With the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic transforming life as we know it, many companies transition to more flexible models of work.
Remote work in one form or another (certain roles working from home/working on shifts, etc.) is part of the new normal. But to make the most of it, let’s look at some of the main challenges and how to counteract them.
1. Low productivity
The home office is full of distractions – the endless list of chores, the kids fighting in the other room, and whatever small distractions there are in our lives.
Not accustomed to dealing with all this at once? Concentrating on the work tasks might be a challenge if you don’t have a secluded space, where to isolate yourself from the people you live with and the daily to-do list. Ever struggled to find a quiet space while in an important call? Most remote workers would agree it might be a mission impossible, especially if they have kids, a spouse, or a roommate who oversteps work boundaries.
Switching from work-mode to rest-mode is tough too, especially when everything happens at one and the same place. Not to mention the discomforts of the lacking office facilities – the uncomfortable kitchen chair, for instance, might seem like a minor nuisance but could cause back/posture problems in the long run.
“The biggest challenge I personally have when working from home is that it almost always feels like I'm working. The line between work and rest time is blurred and that is ultimately what affects my productivity the most. In the office, I have the perfect, distraction-free environment that enables me to do my best work and then when I'm done, I can go home and rest. At home that is not the case. I tend to overwork and then am tired and unproductive day after day,” shares Tina Kesova, the Head of Marketing at Codeable and a Campus X member.
What to do?
Switch to a safe office environment for a couple of days or a week. Campus X’s flexible office plans help you avoid disruption and draw the line between work and personal life in a serviced office tailored to your specific needs.
Set up clear boundaries with your family and roommates. You are “at work”, even if the office is your bedroom.
Communicate. Clear and consistent communication is key. Plan regular video calls and consider booking safe physical meeting space at regular intervals to keep the team on track.
2. Unreliable Internet and IT infrastructure
Working from home allows many freedoms. In theory, it’s more time for you and your loved ones. But the reality might be a little different. The Wi-Fi slows down to a crawl, your calls are lagging, and the mail suddenly crashes. Or perhaps your microphone doesn’t work, and the setup is frustrating. You can put up with that, but then the electricity stops for a few hours…
Without the help of the dedicated tech and facility departments, you must handle these on your own. In the best-case scenario, the tech problems slow you down and you spend more time doing less. In the worst-case scenario, you can lose important clients or key business opportunities.
What to do?
Invest in a high-class Wi-Fi system with support for the latest wireless standards.
Build for redundancy at home, including power redundancy, via an uninterrupted power supply (UPS).
Make the most of your tech setup. Consider investing in reliable noise-reducing microphones and noise-canceling headphones.
Work/move your team to a safe office environment with seamless IT infrastructure, where everything is taken care of. At Campus X, we offer award-winning Wi-Fi, redundant enterprise-grade network, and power supply to ensure your business is never down. Options are fully flexible – from a few days to a month or more, depending on your or your team’s needs with no longer-term commitments.
When asked about the IT infrastructure at Campus X, our IT Manager Sergei Biliarski, comments:
"Member surveys have shown that one of the most valued IT aspects of our space is reliable Internet access. Two independent fiber-optic routes connect us directly to two reliable ISPs and offer >1 Gbps of combined always-on connectivity.
We’ve worked hard to implement various High Availability and Disaster Recovery technologies. Combined with uninterrupted power, provided by our building UPSs and diesel generators, this makes us highly independent of external factors when it comes to business continuity.”
3. Social isolation
Ever missed having a cup of coffee with a colleague, communicating face to face, and sharing invaluable experiences? Although we must adhere to social distancing rules, humans are social animals.
We need human interaction and support to feel good. And at Campus X, we believe that “community” is not a cliché, when done right. In fact, we surveyed hundreds of members and conversed on what they missed the most, as they stood confined to their homes. What did we find out?
“It was exactly the interaction with like-minded people, that was missed the most. For it’s via these intra-and inter-actions, that successful companies acquire talent and knowhow. It is through the constant process of learning, that they grow as organizations and thrive in such social environments,” shares Campus X’s Co-Founder and CEO Boyko Iaramov.
When asked what she misses the most from the office experience while under lockdown, Tina Kesova replies:
“I'm a strong advocate for remote/flexible work and believe that distributed is the future of work. However, I also know from first-hand experience that working remotely from home can get really, really lonely. This is why an authentic, real-life social connection with a community of like-minded people is extremely important for me. It is one of the main reasons I choose to work from a managed office space in the first place. This is exactly what I've been missing the most during the months of social distancing: the random afternoon discussions over a cup of coffee with fellow members, the member breakfasts, the lunches at the Campus restaurant, or just the opportunity to pick someone's brain for quick advice on a problem I'm working on.”
What to do?
Make the most of virtual interaction – use tools like Zoom/Slack/Microsoft Teams, etc. to organize online knowledge sharing sessions, virtual beers, clubs of interest, and other digital events to help you stay in touch from a distance.
Plan regular face to face team lunches/meetings in a safe environment and following all recommendations, even if most of you work remotely.
Work from a safe and flexible serviced office environment that goes far and beyond all health requirements. Where you can enjoy the added value of the carefully filtered tight-knit community brings to your business and don’t have to worry about your team’s well-being.
Wrapping it up
Change is scary but more often than not it helps us grow and learn new things. The current dynamic environment pushes us to try new things and transform ourselves and our businesses. Striking the balance between remote work and the benefits of the end-to-end office experience is key to keeping ourselves productive and our companies up and running.
Need a flexible serviced office in these unusual times? Get in touch now.
