Month: December 2020

Getting showered with clients and having the reputation of being the best in the field is demanded by all. However, the success rate of the company is directly proportional to the workload. The phrase ‘too much on my plate’ turns out to be a good one in such times. Being drowned into work up to the collar brings a different kind of zeal and passion into our work lives. But, if every morsel is not planned and timed well, the work balance gets shook and the efficiency falls apart. Every work is equally essential and outdated, and it doesn’t help with the modern-day work structure. Dealing with all kinds of work simultaneously and giving undivided attention to all is not possible. In this procedure, we end-up spoiling the task, which required our utmost attention, and bag negative points for the team. Looking at all of them together makes the task tedious and more challenging.

Giving equal importance to everything could make our focus crash all over the place, leaving us overwhelmed with the workload and then eventually ruining even the more straightforward tasks.

That is when priority comes into the picture. Prioritization of work items can turn a heavily loaded, hotchpotch program into a simple water slide. One can easily glide from top to bottom, finishing the essential tasks first and gradually moving to the simpler ones by the end of the day, or vice versa. It helps in productivity, minimizes workload, better manages time, and hence, efficiency, and maintains a work-life balance. Inducing this asset into our workplaces could turn out to be a boon. Those places where a lot of work needs to be done in less time could use this technique to save distraction and stalling.

How to prioritize work is an old struggle and requires proper attention paid to it. xTimesheet helps in tackling similar problems in an effective and accomplishing way. It offers economical and easy solutions to such issues, making our everyday work more comfortable. If one master the art of prioritizing work items, he/she can easily handle a rough schedule in a neat, spick, and span manner.

A few months ago, a lot of us did not bother about ‘distant’ workplace etiquettes. Seeing our colleagues around us and immediately reacting to different hurdles showing up daily is what we were used to. COVID-19 has brought all kinds of changes to our lives, the majority of them being work-related. Dreaded by some, the ‘WFH’ style is in fashion these days. No matter how good and accustomed to work etiquette we are, remote working has more to it. There are unheard of situations and challenges. And as far as remote working is concerned, communication dominates the domain. Time clash, mode of communication, network challenges are just a few, to begin with. There are many more, which need our attention.

Basic Communication
We all must have had at least one office/work-related video call or voice call on different platforms offered these days. And all of us must have suffered some network problem on our end, or someone else’s in the call. The first and foremost point that goes here is to be polite when complaining about similar issues. Along with masks, network-issues are another ‘new normal.’ While organizing meetings, one should be mindful that one platform might not be comfortable for everyone. To overcome this, there should be tutorials of the platform in use circulated; this would help everyone move forward together. New communication tools should be adopted for efficiency and management.

Proactiveness
Being away and managing everything like it used to be is not a piece of cake. Be the lead or the team, and everyone needs to get out of their lethargy pants and try to know more about their daily schedule. Although the leads are required to push a little extra, think about sending motivational messages and update the team status. One should be aware of the teammates’ positions too.
Setting new goals, huddling up, and organizing questionnaires daily would help everyone be on the same page.

Micromanagement
Micromanagement, in itself, is not believed to be a very friendly practice. During remote working, it could be more baneful. During these difficult times, there are enough reasons to be worried about. On top of that, if the employee feels caged and excessively time-bound all the time, this could turn out to be frustrating for him/her and then eventually affect his performance. The lead should be vigilant and observant in a way that does not hamper his/her teammates’ basic work rights.

Although most of us have managed to cope with these arising issues, some of us are still struggling and figuring out ways to make our lives easier. xTimesheet, a product by XRM Labs, can efficiently and inexpensively solve these problems, whereas most solutions at hand are complicated or expensive to teach.
Being aware of these minute things could help develop interpersonal and intrapersonal skills.
Prioritizing video calls should be a must because seeing each other’s faces could help keep the office environment alive at home.
We should not let technology meddle with our work relations. And we should not let distance spoil what we have augmented for so long.

A majority of office-based groups in the world have been working remotely last many months due to the Covid pandemic. While educational institutes and shops are now open, it could be longer for offices – Specifically larger workplace, because of the potential safety risks, By now, your team has no doubt settled into remote working, but this doesn’t imply that it’s without difficulties. Over the last months, you may have encountered some common issues with a temporary setup, but the good news is that most obstructions to remote working can be easily overcome. How about we look at what management can do to overcome common barriers posed by remote working.

Struggling to adjust work and home commitments:

The odds are that remote working will be more hectic for employees with families or busy households – it’s undoubtedly hampered efficiency. If any employee has told you that they are finding it tough, or maybe you’ve noticed in their work output, at that point, work with them and find a solution.  Now, like never before, it’s essential to be flexible – explore the chance of things like flexitime, split or decrease hours, or condensed working to help them strike that balance. Offering flexible working to employees needn’t make an additional burden for you or your HR team.

Lack of communication with a person:

Communication is probably going to have slipped a little during the lockdown. Still, it stays as ever to maintain an adequate level of touch with your team and individual employees. If a particular employee or staff has been slipped off the radar somewhat, the main thing is to speak with them and check that they are coping well and needing any additional support from you. Besides that, you could:

* Set up a weekly meeting and getting a chance to discuss work and address any queries.

* Communicate the importance of communication, particularly during a time like this.

* Assign an employee every week to share what they’ve been working on and any beneficial distant working tips.

* Online setup channels where employees can share information, talk about activities yet also have general catch-ups.

Bring the team together:

Motivation may have slipped because team morale is lacking during the lockdown. An employee might miss the social viewpoints and camaraderie of being with their colleagues; thus, consider ways to bring the team together – albeit digitally. A bit of team spirit can work amazing things in boosting motivation.

Focusing on development :

A lack of progression or opportunities to develop can hit motivation and productivity, especially among the more optimistic employees. We can start by asking the question: “Do you feel satisfied with the work that you’re doing?” If their answer is “No,” start considering how you can help them progress. Talk with the employee about the skills they’d like to build on and how they see their role progressing. From that point, it’s about recognizing how you will uphold them, pointing them toward a better direction, or even offering any new course to them and bearing the cost so they can improve. It demonstrates that you’re an employer who invests in their people, which itself can be a genuine inspiration supporter. Ideally, these tips will help refocus your team and continue making remote working a success until we’re back in the office.