Plan Your Networking
If you need to commute into a city for the in-person office days, then plan lunch and dinner meet-ups that you can’t arrange when you’re home.
If you’re the manager, plan for at least one day per month where the whole team is on-site together and can have lunch together. Or schedule your one-on-one evaluations when a teammate is in the office, instead of having these conversations on video.
Schedule Strategic Planning Meetings
All remote or flexible companies agree on having a few days of strategic planning in-person during the year. This may mean gathering everyone at a central retreat center once a year as a larger planning meeting. If your team is primarily local, you could have in-person “retreats” once a quarter with employees returning home in the evenings.
Many brainstorming or strategy sessions work best without internet delays or constant “oh you’re still on mute!” that happens on video. Recognize which meetings need that level of interaction, and plan ahead to see each other in person.
Learn more about flexible work arrangements and the “work as a lifestyle” movement by connecting with SWAY through our app, free Facebook lives, or consulting services!