Four years since the pandemic, and we have been juggling so many different word modes – each with its own set of challenges. For communicators, this time marked a paradigm shift in the way we look at stakeholder engagement. It meant redefining our purpose and doubling down on our objectives. The complexities increased even more in remote roles – collaborating with geographically scattered teams, delivering on regional campaigns, dousing a geopolitical risk at one end and creating public influence in another. Topping it are the erratic hours, high expectations, and never-ending pressure to ace it all. Do you choose to dive right in or stay afloat? A year of remote working taught me a few tricks on how to navigate ambiguity, drive clarity, and create meaningful engagement.
Routine check
One of the biggest perks of remote work is the flexibility to set your own schedule. I report into a global business headquartered in Singapore, and to ensure I at least got 4-5 hours of face time with key functions based there; I’d get an early start to the day. It wasn’t easy, but I eventually realised that this routine was helping me focus and be more productive. This provided me with some downtime to quickly unwind, whether it’s through networking or attending an online workshop!
Work with less
One of the biggest learnings in the role was working with minimal resources – both in terms of team and external partners. Daunting at first, because most of us are accustomed to delegating the creative part of the work – designing assets and editing video materials – to partner consultancies. But with this booming culture of lean and agile teams, learning a few new skills and tools came in handy. For example, I learned how to shoot, edit, and package C-suite videos all by myself! Might not be a pro, but I did become a makeshift video editor nonetheless.
Overcommunication is crucial
Effective communication is the cornerstone of remote work success. But over communication? Can’t say the same, right? In the absence of face-to-face interaction, I made the best or rather excess use of all communications platforms – from WhatsApp, Teams Calls and even a plain text message– ensuring I don’t miss a beat and stay in the loop of all key updates and announcements. I also became more proactive in reaching out to colleagues, asking questions, and providing regular updates on my progress. This way I was a hard one to miss!
Self-management is empowerment
Remote work doesn’t have a supervisor to monitor your progress. Remote success requires self-discipline and self-management, and I learned to take ownership of my work, establish clear goals, and hold myself accountable for achieving them.
Adaptation is key to success
The remote work landscape is constantly evolving, so it’s essential to stay adaptable and accommodating. It’s challenging to change, particularly if you’ve learned and mastered ways of working in one organisation. Unlearning and adopting a new culture, leadership, and people can be quite difficult, but if you embrace a learning mindset, this challenge can also be overcome.
And while all the above helped me shape the right attitude at the workplace, an equally integral part was forging connections that were pivotal in achieving balance. Remote working can be overwhelming and isolating at time but with a little effort and prod, you can always find a trusted colleague who can guide, mentor and be a friend in need. The journey into remote work has been marked by valuable lessons and personal growth and while I may still not know it all, I remember an inspiring quote “In the world of remote work, your office is wherever your creativity feels most inspired.”
The views and opinions published here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect the views and opinions of the publisher.
Currently she is the Communications Lead at Unilever International, Unilever’s global business unit and whitespace partner.
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