The Pros and Cons of Remote Working

Working remotely may seem like an ideal experience on the surface, imagined as having limitless comfort and flexibility. The reality of remote work is almost always different than the daydream of it. Here are some of the real pros and the very real cons of remote working.

Advantages of remote working

• Of course, the ability to shift one’s work hours slightly to take a walk or to sleep in a bit, based on your natural rhythms, can be incredibly empowering. Many remote workers experience better creative flow when they aren’t stuck at a desk on an artificial timetable; a study by Gartner confirms that flexible hours can help productivity grow.
• The ability to work with clients throughout the world, rather than feeling tied to local opportunities, is a major advantage of everyone in the globalised world, but it is even more available to those who choose to work remotely. Small businesses can stay “small” while technically having clients all over the world, due to the power of remote communication.
• Customising your work space is important to promote creativity and productivity, and many people find that working in their own space can be very helpful to the process of coming up with their big new idea or solution to a business problem. Home offices can work very well for this kind of personalised office design; the results, according to a report from Regus, are workers who feel far more productive at home than in an open-plan office.

Disadvantages of remote working

• Email has become the default for many remote workers, and the asynchronous communication can be exhausting. Sending an important email and waiting for hours or days for a reply can leave you nervous and incapable of your needed work.
• When receiving feedback from clients, it can be frustrating to discover that they misinterpreted your project entirely, which could have been avoided if all of your communication wasn’t written in email form. The Guardian cautions that good communication is integral to a positive work-from-home arrangement, and this is often harder without an office setting for phone calls and meetings.
• Being in your home office alone can just generally lead to greater anxiety; many remote workers realise, once they are working outside the office, that they depend on creative energy from others around them and on the occasional chat with a fellow worker to break up the day and alleviate some built-up tension.
• There can be pressure (from the office or from your own mind) to prove you are working, possibly with more online interaction than is strictly necessary for the work.

Combat those disadvantages with excellent communication tools

One of the main ways to turn the disadvantages of remote working into strengths is to focus on how you can communicate better. Your work may be wonderful, but if you cannot communicate well with your clients, it will be difficult to get things done in a timely and effective manner. Here are just a few of the ways that you can improve your work with communication.

Accept the need for face-to-face communication

You invest in having an excellent business mobile plan, so make sure that you request those video chat or phone meetings when you know that important information needs to be shared. Take advantage of the ability to view body language when you use video chat on a tablet, or to hear tone of voice when you discuss changes to a prototype on the phone. Having a reliable ability to communicate beyond text-based emails is essential for success.

Intelligently handle calls

Call handling can be time-consuming, so work with a trusted telecommunications company to make sure that your clients always feel heard and answered. Call handling services can help you get work done from your central business number even if you are away from the office, making it more like you are “really there.”

Stable broadband and cloud telephony to keep you online

Often, what you will need are strong internet ability, and a trusted solution for broadband services and hosted VoIP will give you the peace of mind necessary to feel truly connected. Greater connection keeps you feeling more productive and creative throughout the day.

Ready to learn more about Windsor Telecom? Reach out today to get to know our tools and all we can offer.