Many people have faced remote work in 2020 as something unknown and unfamiliar.
Being virtually trapped inside your home 24/7 while juggling work and life can make you go insane đ¤Ą
There are many different techniques to stay organised and motivated. However, they will differ depending on whether you are an extrovert or an introvert.
This article talks about the workplace trends for 2022 and the challenges you may face depending on your personality type. Youâll learn how to deal with them and use remote work tips to turn the situation around in the future to everyoneâs benefit.
Remote work, massively introduced at the beginning of 2020, has changed the lives of many people. And, as itâs here to stay, you can see how itâs gradually shaping new trends for our everyday lives:
The first thing companies did was move all of their infrastructures online. They provided their employees with equipment and tools for convenient remote work.
Itâs common now to use multi-user collaboration tools and log your work time using project monitoring services. It is also common to use all the tools for job tasks onlineâââcreate mockups in Figma or take notes in Evernote.
However, more complicated tasksâââsay, you edit video or create music for a livingâââstill require professional software installed on your computer.
In households with more than one breadwinner whoâs working from home, a lot of additional difficulties can arise.
Families are learning to share desks and adjust to individual work schedules, especially video conference calls.
And, letâs not forget about balancing between your work responsibilities, home chores, and taking care of your kids.
When you work remotely, you naturally have fewer opportunities to socialise and be active.
This can be really difficult both for extroverts who enjoy othersâ company, as well as introverts who love deep, one-on-one conversations.
Thatâs why home-friendly workouts and online meetups have become the most popular tricks to deal with stress. Make sure you include the whole family or get friends to join in (whether online, or physically if itâs safe to do so).
One of the most important remote working trends is the irrelevance of your actual location. Hiring an employee from another city or even another country is no longer a high-cost logistical nightmare.
Remote hiring is a win-win for job seekers and HR specialists.
The former have a chance to get their dream job, and the latter get a wider choice of candidates.
Extroversion and introversion are opposite personality traits or states. In short, extroverts refill their energy by talking to other people, and introverts recharge their internal batteries by being away from society.
An extrovert is also called a âpeople personâ because they find happiness in being a part of a large group and maintaining a lot of personal connections. They usually donât have any trouble with expressing their opinions to large audiences and being the centre of attention at social gatherings.
Introverts enjoy many hours of alone time and prefer their own company (or a good book or game) rather than other people.
That doesnât mean introverts are antisocial.
Talking to other people, and doing it a lot, causes introverts to spend a lot of mental energy, and they need to retreat to peaceful solitude from time to time to recuperate.
This is one of the big reasons why remote work may seem like bliss to introverted people and torture for extroverts. Itâs kinda true.
Both personality types may find it difficult to adjust to a new reality, just as they can both be really happy and productive.
Thatâs why tips for remote work will differ, too, based on the social preferences of each personality type.
Being an extrovert, you may feel open to new experiences, visiting new places, and meeting new people. Working from home because of social distancing, however, puts a hold on all these things.
If you feel your day turns into a monotonous routine, change things up a little.
It can be something smallâââworking from a different room, ordering food delivery from a new place, or starting your day with a cup of tea instead of coffee. Try to find new things, even in restricted conditions.
If youâre used to small talk with everyone you see in the break room, working on your own can make you feel left out of the team. Donât underestimate the value of video conferencing tools to keep in touch with your colleagues.
The thing is, you can use these tools not only to discuss work matters, but also for casual chit-chats, morning coffee, lunches, and even virtual yoga sessions.
Create a virtual office water cooler where everyone can join any time and find someone to talk to.
You may feel like youâre achieving less when you work from home. Thatâs partially true, because you can be distracted by a lot of things.
If you think youâre not doing enough, ask your team for feedback.
Itâll be even better if the comments from your colleagues or boss are a regular thing.
Another way to maintain productivity at a high level is to log your progress throughout the day. You can use an online tool for this, or simply pencil it down on a piece of paper each day. This way, you can set small milestones every day and keep track of your progress and improvement.
The most common challenge introverts face is coming off as arrogant and aloof. You canât really affect what others think, but you can build your reputation as a friendly person piece by piece. Talk to people you find interesting one-on-one, and let them find out how cool you really are.
If youâre too timid to jump in conversations, video conferencing tools have recently made your life easier. Google Hangouts, Zoom, and other services introduced the raise hand feature. The participants will see an icon next to your photo, and theyâll know you have something to say.
Most introverts are naturally shy, so it can be difficult for them to actively participate in group calls.
Alternatively, you may want to prefer a small-group activity, where you know everyone very well and can express your ideas freely.
Video conferencing and voice calls have become the biggest part of communication during self-isolation. No matter how badly you prefer to message your colleagues, some calls you just canât avoid.
One of the best practices you can implement is to schedule your calls ahead and plan your days accordingly.
You can also introduce âdeep workâ hours, so that no one may disturb you and distract you from your tasks.
The first thing you should do, no matter what type of personality you consider yourself to have, is come to terms with it. Define your strong suits and weak points, learn how to deal with them and use them to your advantage.
Create a comfortable work environment for yourselfâââa day filled with conversations or a quiet secluded one.
Understand that the people you work with may not be just like you. If youâre an extrovert, donât blame introverts for preferring to work alone. Being an introvert, try to take it easier when an extrovert invades your space.
Embrace each otherâs differences and find a way to work together successfully.
Adjusting to a new working environment can take its toll on you, even if your new office is your own home. People with different personality types have different challenges to face every day, and we need to be empathetic towards each other. If you address your weak points and make the most of your strengths, youâll find it easier to adapt to working remotely.
My name is Victoria Greywing, and I work at Movavi. In case youâre not familiar with us, we make intuitive yet powerful desktop and online tools as well as share our experiences in marketing, social media, branding and YouTube promotion with different trustworthy resources.
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