Like many organizations, Precision has had to re-think how our business and our ability to meet the needs of our clients will continue at a high-level during the COVID-19 outbreak. As a result, we’ve developed five easy to implement best practices for our teams as we move to a temporary work from home model. We hope these helpful tips will be of benefit to your organization during this time.

1. Go Video: With social distancing now part of our lives, it should go without being said that in-person meetings are a temporary no-no. No time like the present to go digital! From Google Hangouts to Zoom, we have the technology to hardly miss a beat. If you’re not already taking advantage of video conferencing for 1:1 or client in-persons, now is a great time to get started.
2. Check-in Daily: Holding (brief) daily check-ins — preferably by video — can be a winning solution for your teams. Take advantage of a daily check-in to set deliverables, discuss new approaches, walk through client or non-client related issues, and simply liven up the workday and provide a sense of community. For managers, don’t forget to check in with each member of your team so they feel connected and remain focused.
3. Communicate Frequently: Embrace over-communicating, at least in the beginning. With hallway and kitchen chatter on the back burner, team leads should regularize channels of communication. One of the silver linings in WFH may very well be learning to use Slack or Gchat in new and more efficient ways.
4. Continue Routines: Experts recommend establishing and keeping up a daily routine when working from home. Be at your desk around the same time each day and take breaks when you need them. Just because you’re working from home doesn’t mean you should toss out the rule book. Keep those office hours the same and settle back into your normal rhythm as best you can. (But in our opinion, you should do all of this while also taking advantage of the good things about working from home. Wear whatever you want! Take a walk during a conference call if you can!)
5. Set Up Office Space: Don’t have a home office? Well, time to make one. Make sure you have the right office equipment at home to perform your job effectively — power cords, an extra monitor, earbuds, etc. A comfy chair won’t hurt either!

For other best practices, check out these resources:

• New York Times – How to Work From Home
• Entrepreneur – 6 Best Practices for Working From Home
• PC Magazine – 20 Tips for Working from Home