How to Be Productive Working From Home | 10 Productivity Tips for Remote Workers

Summary

In this video, Kay Troy shares valuable tips for enhancing productivity while working remotely. She emphasizes the importance of a well-set workspace, utilizing video in conference calls for accountability, preparing materials for meetings to stimulate discussion, and establishing a consistent note-taking system. Additionally, Kay advises blocking work time on calendars, opting for direct communication over email, thoughtfully selecting meeting attendees, leveraging collaboration tools like Mural, taking breaks, and occasionally changing the work environment to boost productivity.

Takeaways

• 🖥️ Set up a productive workspace: Invest in a wireless mouse, monitor, keyboard, and laptop stand to enhance efficiency.
• 📹 Use video in meetings: Turning on your camera during calls can improve collaboration and maintain focus.
• 🤝 Bring ideas to brainstorming sessions: Provide a framework or draft to stimulate discussion and productivity.
• 📝 Develop a consistent note-taking system: A singular method for organizing notes can streamline productivity.
• 📅 Block work time on your calendar: Reserve time for focused work and communicate this to colleagues to minimize interruptions.
• 🗣️ Opt for quick calls over email threads: Direct communication can resolve issues faster and more effectively.
• 👥 Be selective with meeting invitations: Only invite necessary participants to keep meetings efficient and relevant.
• 🎨 Utilize collaboration tools: Tools like virtual whiteboards can mimic in-person collaboration and boost productivity.
• 🚶‍♂️ Take breaks away from your desk: Physical and mental breaks can improve focus and productivity.
• 🏞️ Change your work environment:偶尔变换工作环境，如在家、办公室或咖啡店工作，可以提高工作效率。

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is providing tips for being productive when working virtually or remotely.

What is the role of the speaker in their full-time job?

The speaker works full-time at a consulting firm doing change management and strategy implementation.

Why did the speaker switch to remote work?

The speaker switched to remote work due to the circumstances of 2020, which led to a widespread shift to working from home.

What is the first tip for productivity in remote work mentioned by the speaker?

The first tip is to have a good workspace setup, including a wireless mouse, monitor, keyboard, and laptop stand.

Why is turning on the video during conference calls recommended?

Turning on the video helps with accountability and staying focused, reducing the likelihood of getting distracted or multitasking.

What does the speaker suggest bringing to a brainstorming meeting to enhance productivity?

The speaker suggests bringing something for people to react to, such as a plan, framework, or draft, to facilitate the brainstorming process.

How does the speaker recommend organizing notes for better productivity?

The speaker recommends having a regular routine or a singular place for storing notes to easily refer back to them.

Why is blocking out working time on a calendar beneficial for productivity?

Blocking out working time on a calendar helps to prevent meetings from occupying all available time and encourages working faster to complete tasks within the blocked periods.

What is the speaker's advice on making calls instead of exchanging emails?

The speaker advises picking up the phone or starting a call for quicker resolution of issues, as it is more efficient than exchanging multiple emails.

Why is it important to be thoughtful about who is invited to meetings?

Being thoughtful about meeting invitations ensures that only necessary participants are included, making the meetings more productive and less time-consuming.

How does the speaker use collaboration tools like Mural to enhance productivity?

The speaker uses Mural, a virtual whiteboard, to mimic the collaborative environment of a physical conference room, which aids in brainstorming and working with a team.

What does the speaker suggest to create a mental break from work?

The speaker suggests taking breaks away from the desk, such as eating meals away from the computer and doing chores or going for a walk.

Why might the speaker switch up their work environment?

Switching up the work environment, like working from a coffee shop or an office, can help to break the routine and potentially increase productivity.

Outlines

00:00

📈 Tips for Productivity in Remote Work

Kay Troy, a consultant in change management and strategy implementation, shares insights on enhancing productivity while working remotely. She emphasizes the importance of a well-set workspace, including a wireless mouse, monitor, keyboard, and laptop stand. Additional recommendations include using a monitor clamp, wireless headphones, a desk lamp that doubles as a ring light, and a standing desk. Kay also stresses the value of turning on video during conference calls for better collaboration and accountability, and suggests preparing materials for brainstorming sessions to stimulate productivity.

05:01

📅 Time Management and Communication in Virtual Work

In this segment, Kay discusses strategies for managing time effectively in a virtual work environment. She advises blocking out 'working time' on one's calendar to ensure focused work periods and to avoid being overbooked with meetings. Kay also highlights the efficiency of direct communication, such as phone calls or video chats, over email exchanges. She encourages thoughtfulness in meeting invitations to keep them productive and relevant. Kay introduces the use of collaboration tools like Mural, a virtual whiteboard, to enhance team productivity. Lastly, she touches on the importance of taking breaks away from the desk to maintain mental health and productivity.

