Seven Ways To Increase Your WFH Focus
by Lisa Bodell for ForbesWomen
With many American homes also functioning as an office-classroom-gym, remote employees are increasingly distracted. In fact, a recent survey by professional- services firm JDP reported that at least 54% of people are experiencing more WFH distractions than ever. Can leaders do anything to minimize these interruptions for themselves and their teams?
By simply adjusting the settings on devices — and modifying a handful of processes — you can encourage better concentration for your remote teams. And while my latest book, Why Simple Wins, offers hundreds of ideas for more productive workdays, the seven tactics below have become the new normal in 2020 for my team and our clients.
1. Designate one weekday as 100% Meeting-Free. For workplace software company Asana, it’s every Wednesday. If an entire day seems impossible, start with a half-day like data platform company Talend, which named Friday afternoons as meeting-free. In your own org, choose a day that makes sense for your teams’ typical workflow.
2. Embrace airplane mode. Even with business travel on hiatus, rely on airplane mode when you need to focus on valuable work. Then move that smartphone into a drawer or a different room and check your messages just once an hour.