After the events of 2020, there's a good chance that a spare room or a spare corner of your house was transformed into a home office - but even the greatest home offices can be disrupted - whether it's the neighbour mowing the lawn or the kids making a cameo appearance in your video call, working from home is an art that requires a special set of skills to make it work.
UC firm Poly has created a series that explores the balance between office and remote working, and in this episode, you will learn how to master the art of working from home - with key takeaways for business leaders and managers.
What better way to learn than from an entrepreneur who manages multiple businesses, and works from home, right next to the beach! Andrew Maciver shares top tops, starting with getting out into nature in the morning, getting some exercise, and enjoying the day.
“I've worked from home since my first efforts as an entrepreneur, I lasted two weeks in an office post-university,” Maciver reveals.
“If you don't get out, you can get a bit stir-crazy if you focus on your work and you're not socialising. You've got 24 hours in a day, how are you going to use it? Eight hours' sleep, eight hours' work, and eight hours' play or socialising - so find that balance, ideally. You won't get it every day, so don't beat yourself up over it.
Poly's APAC alliance director James Ware will also explain how employees can operate at the same (if not greater) levels of efficiency and productivity while achieving a better work-life balance from home.
Ware also speaks a little about collaboration overload, and how to act in virtual meetings.
He says, “Appreciate the situation you're in and act as you might do in person. So if it's an important meeting, get a bit dressed up. First impressions count. If you're meeting in person or in a video call, that's the first impression.
Even making the effort to look at the camera in a virtual meeting can make a huge difference to engagement, because it's similar to making eye contact, he says.
If that's a trick you've never really considered, or if you want to know more working from home tips, watch Poly ANZ Stories Episode 2: Mastering the Art of Working From Home below, and on YouTube.
Check out the products featured in this story.
Poly creates premium audio and video products so you can have your best meeting -- anywhere, anytime, every time. Our headsets, video and audio-conferencing products, desk phones, analytics software and services are beautifully designed and engineered to connect people with incredible clarity. They're pro-grade, easy to use and work seamlessly with all the best video and audio conferencing services. With Poly (formerly Plantronics and Polycom), you'll do more than just show up, you'll stand out.