The COVID-19 pandemic forced many of us to learn to do our jobs from home. But now that a lot of companies are welcoming staff back into the office, some are setting up hybrid work arrangements to allow employees to continue to work remotely, at least part-time. Having two different workspaces, one at home and the other at the office has its perks, but there are also many challenges. How do you keep up your momentum and productivity when you’re switching locations? How can you stay organized and ensure that everything you need (files, devices, and tech accessories, and personal items) is available all the time? We shared some tips that might help you in staying productive in hybrid work culture.
Replicate office setup at home
Working at your desk should feel natural and comfortable, no matter where you are. One way to reduce the friction that comes with maintaining multiple workspaces is to make the different work environments match as closely as you can. Try to mirror your desk set up in both places. For example, if you have a paper inbox and phone on the left side of your desk and a filing cabinet to the right at the office, set up your home office similarly. If you keep certain supplies in specific desk drawers, maintain that same organization everywhere. It might not be possible to make everything match, but when your desk layout is similar in both places, it’s easier to transition between home and office.
Invest in accessories.
Buying a second laptop charger and leaving it in my laptop bag changed my life in a small but meaningful way. You no longer had to crawl under my desk to unplug or plug in your charger whenever you went to the office. If you have a dedicated desk at the office, you can keep duplicates of your laptop charger, external keyboard, mouse, and other accessories there, to avoid having to lug everything back and forth. Your company might buy or reimburse you for those essentials, too. If you don’t have a permanent desk at work, keep these items in your ‘go bag’ to save some time in the morning when you’re getting ready.
Stay connected to your co-workers.
On the days you work from home, you might feel isolated, especially if some of your co-workers are at the office when you aren’t. When you’re not at the office, make an effort to be more sociable over your company’s team chat tool to keep the spirit of teamwork alive. Perhaps start a weekly game everyone can play remotely on their own time. On days when you go to the office, make the most of being in person with your teammates by setting up lunch dates or leaving your desk to deliver a message instead of using email or chat. Some companies don’t assign dedicated desks at work on purpose, so that staff can move around to different desks and get to know more people; find out whether this is an option for you.
Hybrid work environments are a new way to work. Hope the above-mentioned tips will help in staying productive in hybrid work culture. Start sharpening your hybrid-specific skills now and enjoy workplace success no matter where you go.
