Working or studying remotely has been ideal in the sense that you don’t have to wake up extra early to beat the morning traffic or change into uniforms each day, but it’s not without its cons. The novelty of telecommuting eventually wore out the longer people had to stay quarantined due to COVID-19, which led them to look for ways to keep them from procrastinating and hold them accountable as they operate in their own spaces.
Some people have found that they are less productive at home because their usual day-to-day routine has been disrupted or there is less structure compared to working in an office or being in a classroom environment. Behavioral scientist, Kristen Berman, explains in the Fast Company the reason behind this. “At work, our behavior is public. Work makes our behavior visible to other people to help get us to get things done.”
To overcome procrastination, some schools have been hosting Virtual Study Halls where students can do work or study with peers via Zoom. During the session, microphones are muted to limit distractions, and students are given the option to leave their cameras off. It’s essentially an emulation of a library, where they can get motivated and be accountable to get busy.
The same concept can be applied to working remotely by having the team log-in and out at similar times. That way, there is still a work schedule in place for them to follow and they can set boundaries between work and their personal life, which tend to get blurred when having to be productive at home. And while no one wants to be micromanaged, check-ins with the team every few hours could also help keep them on track.
As we adapt to the new normal, we will continue to face challenges both virtually and in real life, but that doesn’t mean we have to face it alone.
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