From the Coach’s Corner: ‘How have you adapted to full time telework since early 2020?’
Roughly a year ago, many employees were clamoring for the opportunity to telework. Those that teleworked full time reported higher levels of satisfaction than their in-office counterparts and a lower rate of burnout according to Gallup surveys from 2016 to 2019.
Now with telework being the predominant means of office work in 2020-2021, some teleworkers are reporting higher levels of burnout during the pandemic according to Gallup.
How Can You Be Most Effective?
First – Be aware of how you are feeling. Are you working continuously without start and stop time boundaries? Daily commutes provided a natural break that are not there with the omnipresent availability of electronic work tools. When needed, take a few minutes and step away from the keyboard. If you find that electronics, such as your phone, are impeding your focus on work, shut them down and establish structured breaks.
Second – Reach out regularly to co-workers and direct reports. We are not all really in the same boat when it comes to coping with full time remote work. Some are feeling trapped by their living/working space. Look to create opportunities for the “side” conversations that used to take place in the hallway between meetings.
While some have embraced the lack of a commute to an office, and even become nomadic workers, others have struggled with the lack of structure and informal in-person interactions. Since many agencies, and feds, are realizing the productivity gains and flexibilities of full time telework – it is clear that telework is here to stay. Two keys to successfully navigating this mode of working are recognizing how you are functioning and staying in virtual contact with others.
If have a question or topic that you want to have addressed in a future Coach’s Corner, email it to me at rjcoaching@stwserve.com.
The “Coach’s Corner” Articles are written by Robert Oberleitner, executive coach. Raymond James is not affiliated with and does not endorse the opinions or services of Robert Oberleitner.