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Staying productive has never been so great a challenge to many employees these days. Read on to find out how to bring your ‘A’ game at home.

It’s a challenge to many employees who have remote work arrangements to stay productive. It can be hard to juggle the daily demands of family, chores, and work. There are too many distractions, and it can get easy to get burnout and have reduced productivity. But fret not, here are seven tips to keep you going and bring your ‘A’ game even while at home.

1. Stay on Schedule

Working on nothing but free time can be tempting. But establishing a clear schedule can prove helpful not only to work-at-home employees, but also to their families. Find out which schedule works best for “family time” and which one works best for, well, work.

Remember, when setting a schedule, balance is key. And once your schedule has been jotted down, stick to it. It helps you establish a routine, which makes the transitions in between your responsibilities smooth and easy.

2. Have a designated workspace

Having a specific space for your home office helps you focus on work. It helps you personalize your desk to boost your productivity and get rid of the distractions at home. And studies support this. 

Add plants that require less maintenance to “green up” your office. This can reduce stress too. And avoid working in your bedroom— you don’t want to associate work with sleep and vice versa, as this can destroy the work-life balance that work-at-home employees struggle to achieve.

3. Wake up early

While this may be a luxury to some, it’s important to wake up early to get a faster accumulation of adenosine and help you sleep faster at night. Waking up early has also been observed to contribute to better mood, immune system, and basic brain functions.

4. Take breaks, go outside

It’s easy to get tempted to be immersed into work and other family duties just to get things done asap. But taking breaks and going outside (if permitted) can help you in the long haul.

Short breaks have been observed to help increase mental clarity and overall productivity to many employees— even those working at home. Going outside, enjoying a walk, or even appreciating nature can also give you benefits, physically and mentally.

5. Keep your gadget use in check

Distractions can take many forms but gadgets perhaps belong to the top of the list. It’s easy to form a habit of checking your phone to see who’s liking your post on social media or browsing videos to keep you entertained. But these can delay you from getting work done.

Keep your gadget use in check. If possible, remove all social media platforms from your work computer and log out of all your social media accounts. Putting your phone in the bedroom can also help while you’re at work.

6. Listen to music

Have a playlist dedicated for work. This helps you associate the playlist with work which not only helps improve your productivity, but also keeps you happy and entertained. But remember to only add music that helps you get in the groove and not those distracting ones.

7. Use tools built for collaboration

Communication is essential in work— especially when everybody is working at home. Tools like CRMs are built for collaboration. They help bridge distances and keep everyone, wherever they are, on the same page. They also reduce the need for employees to switch between platforms to get tasks done.

CRMs are also often built with features that automate manual, repetitive tasks which can bore employees and affect their productivity.

Stay productive while at home

Curious how you can use our digital ecosystem to stay productive while working at home? Get started here.

Experts agree that these are five simple, genuine things you can do to empower your team and boost their productivity.

Companies around the world look for ways to ensure their employees are working optimally and deliver results. Loss hours and productivity are a universal problem, especially in the business world.

In fact, according to a survey, around 75% of employers estimate that more than two hours of work are lost every day due to inefficiency. But with the way the work environment is rapidly changing these days, what can leaders do to empower their teams and help them grow and thrive?

5 Simple Ways To Empower Your Team

1. Listen

The first thing that business leaders need to do is to listen intently to what their employees are saying— especially during the pandemic. Many employees experience more inconvenience than ever. Some are affected mentally and emotionally. The last thing leaders should do is to push employees harder during the most stressful times.

Getting feedback from your employees would also work in your favor. It helps you determine the things that need to change to facilitate a better system. It also helps you establish trust among employees, which helps push them to perform to the best of their ability.

2. Define roles and provide spaces

Giving employees the space they need have been proven to empower them. Allow the employee to make his or her own decisions within set boundaries. Set attainable goals.  And communicate the priorities and expectations set on their roles.

Avoiding micromanagement allows leaders to focus on more important management issues. It also lets employees to work on their roles, without the need to consult leaders on many small and irrelevant issues.

3. Facilitate team-building exercises

One of the most challenging parts of working during the pandemic is that teams are unable to see each other physically— and bond emotionally.

Team-building exercises help bridge the gap created by the pandemic between teams. It helps them get along with each other, know each other more, and identify each other’s strengths and weaknesses.

Fun non-work-related activities make the workplace a happier one. And it doesn’t take a genius to know that happy workplaces boost productivity among employees.

4. Provide growth plans

Set goals not only for the company’s benefit but also for the employees. Make your team feel that working for you won’t make them stagnant, that there’s room for growth.

Remind employees that what they’re doing now will redound to their benefit in the future. Praise effort and encourage people to learn and grow. Reward loyalty.

5. Provide tools that eliminate manual effort

Working doesn’t have to be boring and monotonous. It can feel fulfilling and meaningful. To make this happen, using tools that automate tasks is the simplest thing to do.

Some tools can do things automatically for you like gather your customers’ information, send emails to target audiences, or even sort your leads for you so you’ll know who to prioritize first.

This is the biggest favor you can do to your employees and it’s also one of the simplest ways to boost their productivity.

Empower Your Team Now

Curious how automation works? Want to know how our software can empower your team? Get started here.