Dipanshu Sharma Weighs in On Having a Healthy Remote Work Life and Thriving in Any Work Environment
Google recently released results from a multi-year study that show how to build an awesome remote work team. Since 46% of companies have virtual teams, it’s important to be able to establish a remote culture that supports and encourages collaboration and teamwork, even when it is not face-to-face.
One finding from the study was that it’s crucial to get to know your colleagues as people. Building connections and having conversations about things other than work is foundational for happiness and productivity in a remote workplace, according to corporate wellness expert Dipanshu Sharma.
Another recommendation is to set boundaries by speaking with co-workers about when they prefer to take meetings and have communication. Having a work-life balance is key, said Dipanshu Sharma, and with remote work the temptation can be to get things done throughout the day without set hours. However, with co-workers in different time zones, set boundaries about the times you can take meetings and make it clear when you start and end your work day.
It is also important to have connections in person, rather than only online. Sometimes, have a meeting in person can be extremely beneficial. When meetings in person are impossible, Dipanshu Sharma recommends video calls. This forces all parties to pay closer attention to what is being said and has a more personal feel than just emailing all day, Dipanshu Sharma said.
There are other additional recommendations for creating a rocking remote workplace environment. The first of these is to create policies that allow virtual work to be seamless, such as file sharing and video conferencing access. At meditation.live we use zoom video communications all day to stay in touch. In addition to these technological considerations, touches like a weekly group-based interactive live meditation can make a workplace more cheery and cooperative, said Dipanshu Sharma.
Another recommendation is starting with trust. It’s important that team members work hard and make progress, so they don’t need to be micromanaged and are able to meet goals. In a workplace where everyone trusts each other, progress is much easier to accomplish.
Final suggestion is creating a work rhythm that includes time for regular check ins. Dipanshu Sharma said this should be done with the whole team and also one on one. It’s a crucial tool for accountability, staying motivated and can provide the needed structure to the work day.
With these suggestions, Dipanshu Sharma said he believes working remotely doesn’t have to live up to the bad connotations it can have. Rather, employees can be productive and form relationships as they would in a more traditional work environment.
At Meditation.live most of the team works remotely, taking the best lessons from the industry and applying it day to day.
