Distributed work provides benefits for businesses of all sizes. And while large companies like Microsoft or Twitter have succeeded in using distributed work models, small and medium businesses have the most to gain from this transition.
Nonetheless, many question the effectiveness of a work-from-home business model.
When The Wall Street Journal asked WeWork CEO Sandeep Mathrani how office work would change in the future, he claimed employees who want to go to the office are the “most engaged,” while employees who prefer working from home are the “least engaged.”
Far be it from us to question the motives of the CEO of an office leasing business, but we disagree!
A Better Approach to Working from Home
Instead of labeling people who are most effective working from home as the “least engaged,” employers should embrace the opportunity to find new ways to keep their employees connected, happy, and inspired to work — regardless of their workspace.
More than the place of work, it’s the purpose of the work that determines engagement. As Patty McCord notes in her book, Powerful, which details the uniquely productive work culture within Netflix, “the greatest motivation is contributing to success.”
Employees disengage when they feel disconnected from the company vision and underappreciated; this is true whether they work from home or in the office.
More than ping-pong tables and bean bag chairs, employees benefit from a supportive work environment.
Many employees feel appreciated and supported when their employer trusts them to choose their own workspace.
An article by Forbes cited a survey that found employees who worked at home full-time were 20% happier than their counterparts (using a scale of 1 to 10).
And how does happiness affect productivity?
In their article, The Happiness Dividend, the Harvard Business Review referenced a decade-long research project that found happiness in employees lead to a 31% rise in productivity.
Here at Superpowers, we all work from home because it works for us. Superpowers Assistants find they have the support they need to stay engaged and productive at work.
Tips from Our Team
Here are three quick tips from Superpowers Assistants that help keep us engaged while working from home:
- “Time blocking for me has worked great to stay organized and engaged and know what my next tasks are going to be. It helps me to stay motivated and not feel overwhelmed, which leads me to becoming even more engaged.” – Stephany, Superpowers Assistant
- “Short, intentional breaks between tasks or intermittently throughout a larger project is big for me since I’ve started working at home. It’s easy to get wrapped up in work and hyper-focused on a task when it’s just you and your laptop at home with no interruptions. You forget to take little moments to reset. Setting an intention for the break is important to me: I’m going to use these next 5 minutes to clear my mind, hydrate and stretch, recharge with a fresh coffee, to give my eyes a break from my computer screen, etc.” – Danielle, Superpowers Assistant
- “I love keeping a running to-do list all day, whether paper and pencil or in my “task” for the day in the hub. Making those checks and seeing my progress throughout the day helps me feel so accomplished. As I check those items off, I add them to my daily bullet. It’s a sort of checks and balances system for myself so that I’m holding myself accountable all day while making sure my client is kept in the loop on my actions.” – Kathryn, Superpowers Assistant
