With the spread of COVID-19, many practices have decided to work remotely from home.
For most people, this will be a sudden and unprecedented change and it will take time to adjust to this new way of working. Here are some insights into how to transition from the office to working from home.
Having a set structure that is similar to what you did in the office is key to effectively transitioning to working from home. Firstly, follow a consistent morning routine that involves having breakfast, getting dressed into ‘work clothes’ and moving to your designated workspace.
Secondly, communicate regularly with work colleagues, they may need guidance or support transitioning to this new way of working. A daily morning check in through a videoconferencing tool, like Zoom, is an easy way to keep up communication.
Lastly, schedule your day to include short breaks, an activity other than work, like a morning walk, and a definite finishing time. It can be difficult to switch off but following your schedule will help to separate work and home life.
Moving from your office to your home brings a range of new distractions and interruptions that you will need to manage. The easiest way to reduce distractions is to use the do not disturb function on your computer and phone and schedule dedicated time to read and respond to e-mail and messages twice a day. Next, is to set boundaries with the people you share the space with, whether that be a partner, children or roommates. This will guarantee some interruption-free work hours and will help you be productive from your home office.
If there was ever a time to go digital and paperless, this is it. Using reliable digital software for your matters, briefs and documents will future-proof your practice and is the most effective way to work from home.
mattero is a simple, intuitive, legal management practice tool that consolidates, manages and controls all matters in one central place. It has an easy-to-read dashboard that allows you to see everything at a glance, at any time and from any device. Seamlessly integrating your data with one click connection to Xero and Office 365 and streamlining your workflow with intuitive activities and reminders, making follow-ups practically zero- touch.
mattero is the simplest way to go digital and make working from home easier. With streamlined admin and self-serve on-boarding, you can be up and running in minutes.