In the past year, more people have started working from home than ever before. The COVID-19 pandemic closed down businesses and many of those still standing strong are now working remotely. While most people are happy to work from the comfort of their own home, it also makes it difficult to separate work from personal life. In US, no less than 7 in 10 remote employees are struggling to achieve a healthy remote work life balance during this pandemic.
Regardless of what priorities and responsibilities dominate our schedules on a daily basis, time is a resource that all of us must learn to manage. How we make the most of each 24-hour cycle determines how much we will accomplish and how productive we can be.
Business leaders can agree that last year has marked a turning point in the work from home trend. Even before the COVID-19 shutdown, remote work had gained some considerable traction. Yet, in 2020, it became the norm for millions of employees across the globe. Providing some remote working tips and strategies for employees and leaders alike has become paramount. And this is especially true for those that didn’t have remote work in place before.
In the workplace, almost every contract is set upon a negotiation. It plays a major role in the recruitment process, which is why HR representatives are trained in the art of negotiation. People working in sales are more or less successful depending on their negotiation skills. The procurement department of every company negotiates deals with suppliers. Teams negotiate deadlines, co-workers negotiate tasks, managers negotiate roles, and much more. Everything in business is the result of negotiation.
When was the last time, you wrote something by hand rather than typing it on a keyboard or mobile device? In our fast-paced, digital work culture, it can feel like handwriting has become a lost art. Writing by hand is often seen as tedious and inefficient compared to the ease and convenience of typing. Yet, there are many cognitive benefits associated with putting an actual pen to paper.
If you have a hard time keeping your employees engaged and motivated, you’re not alone. Morale and motivation are hard to get these days. More than 100,000 workers quit their jobs every day, resulting in billions in lost productivity and hiring costs.
Some managers are afraid of change because they worry about how their employees will react to new processes and different procedures—and for good reason. According to the American Psychological Association, employees reported lower levels of job satisfaction when they recently experienced organizational changes within the past year than those who did not: 71 percent compared to 81 percent.
When those initial stay-at-home orders went into effect back in March 2020, the mass shift to remote work seemed to boost productivity. But as this pandemic keeps bugging us even a year later, that productivity surge is now on the decline. While some organizations have seen a 5 to 8 percent increase in productivity within these last 12 months, most have suffered a 3 to 6 percent decrease in 2020 overall, according to Harvard Business Review.
Whether you’re battling the mid-day slump or can’t resist the pile of sweets in the kitchen, you may find yourself reaching for that stash of chocolate. Little did you know that eating chocolate actually provides a variety of physical and mental health benefits that can help elevate work performance too.
The pandemic has been quite tough on many businesses and individuals. About 60% of businesses that closed during the pandemic haven’t reopened. These numbers are undoubtedly discouraging for fledgling and seasoned entrepreneurs alike.
