Given recent developments related to COVID-19, the majority of Shield AI’s workforce — like many around the country — is temporarily working remotely. To support our team’s transition to this new work style, we shared a few of the following remote work best practices with our teammates this week.
While this list is not exhaustive, we believe that these guidelines and insights can encourage us all to continue to focus on producing our best work, despite the challenging circumstances we are facing. These are some of the best practices for remote work that the Shield AI team will be relying upon over the next couple weeks:
Maintain a routine, and focus on productivity. Try to maintain your working rhythm and routine despite your new surroundings. When you wake up, get ready as you would for a regular work day. Use the time you might typically commute to get in the “work” mindset — this may mean getting in some physical activity, meditation or anything else that assists you in becoming your most productive self.
Set up a dedicated work space. Create a productive space that allows you to focus and avoid distractions. If possible, avoid setting up your workspace in common rooms or high-traffic areas of your household.
Strive for over-communication. When you are no longer a few steps away from your co-workers, communication must be even more intentional. Check in with your teammates often through frequent syncs to maintain alignment in your duties. Provide summaries of what you plan to work on each day in the morning and read-outs of what you accomplished before you sign off for the night.
Don’t hesitate to just pick up the phone. When something is urgent don’t rely too heavily on email or Slack exchanges. Schedule time for a quick verbal sync to discuss as a team. This will help to both reduce timelines and encourage face-to-face interaction, albeit via screens.
Make extensive use of your calendar. In addition to the usual calendar events for meetings, consider creating blocks for projects which require deep focus. When working remotely, it is easy to lose track of time — don’t be afraid to book time to remind yourself to eat meals or take a coffee break to rejuvenate yourself.
We recognize these are difficult times and unprecedented circumstances, but we remain encouraged by the knowledge that we are all in this together. At Shield AI, we are encouraging our team to be good stewards of our communities by committing the Shield AI’s values: be inspirational, be kind, be supportive.
