Digitalization and ever-increasing networking are transforming the world of work. Learn how "New Work" works in the form of home office and remote working here.
Table of contents
More and more companies are introducing home office policies or employing location-independent employees. Perfect for anyone who wants to be flexible and work from different locations.
But anyone who's ever worked from a café, the airport, or abroad knows that some mistakes can happen. That's why our ultimate New Work Guide will teach you how to perform in remote mode!
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1. New Work: Stable internet connection
A stable internet connection is a given in the office . However, when working outside the office, you have to actively consider it. So, it's best to find out in advance which cafes are good places to work. Open networks are particularly convenient and quite common in big cities.
If you want to stay connected at all times, you can simply increase the data allowance on your mobile phone plan as a precaution. Setting up your own hotspot will reliably bridge connection issues and give you a bit more flexibility in choosing your workstation.
2. New Work: Coworking space, home office, travel
The right coworking space
A large part of New Work is shifting to coworking spaces. For concentrated work, it's recommended to choose a coworking space that has a work area where talking is n't allowed . For safety's sake, you can always bring noise-canceling headphones .
Coworking spaces with a restaurant or café are also a good choice. Having your own kitchen with a microwave and coffee maker can make your life much easier. This allows you to decide what meals you eat and even save money.
Anyone who regularly works in a coworking space should also find out about the space allocation process in advance . Some very community-based spaces have a specific admissions process consisting of several steps.
Peace and concentration in the home office
One form of New Work is the home office. Those who need a lot of peace and quiet to work particularly benefit from the introduction of a home office policy . In the privacy of your own home, you can accomplish an incredible amount in a short amount of time.
Working from home is also particularly attractive if you have to make a lot of phone calls for work . This way, you won't disturb anyone and won't have to keep getting up and leaving the room.
Despite all the benefits of working from home without interruptions, you shouldn't forget how important social interaction is for your mood [1]. Therefore, even those who prefer working from home can benefit from spending some time in the office or in a coworking space.
Perform stress-free - even when traveling
The same applies to international remote workers as to everyone else. Furthermore, in this scenario, it's especially important to inform your contacts about your time zone . You should also always book flights so that they don't clash with your core working hours.
By the way, most major airports now offer up to three hours of free Wi-Fi. So if you want to quickly answer a few emails or complete a few small tasks while on the go, you can use it to bridge the wait between flights . This makes New Work really fun.
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3. New Work: Working hours and processes
Time to focus: Find your perfect performance slot
Last but not least, location-independent New Work offers you the opportunity to optimize your own performance. You don't have to conform to anyone else's dictates, allowing you to discover exactly in which phases and under which conditions you achieve the most .
In general, it's a good idea to define focus phases during which you're not reachable by anyone. During this time, you turn off your phone and work on a task until it's finished. In his book "The 4-Hour Work Week," digital nomad Tim Ferriss suggests reading and responding to emails only at set times [2].
By the way, the best way to find your ideal workflow is to work with your own biorhythm. Those who perform well in the morning need to get up early, and those who are more productive in the afternoon can stay awake longer. The time you are available for meetings should, if possible, fall during the less productive part of the day.
Efficient communication is a must
Another advantage of the new work structures is the improvement of internal communication processes . If colleagues are not always available on-site, companies and employees automatically have to communicate much more effectively.
To ensure sufficient time for discussions and feedback, you can offer your team or client the opportunity to define core times during which everyone is available . Meetings can then be scheduled during these periods and clearly defined in terms of topic, participants, duration, and output.
4. New Work: A tip against procrastination
If you work alone and completely independently of your team, you'll quickly notice that you 're putting off some tasks longer than necessary. Unfortunately, one of the biggest risks of New Work is procrastination.
One reason this is so tempting is because no one can control you anymore. However, for the sake of your productivity , you should shorten such phases as much as possible, or ideally, avoid them altogether.
Set clear goals for yourself every day and check at the end of the day whether you've met them. This way, you can quickly identify which tasks you tend to procrastinate the most . You can then always complete those first in the future [3].
This way, you avoid unproductive stop-and-go phases within your workflow and accomplish everything you set out to do.
5. Conclusion
New Work offers you the opportunity to work from anywhere. Whether you're working from home, in a coworking space, or traveling, proper organization is crucial. In addition to a work environment that's optimal for you, clear communication between you and your employer is also important for your individual New Work approach.
6. Sources
[ 1] Umberson, Debra; Karas Montez, Jennifer (2010), Social Relationships and Health: A Flashpoint for Health Policy, Journal of Health and Social Behavior, Volume 51, p. 54-66. [ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3150158/ ]
[2] Ferriss, Timothy (2009), The 4-Hour Work Week.
[3] Tracy, Brian (2017), Eat that frog! 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time.
