Virtual Work - where work meets home...

Some of you may be required to work in a hybrid method - a combination of home and office. This can be quite tiring and challenging if done alternately. Below are some tips to help with managing this work structure. 1. Take advantage of the work structure Make use of the days you are working from home to organize your work-wear and prepare and pack meals for the day you'll be spending at the office. This can be both a time and money saver. You can even make use of the days at the office to run errands in the area, on your lunch break or after work. 2. Communication Whether you're at the office or at home, be sure to keep in contact with your team-mates, especially those you may not be able to see at the office due to your schedules. This can assist with maintaining your work relationships. 3. Prepare a checklist To assist with preparation for the work day, if working at home you can keep a list of the items you will need to take to the office the next day, and vice-versa. This ...

Most of my team members are currently working from home. Usually, we'd be involved in some form of social activity every quarter, such as a department dinner or a relaxing day at a nature resort. For the past quarter however, we were forced to do things a bit differently.  To keep the engagement going, members of my department participated in a photo competition for one month. It required us to snap an original photo with caption that best suited the clues given biweekly. The entire department was then able to vote on the submissions. Examples of clues included " strangers (random people)"  and "the impossible" . Participants were challenged to get the creative juices flowing and able to break the monotony of the work day, while keeping the banter going through our group chat. Some photos even stirred some suspicion as the submissions were anonymous, while some became the joke of the day. One such photo was a submission for the clue "feet" , where all ...

Your work space sets the tone for your productivity level. You may not be able to create the same layout as your regular office, but you can try to create a space that works for you. Most days, I use my dining room table, simply because its most comfortable for me.  I suggest using a quiet room in your home if possible, to eliminate distractions. Consider the storage space you need, such as a desk and drawer. Think of the equipment required such as a telephone, laptop, printer and stationery. The requirements will be dependent on your type of job. I also recommend investing in an office chair for back support. Choosing a well-lit room is important when setting your space. If your webcam is used for meetings, be mindful of your background. Luckily, if your background isn't quite suitable for meetings, most video-conferencing software enable you to set a virtual background, so this is nothing major to worry about. In most cases, this feature works best with a physical green screen, b...

 In my  last post I shared 3 tips for coping with working from home (WFH) during the pandemic. I'll wrap up this topic by leaving you with 2 additional tips. 1. Eating healthy     Although fast-food is the quickest solution to satisfy hunger, we should take advantage of the opportunity to prepare a healthy home-cooked meal. We should maintain our lunch break to ensure we eat on time, rather than at the end of the work day. Some benefits of eating healthy include a better sleep, more energy, improved concentration.  More info on healthy eating from FoodInCare 2. Exercise     This puppy may be relatable to most, especially if you were disciplined with your exercise regime pre-covid. By engaging in exercise, we increase benefits to our body and brain such as making us feel happier, maintaining strong muscles and bones, as well as boosting memory and improving relaxation and sleep quality. In subsequent posts, I'll share some exercise videos to get you st...

The beginning of the lockdown period for the Covid-19 pandemic met me one month into my MBA program. I was happy for the opportunity to work from home as I no longer had to endure the work-commute. This allowed me to sleep in later after working on assignments the night before. I became so occupied with my job and school assignments that I was unable to relate to my peers' feelings of boredom and frustration with the lockdown. Then came my school vacation some months later, which enabled me to relate to my peers, as my schedule became less hectic, and the impact of the pandemic began to sink in. Based on my experience thus far, below are three tips that can assist with coping as you work from home: 1. Maintain your pre-Covid routine for getting ready for work.      This includes waking at least 30 minutes before work, having a shower, breakfast and getting dressed. If you're required to use video for work meetings then of course looking professional and presentable is man...