Remote Work
How To Be A Productive Remote Worker
Remote workers can be just as – if not more – productive than co-located workers. Dominic Price, an author for Atlassian Blog, categorizes six characteristics that all remote workers have. This lesson will discuss those characteristics and other ways remote working can be embraced.
The Six Characteristics that make up a good remote worker:
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Self-Motivated
There tends to be less contact between managers and remote employees than with co-located workers. As such, managers need to be able to trust that their employees are working on the right things without constant check-ins. The remote worker should enjoy a good challenge and have the ability to stay focused on it, even if they face a setback.
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Has a growth mindset
Remote workers need to be flexible, persevering, eager to experiment, and open to the idea that they don’t already know the best way of doing things. All these things speak to continuous improvement and a solid growth mindset.
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Amazing communication skills
Having great communication skills is extremely important for remote workers since they are not physically present. A remote worker utilizes mediums like email, chat, talking live, slide decks, etc to communicate openly and effectively.
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Initiative
Taking initiative for a remote worker is centered around being proactive. This should not be mistaken for attempting to be constantly visible in digital workspaces to prove that you, the remote worker, is actually working. This adds unnecessary anxiety to the workday. Instead, the remote worker can specify “deep work” times on their calendar or use a chat tool to indicate their availability.
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Self-Awareness
Remote workers must be keenly self-aware and good at self-care or they run the risk of burning out. Co-located workers are able to look out for each other, for example: “Hey, you look tired today – is everything ok?”. The remote worker does not and has to be aware of how being remote will affect them.
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Purposefulness
Remote workers are hyper-engaged in their work. A remote worker should understand the value in the work they’re doing. This is exemplified in their passion towards the company’s mission, or they might be excited to hone a new skill.