10:02

🏡 Balancing Work and Personal Life in Remote Settings

Kay concludes with tips on maintaining a healthy work-life balance while working from home. She suggests taking regular breaks away from the desk, such as eating meals elsewhere and occasionally doing chores or going for walks. She also recommends varying the work environment, like working from a coffee shop or co-working space, to prevent monotony and boost productivity. Kay acknowledges the ongoing learning and challenges of remote work and invites viewers to share their experiences and suggestions for future video topics.

Keywords

💡Remote Work

Remote work refers to a work arrangement where employees perform their work outside of a traditional office setting, often from home. In the video, the speaker discusses their experience transitioning from in-person work to full-time remote work in 2020. This shift has been a significant change for many in the corporate world, and the video aims to share tips on how to be productive in such a setup.

💡Productivity

Productivity is the efficiency of an individual or system in converting inputs into desirable outputs. It is a central theme in the video, as the speaker shares tips on how to maintain and improve productivity while working virtually. Examples include setting up a good workspace, turning on video during calls, and using collaboration tools.

💡Workspace Setup

A workspace setup refers to the physical arrangement of a work area, including the desk, chair, and any equipment used for work. The video emphasizes the importance of a good workspace setup for remote work productivity, suggesting a wireless mouse, monitor, keyboard, and laptop stand as essential items.

💡Video Conferencing

Video conferencing is the use of telecommunications technology to hold remote conferences where attendees can see and hear each other in real-time. The speaker suggests that turning on the video during conference calls can improve productivity by increasing accountability and focus.

💡Collaboration Tools

Collaboration tools are software applications that facilitate teamwork and communication. The video mentions tools like Mural, a virtual whiteboard, which can aid in brainstorming and planning sessions, enhancing productivity in a remote work environment.

💡Note-taking

Note-taking is the act of recording information during meetings or while working. The video discusses the importance of having a regular routine or system for note-taking to improve productivity, as it helps in organizing thoughts and retaining information.

💡Calendar Blocking

Calendar blocking is the practice of scheduling dedicated time slots on a calendar for focused work. The speaker recommends blocking out 'working time' on one's calendar to ensure that time is reserved for actual work tasks, rather than being consumed by back-to-back meetings.

💡Hybrid Schedule

A hybrid schedule is a work arrangement where employees split their time between working remotely and working in an office. The video touches on the idea of switching up the work environment, suggesting that a hybrid schedule can provide a change of pace and potentially boost productivity.

💡Mental Health

Mental health refers to an individual's psychological and emotional well-being. The video suggests that taking breaks away from the desk and maintaining a balance between work and personal life are crucial for mental health, which in turn can enhance productivity.

💡Sponsorship

Sponsorship in the context of the video refers to a commercial arrangement where a company, in this case, Squarespace, pays to be featured in the video. The speaker discusses the features of Squarespace, an all-in-one platform for building websites and managing online presence, as part of the video's sponsorship.

💡Brainstorming

Brainstorming is a creative problem-solving technique where participants propose and discuss ideas freely. The video advises having a draft or framework ready for brainstorming sessions to facilitate productivity and give participants a concrete starting point for discussion.

Highlights

Transitioning to remote work has been a significant shift for many, including Kay Troy, who shares her insights on productivity in a virtual environment.

Sponsorship by Squarespace, an all-in-one platform for building websites and developing online brands.

The importance of a good workspace setup for remote productivity, including a wireless mouse, monitor, keyboard, and laptop stand.

The benefits of a second screen during video calls for sharing documents without obstructing view of participants.

Optional workspace enhancements like a monitor clamp, wireless headphones, desk lamp, and standing desk for comfort and efficiency.

The recommendation to turn on video during conference calls to improve collaboration and maintain focus.

The strategy of providing a framework or draft in brainstorming sessions to stimulate productive discussions.

The ongoing challenge of developing a consistent note-taking routine to organize thoughts and project information.

Blocking out 'working time' on the calendar to prevent over-scheduling and ensure dedicated time for tasks.

Advocating for direct communication via calls to resolve issues efficiently, rather than lengthy email exchanges.

The practice of thoughtfully selecting meeting attendees to keep meetings focused and productive.

Utilizing collaboration tools like Mural, a virtual whiteboard, to enhance creative and collaborative workflows.

The advice to take regular breaks away from the desk to maintain mental health and productivity.

Experimenting with different work environments, such as coffee shops or co-working spaces, to break the routine and boost productivity.

