Remote Work & Productivity When the Traditional Office Is Gone

Available for Interviews: Roger Hall.

Dr. Roger Hall has a doctorate in Counseling Psychology, is an Executive Coach to entrepreneurs and leaders, and is an in-demand public speaker throughout North America.

 

Talking Points from Roger Hall on What He Can Say in an Interview 
on Remote Work & Productivity in This New World of Business:

The Importance of Communication

Although working remotely is not something new, the Coronavirus has made this a reality for unprecedented people in the workforce. Though millions may not be together physically, it is important that remote workers take the time to speak to one another, no matter how. From a business point of view, this will boost productivity. Why?

In a word: Oxytocin. Oxytocin (NOT the opioid Oxycodone) is the neurochemical made in our brains and bodies that makes us feel connected to others. Mothers in labor get a massive dump of oxytocin, which is why she feels connected to her baby. Fathers, through skin-to-skin contact with their baby get a boost of oxytocin, which helps him feel connected to his baby. When we shake hands with another person, that face-to0-face, skin-to-skin contact helps us feel a tiny bit more connected to that other person. If your job requires cooperation, then your productivity will boost if you connect with your co-workers. Humans are social animals and our brains are wired to watch others and imitate their behavior—especially faces. If your work requires collaboration, seeing the other people will help you to pick up on hundreds of tiny details that will help you work together better.

Seeking Out New Environments

It is also important to seek out new working environments—i.e., different rooms in our home, and public places (when they are open) like the library, hotel lounges, coffee shops, etc.). This, too, can make some remote workers more productive.

This is because choosing new places to work helps us get rid of the distractors that we find in our normal environments. I’ve worked with many executives that get their most productive work done at the library, a coffee shop, or some other place where they won’t be interrupted. The simple social norm of not answering our phones in the library keeps many executives on track when they are doing their most concentrated work. If you are at home, there is laundry to do, a quick trip to the refrigerator, or the dog to walk. At another place, there aren’t those little interruptions. Once you lose your concentration, it takes about 20 minutes to get back into flow. So, when someone stops by and says, “This will only take a minute,” it really means it will take you 21 minutes to get back into the groove.