Due to the coronavirus, almost everyone who doesn’t work in a “critical” or “essential” role has been told to work remotely, which in most cases means to work from home. However, the majority of the population has never worked remotely, so they’re not sure what skills are needed to successfully work from home. This blog will provide you with an overview of the six skills you need to have (or develop), so that your remote work life is effective, productive and successful.

1. Working Remotely? Here Are The Six Skills You
Need To Succeed!
OVERVIEW
Due to the coronavirus, almost everyone who doesn’t work in a “critical” or “essential”
role has been told to work remotely, which in most cases means to work from home.
However, the majority of the population has never worked remotely, so they’re not sure
what skills are needed to successfully work from home.
This blog will provide you with an overview of the six skills you need to have (or
develop), so that your remote work life is effective, productive and successful.
THE NEW REALITY – WORKING REMOTELY DUE TO THE GLOBAL PANDEMIC
Now that the coronavirus has made its way around the globe, employees the world over
have to adjust to the new reality of working remotely. While some people may find it
easy to make the switch from working in an office to working remotely, for most people
there may be some level of discomfort.
However, under the new reality of COVID-19, working remotely is not an option; it has
actually become mandatory for many people. Since that’s the situation that everyone
must now deal with, here are the six key skills you need to have to be able to work
effectively, productively and successfully in a remote environment.
Skill #1: You Must Be Self-Driven, Self-Motivated and Self-Managed
To successfully work from home, you must be a self-driven, self-motivated and self-
managed person. This means you don’t need anyone else telling you what to do. You’re
able to get yourself moving and motivated each morning. You don’t need a boss
standing over your shoulder giving you guidance every day. You start the workday on
your own, you review the goals that need to be accomplished each day, and then you
do what needs to be done to complete them.

2. Skill #2: You Must Be Organized
Working remotely, whether from a home office or elsewhere, can be difficult. If you’re
disorganized, it makes it even more difficult, so to work effectively you must be
organized. Being organized includes things like having a daily routine and schedule that
you follow, setting up your office space to work efficiently, and establishing necessary
boundaries at home so that you’re not constantly interrupted. In addition, you need to
develop a plan (detailed or high-level, on a daily or weekly basis, whatever works best
for you) that organizes your day, your time and your activities to help optimize the time
you spend at work.
Skill #3: You Must Keep Records
One of the most difficult tasks that all remote workers must deal with is keeping track of
their daily activities through accurate, detailed records. Being able to show not only
what you’ve done, but what you’re working on is critical to successfully working
remotely, as it provides a level of accountability for both you and your management. It
also helps to confirm that you’re actually being productive, should any questions arise.
Your records should include tracking and recording the various activities you do each
day, meetings or conference calls you attend, action items you receive or delegate,
items in process, etc. Detailed records enable you to have the necessary information at
your fingertips any time you need it.
Skill #4: You Must Use Technology
It wasn’t that long ago that the only technology remote workers had access to (outside
of a laptop) was email, a cell phone, and maybe IM. However, over the last decade that
has changed significantly. Technology now makes it easy for employees to work
remotely and be as productive as if they were in an office. In addition to email, IM and
cell phones, you now have VOIP phones, secure VPNs, audio/video conferencing,
social media, a wide variety of online collaboration platforms and technologies, shared
drives, virtual workspaces and whiteboards, and many other tools. By taking advantage
of and using these technologies there is no limit to what you can accomplish. However,
if you don’t use them, they don’t work, so in order to be effective as a remote employee,
you must use technology.
Skill #5: You Must Collaborate
One of the most critical keys to successfully working remotely is collaborating with co-
workers, management, vendors, suppliers, customers and many others. While many
people think that working remotely means that they can work without interruption and
don’t have to attend meetings, the reality is often quite different. To be effective and
productive as a remote employee, you actually have to be more collaborative and
attend more meetings than you did when you worked in an office. This is because you
can’t just walk down the hall or to another office to talk to a co-worker. Instead, you
have to schedule time to work together with others who also work remotely. As such,

3. you must not only learn to use the various collaboration tools your business employs,
but also all the features of those tools so that you can collaborate effectively.
Skill #6: You Must Communicate
The most critical skill that any remote employee must develop and master is frequent
and regular communication. When you work remotely, it’s easy to get into the habit of
not talking to or communicating with other people. Unfortunately, that won’t work. As
almost everyone is working remotely now, regular communication is a priority that keeps
you in touch and in sync with your team, your management, your customers, etc.
Regardless of the form the communication takes (email, weekly reports, IM sessions,
texting, audio and video calls, online collaboration sessions, etc.)
SUMMARY
As a remote employee, it’s often difficult for you to stay involved and engaged with your
coworkers, your team, your customers and suppliers. By developing and using these six
skills on a daily basis, you’ll be able to work more effectively, more productively, and
more successfully.
© 2020 – Richard Hatheway, Catalyst Strategic Marketing
All Rights Reserved