The video concludes with an invitation for viewers to suggest topics for future content and a thank you for watching.

Transcripts

hi i'm kay troy welcome back to my

channel i work full-time at a consulting

firm doing change management and

strategy implementation and like a lot

of people in the corporate world i've

been working remotely since 2020

switching from working in an office and

being in person with clients and team

members to being fully remote and

virtual has definitely been a big

transition but i feel like i've learned

a lot about how to be productive when

working virtually and remotely so i

would love to share that with you today

before we get into those tips let's take

a moment to talk about this video

sponsor which is squarespace squarespace

is an all-in-one platform where you can

not only build a website but also

develop your entire online brand and

presence on the website building side

they've got so many different beautiful

templates that you can customize to your

needs whether you have a blog portfolio

online store or any other type of site

and on top of those templates and tools

to make your website look nice they also

have tons of tools to help you sell your

products or schedule appointments and

classes integrate your social media

accounts and interact with your audience

through blog posts and commenting

features in my opinion squarespace is

truly the best and easiest way to build

a site it's what i like to use

personally and what i recommend to

others and i think especially as we're

working in this virtual and remote world

having a great website can really help

you make a great impression for your

personal brand or your business and help

you stand out so if you're interested in

trying out squarespace then go to

squarespace.com k choi to get a free

trial and then when you're ready you can

use my code k choi to get 10 off your

first purchase of a website or domain i

will of course leave all that info in

the description box to go check it out

and thank you so much to squarespace for

sponsoring this video okay so tips for

being productive when you're working

virtually my first one is to have a good

workspace setup it definitely was a

process to get my own desk and workspace

set up especially because at the

beginning we weren't sure how long we

were going to be remote let's say you're

just starting out with your laptop so

the things that i would add in order of

importance for me would be a wireless

mouse then a monitor then a keyboard and

laptop stand those i feel like are the

minimum to just helping you be

productive and do things quickly and

it's especially helpful and important

for your productivity to have that

second screen when you're doing video

calls so that if you're sharing

documents you're not covering up like

the faces of the people that you're

talking to other things that i've added

on top of those basics are a monitor

clamp so that my monitor isn't taking up

more room than it needs to on my desk i

got some wireless over ear headphones

that are really comfortable for

conference calls i also got a desk lamp

that sort of serves as a ring light that

also clamps onto my desk again to help

just keep my desk feel more open and

clean and i also invested in a standing

desk so that i could take some breaks

from sitting down throughout the day so

again work on setting up your workspace

in a way that works well for you you

want it to be comfortable and easy and

for me i like it to be as open and clean

as possible because that helps put me

into a better mental state to be more

productive my second tip for being

productive when working virtually is to

turn on your video when you're doing

conference calls this might be a company

culture thing because i've worked with

clients where the norm seems to be

not turning on the camera but for the

most part if you are trying to

collaborate or be very productive and

have like a working session i think

turning your video on really really

helps it also helps me stay accountable

and pay attention to whatever call i'm

on because if i have my video off i'm

more likely to get distracted or

multitask and that all works against

being productive tip number three is

pretty specific to like a brainstorming

or collaborative session but it's to

bring something to the meeting for

people to react to let's say i'm leading

a brainstorming session i don't want to

just go in there with a blank page and

say hey let's brainstorm i want to be

able to either have some kind of plan or

framework to give people a space to put

their ideas or have a draft of something

and have people react to it it's always

easier even if you have something that's

completely wrong it's easier to have

something for people to react to and say

what's wrong with it versus coming up

with something from scratch or on the

spot so especially if you're leading

some kind of meeting have something that

people can either look at visually or

react to versus just talking into the

abyss and you will definitely

see more productivity in that meeting

time my fourth tip is something i'm

still kind of working on but it's to

have a regular routine or a plan for how

you take notes and if you're on lots of

different projects like i am that it

might differ from project to project but

i find that i'm the most productive when

i have like a singular place or a

singular routine for how i store my

notes that way when i need to refer to

things i know exactly where i'm going

and i'm not like going all over the

place or forgetting key things that were

covered in a meeting again i'm still

figuring it out because right now what's

happening is i'm getting like all these

post-its on my desk that um i take

random notes on i'm showing you the back

side so that i don't need to blur out

any

sensitive information here but i mean

you could start here i think it could

also be helpful to have a notebook and

just organize it in a way that you can

easily find your notes but i really feel

like having a good system for

note-taking can increase your

productivity a lot tip number five is to

block out working time on your calendar

i find that now that we're virtual i get

calls put onto my calendar at any open

