The highs and lows of remote working…
In the fourth week of remote working, I am starting to realise how much I take for granted on a day-to-day basis. I have come to realise how much I rely on the simple things that we all take for granted:
ICT - How would we still be operating without our laptops, the internet and the ability to access stored information? No longer do I scream my frustration when the IT world doesn’t work, now I panic and am happy to let the IT technicians take as long as they need to fix things so that I can operate again.
People - It is very easy to slip into some sort of malaise with remote working that leads to feelings of isolation and loneliness. The times that I have longed for the opportunity to shut myself away and get on with those tasks that seem always to get pushed to the back are over. Now I am faced with days of being able to address them and I find a 360 degree turn, I want the people who interrupt me constantly and demand my time and attention. Go figure!
Structure- I am doing my best to maintain a structure to my day. This doesn’t mean always getting up at the same time and doing things in the same order, but what it does mean is having a daily plan and a list of must do tasks. This is hard to maintain, especially in the school holidays when others aren’t necessarily available.
However, as always I am quick to look on the bright side. As Winston Churchill once said:
‘The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty’
I am definitely an optimist and am already starting to look at how I can use these challenges to my advantage.
To address the isolation and to keep my colleagues informed and keep up to date with them we are using remote conferencing. Having a team meeting every morning just to check in, see a smiling face, offer support and ensure we are all still functioning is invaluable. There is no doubt that whilst in lockdown, actually seeing who you are talking to is fantastic. Definitely something that will continue when life hits some semblance of normality with the added bonus of face to face, no misconceptions or misinterpretations.
I love a list! I enjoy crossing off tasks and the process of making the list itself. Every day, more and more mundane tasks are being completed and my lists are now including some strategic innovative ideas. For example, how about working on putting that conference on for local schools later in the year, approaching businesses who may welcome the opportunity to support and advertise? I have time to plan… and I am actually enjoying this.
When we go back all our electronic filing will be up to date, polices and paperwork, procedures and actions all in line. Lovely!In addition we’ll continue with some of our new working practices and continue to maintain relationships with colleagues and stakeholders, plus a definite appreciation for the things that we take for granted!
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Sue currently works for The Malling School near Maidstone, Kent, and has been a School Business Manager since 2002