So, you’ve entered the world of flexible work or as many say “ This is a Hybrid role” ? Welcome to the land of comfy pyjamas, existential Zoom meetings, and the eternal question: “Is it too early for a snack break?” But before you lose yourself in the wild wilderness of remote working, here’s your guide to staying productive and sane in this new work-from-anywhere age.
1. Master the Art of the Pyjama-to-Professional Switch
Let’s face it: half the joy of flexible work is that you can ditch the suit for sweatpants. The problem? The 2pm unannounced video call. Solution: Keep a “Zoom shirt” nearby for emergency professionalism. Toss it on, and voilà! You’re instantly back to looking like you have your life together. Just, for the love of everything, don’t stand up. Sort of like that advert on TV currently with the girl at the beach, when her boss calls!
Then of course, my super friendly annoying white cat always seems to find her away into the kitchen where I’m Zooming from and proceeds to walk across the keyboard in full view. Killing the illusion, I might be in an office.
2. Set Boundaries (That You’ll Inevitably Break)
In a perfect world, your flexible work setup would be neatly divided between “work hours” and “chill hours.” Reality? I’m not sure about Chill hours, “the washing needs hanging up”! Maybe Ill mow the lawn before the weekend! Then you continue to check emails at 10 pm while binge-watching the Rookie. In good intention, you start by setting a schedule, then fully expect to disregard it at least once a week. That’s a flexible work-life balance, right? Or we might call it Project management style, not by the hour but the project!
3. Virtual Meetings: How to Look Engaged Without Really Trying
Ah, the virtual meeting. Is anyone paying attention? Here’s how to survive:
- Nod occasionally, as if you’re hearing something groundbreaking.
- Unmute yourself at random intervals to say, “Great point!” or “Couldn’t agree more!”
- Throw in a dramatic “Your mic is off!” at least once per meeting. You’ll seem like a hero.
4. Manage Your Team… Wherever They Are
Some of your team is in Bali, one’s working in their local café and you? You’re on your fifth cup of coffee in your home office. The trick to managing a remote team is constant, clear communication. Translation: Send a Teams message, wait three hours, and then wonder if everyone quit. Probably not my best solution, however it can be fun!
5. Be Productive (Kind of)
When working from home, your productivity will skyrocket (said no one ever). But you can try:
- Create a to-do list with all the things you wish you could accomplish.
- Cross off at least one thing by noon so you can justify an extended lunch.
- By 3pm, start telling yourself, “There’s always tomorrow.”
- I’m still not sure extended WFH is fully productive. Using the hybrid model style, I believe it can be very effective. Culture in the organisation will take a hit, even with good engagement on your daily huddles.
6. Avoid the Time Zone Trap
Managing a team across different time zones sounds glamorous until you realise someone’s always working outside of normal hours. Pro tip: Create a rotating schedule of “whose sleep we ruin today”. It keeps things fair and ensures everyone gets to suffer equally. I love the staff members who preload emails to send at usual times, so it looks like they are up real late or super early.
7. The “Watercooler” Is Now Virtual – And Just as Awkward
With no actual watercooler, where do you gossip? Easy—create a “random” Teams channel where people can post memes, pet pics, and cryptic “Monday feels.” Bonus: It’s a great place to drop in at 4pm and casually remind everyone you’re still the boss. It’s still not the same as being together in the office and sharing ideas, thoughts and you lose creativity or spontaneous opportunities.
