Even before the coronavirus pandemic struck, millions of people around the world were already working from home. But in the last few months, millions more have been forced to work from home to reduce the spread of infections. As working from home becomes the new reality, teams from across industries are facing a very strange test to their productivity. 

If you and your team are just getting started with working from home, then you are probably looking forward to a lot of things. You can set your own working hours and work in a more relaxed atmosphere. You can save money from fuel costs and even vehicle repair, for travelling to your workplace. The digital marketing salary for freshers is considerable for a start and working from home supports it. But there are drawbacks, too. While working in your pyjamas sounds as good, keeping up with your team’s productivity can be a challenge. How can you boost team productivity while working from home? Here are six ways to remain productive. 

Tips to increase team productivity while working from home

1. Better Work-Life Balance 

The concept of ‘Work-Life Balance’ is continuously evolving to cover a range of ideas that explain how it can be achieved. A positive work-life balance when working from home will allow you to create enough time to remain productive in your work and attend to your duties away from your work. Unfortunately, the physical boundaries that exist when you are working from an office may disappear when you are stuck working at home. 

It is important to keep up with your normal working in an office routine. Hence, wake up early and change from your sleeping attire into your work-appropriate clothes. You do not have to dress up in a suit or heels, but something that will help you get the mindset of work. Besides the appropriate outfit, create a designated workspace that separates work from personal space. Moreover, remember to stay connected to your typical work structure and in constant communication with your team. 

2. Limit Distraction 

No one is immune to distractions. Whether it is kids playing in the background, or noisy environments, distractions are common when working from home. When you are working from the office, you are less likely to get distracted because you have a supervisor holding you accountable for your time. However, working from home presents a challenge because the only person you are accountable to is you. 

It is one thing to say you have a lot to do, but if you do not have clear goals, you are bound to get distracted at one point. Your daily goals can be broken down into smaller tasks, which can be prioritised throughout the day. Use a timer to schedule each task and ensure you stay on track. If you are working from a place, where you are less likely to run into distractions, you will be able to stay focused and boost your productivity. 

3. Time Tracking for Effective Time Management 

If you want to ensure that you are meeting all your deadlines while working from home, then you need to streamline your time management skills. Effective time management is paramount if you are to stay productive while at home. It starts by letting your team know what you are doing. For that, you will need the very best that technology has to offer. It helps to communicate with your team using a time reporting app that allows you to organize your work, share documents with your team, and synchronize. 

Time tracking tools are must-have tools for working from home because they enable you to stay focused when it is your top priority. As you track how you are spending the limited hours you have, time tracking tools allow you to be aware of the reality of the situation. Therefore, you will be able to better allocate time and manage your daily work. In the end, you can free up some time for personal tasks and increase your overall productivity. 

4. Foster the Relationship with your Team 

It is critical for teams to maintain good internal communication to be able to achieve goals and foster productivity. However, working from home makes it difficult for remote teams to stay in touch. It takes a particular set of temperament and skills to foster a good working relationship among remote team workers. Building a strong connection among team members will create an environment where meaningful workplace friendships can foster while they work from home. 

To ensure the pace of your team does not break when you are working from home, it is essential to be accessible to allow yourself to be available when your team needs you. You can also make time to continue with the typical office chit-chat to allow you to relate with your team member and bond while working remotely. Since there is no opportunity for face-to-face communication, it is important that you stay connected using technology, social media, and other collaborative tools. 

5. Set Clear Goals and Objectives 

Despite the freedom you currently enjoy away from a nagging boss, it is critical to your productivity that you remain on course to meet your desired timeline. Setting clear goals and objectives is the most important thing to do for anyone who wants to stay productive while working from home. Since a lot of your work is done and submitted online while you work from home, it is important that you identify goals that can be measured using a metric. 

Next, break all your goals into smaller tasks and get to work on them. Besides, this will allow you to make progress easier and manageable. Remember to also schedule ample time to allow you to see your goals through to completion. Your goals will give you a time frame for completing projects and always keep you motivated as you work away from the office. 

6. Tracking Progress

Tracking your progress as you work from home is vital to your productivity. When setting your goals and objectives for each day, it is important to set measurable goals. These goals allow you to outline the expectations you intend to meet each day. Tracking and reviewing your progress will allow you to stay on track with your goal and identify tasks and projects that are not headed for timely completion. 

Are you prepared for success while working from home? 

Whether working from home is a permanent move for you or you are just transitioning for temporary remote work, boosting your productivity is still important. While there are a lot of readily available tools that can help increase productivity while working from home, the bulk of the effort falls on you. You have to set clear goals and track your progress to stay productive. 

Author’s BIO: Lori Wade is a journalist from Louisville. She is a content writer who has experience in small editions, Lori is now engaged in news and conceptual articles on the topic of business. If you are interested in an entrepreneur or lifestyle, you can find her on Twitter & LinkedIn. She has good experience and knowledge in the field.