Good work etiquette when working from home involves following certain rules and guidelines to ensure that you are professional, respectful, and productive. Some examples of good work etiquette when working from home include:
#1. Communicate clearly and effectively
- When you are physically in a traditional work environment, you can turn your chair or peek your head around the cube to quickly ask someone a question. When working virtually this is not the case. Use tools like email, Slack, or Skype to communicate with your team and colleagues in a clear, concise, and professional manner.
- When it is a quick question or inquiry, use Slack, Skype or utilize your company’s Instant Messenger (IM) tool. Do not ask for deliverables or seek detailed conversations within Instant Messaging
- Use email for requests for deliverables and be specific with your asks. Also, use email for status updates – you don’t need to fill a room full of people just to give a status update – this is not a value-add function. Status updates can be given in an email.
- Use meetings to discuss strategy, goals, etc. Do not use a meeting for status updates.
#2. Respond promptly to messages
- Make sure to check your IMs and email messages regularly and respond promptly to any inquiries or requests from your team or colleagues.
- Ensure your status is set correctly within your IMs or Project Management tools so that your team or colleagues have an understanding that you are in a meeting, busy, away, etc.
- Ensure within your IM and email tools that you have your alerts properly set. I like getting a visual and audio related notification for all of my incoming IMs and emails.
- Respond to emails within 2 – 3 hours of receiving them. If a request comes through via email and you know it’s going to take days to deliver on something, don’t just sit on the email and not respond, reply back to the person advising them of an approximate ETA
#3. Be punctual and reliable
- Be on time for all meetings and follow through on any commitments or deadlines that you have agreed to.
- If you cannot make a meeting then send a delegate who can speak to risks, concerns and issues based on the subject of the meeting.
- If you find that you are not going to meet a deadline, or a commitment then let the requester know that you are not going to make the agreed upon deadline and provide a new ETA. Make every effort possible to meet this deadline and not extend it again.
#4. Maintain a professional appearance
- Dress and groom yourself as you would if you were working in an office, even if you are just working from home.
- When on video calls, wear comfortable, professional-looking clothing. Choose colors that are neutral and professional, such as black, navy, gray or beige. Avoid bright colors or patterns that may be distracting on video.
- Check your appearance before joining a video call to make sure your camera is adjusted appropriately
- There is some empowerment in looking professional as it creates an attitude of actually being a professional.
#5. Manage distractions
- Avoid distractions like loud music, television, or other noise that can disrupt your work or be heard by others when in a meeting or phone call.
- I love putting on a good 80’s rock channel when I have to crank out a document. It does not distract me at all but sets a good tempo for me to get in the groove of cranking out whatever needs to be delivered. However, you do not want the TV or music cranked up when on phone calls. I couldn’t tell you how many times I am on the phone with someone, and you can hear the TV or music blasting in the background. There is a time and place for noise, but it is not while you are on the phone.
- It is hard to control young children and pets but do your best to ensure that there isn’t screaming or barking in the background. When it is constant it can be very distracting to other individuals on the call.
By following these guidelines, you can demonstrate good virtual work etiquette when working from home and maintain a professional and respectful work environment. Feel free to read my other posts regarding remote work.
Please feel free to reach out to me if you need any specialized coaching in remote or virtual work-related efforts or if you would like to engage me as a speaker on this topic at one of your future events! You can find other remote work-related posts on my Remote Worker Coaching page.
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