Top Tips for Working Remotely

Get up at the time you normally get up at on a working day, have your breakfast, do some exercise, then go to your desk - be it the home office, the kitchen table, the coffee table or otherwise

Let colleagues know that you're "open for business". Drop them an email or an instant message to let them know you're online

Whilst instant messaging and email are great tools to stay connected, some people can find them utterly distracting when they are trying to focus on a piece of work. Manage expectations with others as to how you prefer to use and respond to these tools. If you don't want to be disturbed when you concentrating on a piece of work, turn on the "do not disturb" mode, but don't forget to turn it off again later!

Arrange to have a brief video chat with a colleague when you're taking your morning or afternoon break. Try and simulate what you might do if you were in the office. 

The biggest challenge about remote communications is that so often they are done electronically by email or instant message. The challenge here is that we don't necessarily know the tone and non-verbal behaviour that accompanies the message. In the absence of knowing this we have a tendency to infer the intended tone and non-verbal behaviour, and in so doing may do the sender a grave disservice. If you've an important or "tricky" message to send, where tone is vital, TURN ON THE VIDEO!

Agree among yourselves, how often and when you're going to check in. TRUST people, remember you recruited them or acquired them as team members, We'll all be measured on our outputs. Agree delivery dates and quality expectations and let each other live up to these. Don't forget to offer or ask for support. Others can't see if you're struggling and vice versa.