{"id":803,"date":"2020-06-29T15:45:07","date_gmt":"2020-06-29T07:45:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tourhero.com\/en\/magazine\/?p=803"},"modified":"2021-08-04T10:29:32","modified_gmt":"2021-08-04T02:29:32","slug":"work-from-home-tips-10-ways-to-stay-productive-during-covid-19","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tourhero.com\/en\/magazine\/life-at-tourhero\/work-from-home-tips-10-ways-to-stay-productive-during-covid-19\/","title":{"rendered":"Staying Focused at TourHero: 10 Ways we\u2019ve adjusted to working from home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"TourHero<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

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COVID-19 has brought about a bizarre few months of working without the face-to-face interaction we\u2019re all so used to. The pandemic has kept us away from the TourHero<\/a> office and apart from our teammates. Out of necessity, we\u2019ve been pushed to iron out our approach to working productively and staying motivated during this Work From Home (WFH) period. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Over the many weeks, we\u2019ve picked up some really handy WFH skills that we\u2019re happy to share. Take note of these excellent pointers to keep your focus levels high!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Set up a proper workstation<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

A proper workstation wins half the battle to staying productive at home. First things first: a suitable desk and a comfortable (but not too<\/em> comfortable) chair are mandatory. There will be no hunching over coffee tables from your cozy living room sofa, and absolutely no lying down on the floor!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

From day one of WFH, our leaders made sure every team member had a desk and a chair, and even packed and delivered computer monitors to anyone who needed one.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

To avoid any distraction from\u2014or intrusion to\u2014the rest of the household, we make sure to confine our makeshift workstation to an area that involves the least interaction. Some of us prefer the confines of our bedroom, and others prefer being away from the comfy bed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Navigate virtual meetings<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

We use different virtual meeting tools for different types of meetings: Zoom<\/a> and Google Meet<\/a> for official company meetings, Slack Call<\/a> <\/strong>and Remotion<\/a> for impromptu chats and quick questions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this digital age, many excellent tools exist out there; it\u2019s easy to feel spoilt for choice! The most important thing to remember is to respect everyone\u2019s calendar. This means no scheduling any conflicting meetings! Also, it helps to keep each session productive and informative, which brings us to\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Daily standups<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Before the day begins, we have daily standup meetings to keep everyone up-to-date on what we\u2019re working on. Standups should last not more than a minute per speaker and should cover the basics:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Tasks you worked on yesterday<\/li>
  2. What you will work on today<\/li>
  3. Any blockers you might have that would stop you from getting your tasks done<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    When working from home, it can be challenging to keep track of what teammates are doing. This session allows everyone to be on the same page. Standup is also something we look forward to because it allows us to say hello to everyone and wish the team a good morning!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Weekly town halls<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    We conduct weekly town hall meetings that require all of us in the company to be present. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

    For TourHero, this means both the Singapore-based team and India-based team coming together for one big catch-up session. From company announcements to individual team updates, a complete run-down of everything that happened in the past week is covered in this meeting, followed by a Q&A session to address any concerns.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Virtual chai<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    Virtual chai (\u2018chai\u2019 meaning tea), much like the name suggests, comes in the form of weekly breaks that allow the team to unwind together virtually. This usually happens on a Friday at TourHero, so we get to end the week on a fun note together.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    We\u2019ve played online games (like skribbl.io<\/a> \u2014 hilarious with a big group), had themed sharing sessions (\u201cwhat\u2019s the most memorable travel meal you\u2019ve had?\u201d), and also managed to leave everyone confused and bamboozled with two truths and a lie!<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

    Working from home can often lead to burnout because we tend to forget to leave the confines of our workstation. Weekly virtual chai sessions can help to break the flow of work and remind us that social interaction is essential.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Productivity tools<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

    We tap on the benefits of different tools to ensure productivity:<\/p>\n\n\n\n