Entrepreneurs: 9 tips for organizing teleworking efficiently
Teleworking: a dream for many employees, a nightmare for others, a major challenge for many companies in a context of confinement and post-confinement.
Telecommuting is also a challenge for many entrepreneurs who want to regain a balance in their lives, but also gain in performance in terms of time management.
The facts are simple: the repercussions of the COVID-19 health crisis are not just economic. Numerous scientific studies on the repercussions of the pandemic on entrepreneurs point out that stress management, psychological overload and isolation are felt by over 60% of entrepreneurs to be the main risks of exhaustion linked to the current situation.
These problems are compounded by a deterioration in sleep quality and a loss of meaning.
What is teleworking?
According to article L1222-9 to 11 of the French Labor Code,
" Teleworking refers to any form of work organization in which work that could also have been performed on the employer's premises is carried out by an employee away from these premises on a voluntary basis, using information and communication technologies. "
The Labor Code further specifies that:
" In the event of exceptional circumstances, notably the threat of an epidemic, or in cases of force majeure, the implementation of telework may be considered as an adaptation of the workstation . In exceptional circumstances, such as the threat of an epidemic, or in cases of force majeure, telecommuting may be considered as an adaptation of the workstation made necessary to ensure the continuity of the company's activity and the protection of employees."
Teleworking therefore means organizing one's working day at home, or in any location other than the employer's premises.
However, one conclusion is clear: staying focused while working from home is not always easy, for a variety of reasons:
- the presence of children
- difficulty of getting organized at home,
- lack of space,
- or the need to reconcile different activities in your professional, family or personal life!
In this article, I'm proposing 9 tips for entrepreneurs on how to organize their telecommuting effectively.
Step 1: create the work hygiene essential to effective telecommuting
Tip 1 - Develop an efficient and effective mindset
As I wrote in my book "How to develop prodigious intelligence", published by BookBoon Editions:
"Attention is the ability to fix the mind on a specific object, but also to pay attention to it.
Etymologically, attention comes from "to wait", in the sense of being patient. It is therefore also a capacity that enables us to wait for a future result.
Lack of attention can have harmful consequences in life or at school (or in business)".
I also advise you to be in harmony with your Ikigai.
To develop effective and efficient attention, certain conditions must be met:
Tip 2 - Get dressed and keep your usual rhythm
Get dressed and keep to the usual rhythm of your day, even if it's tempting to keep your pyjamas on. Working in casual clothes demobilizes attention and concentration, because the unconscious is in "Relax" mode.
If possible, have a dedicated workspace. If you're going to work efficiently, especially if you're at home, it's important to have a space that's conducive to concentration. To be efficient, the human brain needs to focus, i.e. to do just one thing at a time.
Studies by the University of Utah have clearly demonstrated that the human brain does not multitask. The result of these studies could not be clearer:
In the various experiments, participants who considered themselves excellent at multitasking were at least 40% less efficient than others, and their stress levels rose considerably!
The truth: multitasking is a myth! People who consider themselves highly multitasking will tend to be impulsive, thrill-seeking and over-confident in their ability to juggle several tasks at once to get good results!
Tip 3 - Set your own working hours
Set yourself working hours for your remote working day, as if you were actually in the office. This frees you from the constraints of commuting. You'll be able to manage your time more flexibly, but since nature abhors a vacuum, you run the risk of falling into restlessness.
Restlessness is a passive defense system that consists of filling your schedule with lots of things that have nothing to do with the work you have to do and your (in this case, professional) objectives. It's a good way of self-sabotaging and limiting your productivity.
When managing your working hours, remember to include breaks too. Regularly taking a few minutes to get some fresh air, go for a walk in the fresh air or simply relax and get some distance will help you to be more productive.
Step 2: organize your work and professional activities
Tip 4 - Use to-do lists and tools
Use to-do lists and tools to manage your professional projects over time.
You're probably familiar with the metaphor of large stones. This allegory is often used in time management training courses. It teaches us that we need to prioritize the most important tasks and those that add the most value to our work, otherwise there won't be room for them afterwards.
Tip 5 - keep your diary up to date
Keep your diary up to date too! Get into the habit of noting down break times, travel times according to distances to be covered, and spaces to deal with unforeseen events or emergencies. This is a big mistake, because we spend at least 25% of our time dealing with unplanned matters. And it's all in the diary!
Tip 6 - Keep in touch with your colleagues
Keep in touch with your colleagues, and remember to check in with your teams regularly. Human beings are social animals. We need contact and social relationships. This is probably one of the most important aspects of telecommuting.
Tip 7 - Think training
Think training. Working alone at home and working with others in the office are very different things. You'll probably need to acquire new skills or soft skills to adapt. Adopting the continuous professional training reflex is a good way to stay in the race, even when you're the boss!
Tip 8 - Get organized with your family too
Get organized with your family too! Working from home, with spouse and children at home, requires organization and often negotiation. Everyone needs their own space during the day, to make it easier for them to live together, especially if your partner also teleworks. Remember to plan meals, breaks, phone calls and teleconferences so that everyone can be calm and enjoy maximum concentration during work time.
Tip 9 - Disconnect
The right to disconnect isn't just for employees! If you're an entrepreneur, don't forget to take time out for sport, your favorite hobby, meeting friends or simply relaxing in nature.
Article translated from French