time of the day and then that leaves me

with no time to do my actual work so

what i find helpful is to literally on

my calendar block off working time and

i'll title it like working time for x

project so that way if someone's looking

at my calendar they at least know that

i'm planning to do some work at that

time and if they absolutely need to

schedule a call then usually they will

ask me if it's okay to book over that

time and then i can figure out my own

prioritization in terms of how i'm

managing my time that day i also find

that setting those times on my calendar

can help me get tasks done more quickly

and then it's kind of also like a reward

if i complete whatever task i needed to

faster than the working time that i

blocked out on my calendar so blocking

off time on my calendar not only allows

me to be more productive because my time

isn't all taken up by meeting it also

encourages me to work faster tip number

six to being more productive when

working virtually or remotely is to just

pick up the phone or start a team's call

or zoom call or whatever it is so much

more efficient and productive to just

ask someone if they have a few minutes

to chat and sort out whatever question

or problem or issue you have verbally

rather than sending an exchange of three

or four emails and just getting confused

and getting things lost in translation

talking to someone live is almost always

going to be better you'll get things

done faster and we want to work smarter

here not harder so just pick up the

phone on the topic of calls my seventh

tip is to be thoughtful or mindful about

who you invite to certain meetings not

everyone needs to be on every call and

even if you do have let's say a weekly

project connect there might be some

people on the project team who don't

need to be involved at the very

beginning or don't need to be involved

at the very end so especially if you're

the one who's putting on the meeting or

leading the meeting you want to think

ahead think about what are the topics

you're going to cover for that meeting

your agenda and if there are people that

don't need to join or maybe they just

need to join for the first 15 minutes

and then they can drop off think all

those things through let your team know

and people will really appreciate it and

your calls will be much more productive

tip number eight probably looks

different at different companies or

different teams i try to take advantage

of different collaboration tools for

example something that i use a lot at my

company is called mural it's a virtual

whiteboard this isn't sponsored or

anything but it is something that i use

a lot and it is very helpful for being

productive in a working collaborative

environment because it's like a virtual

whiteboard you can add sticky notes you

can put in images you can draw so it

just helps to mimic the environment of

being in a conference room with a

whiteboard where you're working with a

group of people and collaborating i

think there are lots of different tools

that allow this but the one that i

personally use a lot is mural just

through work and i think that it could

also be helpful just on an individual

level not just a team collaboration

level because i was mentioning note

taking earlier sometimes you know your

notes might not fit nicely on like a

word document or in a notebook and you

might need a little bit more flexibility

and freedom so something like a virtual

whiteboard can help you accomplish that

as well tip number nine is one that i

think is much easier said than done but

it is to take breaks away from your desk

if you work from home like me then it

it's kind of difficult to separate your

home versus your work life but at the

very least i try to eat all of my meals

away from my desk so i am trying not to

eat in front of my computer just so that

i can have a little bit of that

separation and mental break i'll also

take some breaks by doing some chores

around the house and once in a while

going for a walk but i don't usually get

enough time to go on a nice walk but

that would also be a great thing to do

just for your mental health and when

you're thinking about your mental health

then that can help you be more

productive as well in your work life my

tenth and last tip is to switch up your

work environment this sort of relates to

tip number nine in terms of not wanting

to just be glued to your desk at home

for 40 hours a week but it's more just

about switching up your work environment

a little bit a lot of companies are

starting to have a hybrid schedule where

people are in the office a few times a

week i personally am still just fully

remote but there is an office in new

york that i will go to once in a while

just to change things up and i do find

that i feel more productive on those

days not to say i'm not productive on

the other days but it is just nice to

switch things up a little bit and be

around people as well if you don't have

a lot of meetings or phone calls

throughout your day then working from a

coffee shop can also be nice or you can

maybe meet up with some friends at a

coffee shop or co-working space and sort

of work together even though you're not

working on the same thing this tip can

sort of go against my first tip in terms

of having your nice workspace set up

luckily for me when i go to the office i

can book a desk that has a monitor so i

can at least still have my two screens

so you kind of have to think about what

kind of work you're doing that day and

what the ideal setup might be for you

but i personally found that switching up

my environment once in a while really

really helps that's it for this video i

hope you found it helpful i know from

personal experience that it can be

really difficult to be productive not

only when you're working from home and

working remotely but also virtually and

apart from people it's something that

i'm still learning and challenged by

every day but the tips that i've shared

have helped me over the last couple of

years so i hope that they help you as

well let me know in the comments what

other videos you'd like to see on this

channel because it really helps me out

and with that thank you so much for

watching and i'll see you in the next

one bye

[Music]

you