As a remote worker, it isn’t always easy to show that you’re
productive and invested in your job.
It’s not that your colleagues or manager are trying to assume
the worst about you, but when they don’t see you every day, they just don’t
have a ready image of you hard at work. (And if they’ve never worked remotely
much themselves, it may be hard for them to picture what it looks like in
practice.)
The truth is it’s up to you to show your boss how dedicated and
effective you are—even if you’re sitting on your couch instead of in a cubicle
nearby them.
If you think your boss may be questioning how you spend your
work-from-home hours, here are some strategies to prove your productivity.
1. Be Reliable and
Responsive
In an office, your boss can see, plain and clear, that you’re
working away at your desk all day. When you’re at home, you can send the same
message by being responsive and available online.
This means that you should be attentive to your phone, email,
and instant messages throughout the day and that when you receive a request
from your boss you respond as soon as possible. You don’t have to drop
everything and tackle their request right away, but do respond quickly
with a realistic timeframe of when that task will be complete. Many times a
simple response—“I’ve received your email and this will be complete within the
hour”—works great. Then make sure you follow through on that deadline.
2. Keep Updates to a
Minimum
That said, don’t go overboard on the communication front. While
you may think constantly
updating your boss on what you’re doing and how projects are coming along is a
great way to show you’re working, don’t do this. After all, your manager hired
you to make decisions and get your work done, and if you’ve been given the
green light to work remotely, you’re being trusted to manage your own time.
Sending your boss hourly emails is unnecessary—and may even cause them to lose
confidence in your ability to get the job done on your own.
Instead, meet with your boss periodically to ensure you’ve set
clear expectations for your work, with hard deliverables and deadlines, and
then follow through on them. Sure, occasional updates are necessary, but in
general, let the real work speak for itself.
3. Be Present When
You Get Face Time
One of the easiest ways to impress your boss and coworkers is to
be extra engaged when you do get a chance to interact with them—namely, on the
phone or during video chat meetings.
While it’s tempting to multitask (by checking your email or
responding to that IM), you’re better off focusing only on the meeting at hand.
If you’re paying attention, you’ll be able to ask questions, contribute ideas,
and pick up on important bits of information—all things that help show you’re
an engaged member of the team.
Also, try to “arrive” at meetings a few minutes early, as it’ll
give you the chance to participate in the organic conversations that typically
take place in person. This is your chance to ask what your colleagues are
working on and share updates on all the work you’re doing, too. Plus, if you
work remotely full time, the more your team gets to know you as a real person
on the other end of that call or video chat, the more likely they are to give
you the benefit of the doubt.
4. Don’t Pick Up
Extra Tasks Just to Create Visibility
Offering to help with extra projects might seem like a great
idea—you’re so productive that you have time to take on tons of extra work! But
putting unnecessary tasks between you and your key goals may take away from
your success. Best-case scenario, you may get everything done, but it may not
be your best work. Worst-case scenario, you won’t be able to finish everything
and your boss will begin to question your ability to see projects through.
Again, you’re being trusted to manage your time wisely, so be
very selective about extra tasks and responsibilities you take on. If you
really want to get involved with a project that’s outside the realm of your
job, go for it, but talk to your boss about how you might adjust your workload
to make room for it.
Proving your productivity when your boss can’t see you isn’t easy. But if you focus on deliverables, make yourself available and present, and work to build a relationship with your boss and coworkers, no one will question your productivity or commitment to getting the job done.