Isolation, distractions and multitasking are just some of the things that can detract you from your learning experience. So keeping up your learning momentum while working from home can sometimes be a real challenge.
As more and more of us find ourselves in fully remote roles, the crucial distinction between home and work has been lost. Household chores, hobbies, and family time now run seamlessly alongside emails and virtual meetings over Zoom or Microsoft Teams.
Working from home has also radically transformed learning and development too. And with this transformation comes a unique set of challenges. One of them being how do we maintain learning momentum in a remote working environment? With so much new information to take in, learning and development has come into its own.
Check out our range of available Virtual Workshops here.
Here are 4 ideas to help you maintain learning momentum whilst working remotely:
1. Find a virtual platform that works for you
Hardware and software can be a bit of a headache, can’t they? Especially if you’re new to remote working. Tech issues like poor wifi and broken microphones were always going to be a problem. But there are other, less obvious issues to overcome too; the little things like positioning your webcam so you’re not drowned in a sea of light. Or, remembering to hit the mute button when you’re not speaking so your team aren’t treated to the sound of your heavy breathing are just as troublesome.
To mitigate this, finding the right platform that allows you and your colleagues to operate remotely with confidence is critical. It’s your prime communication tool, so give it as much thought as you would any other significant business decision.
2. Find routines
The first few days working from home were the best; no more stuffy work clothes, commute, or arguments over whether the air conditioning needed to be on or off. The novelty faded quickly though and with it, motivation.
When you lose your usual routine, just getting out of bed can prove a challenge. And that’s not a healthy mindset to get into. Therefore you must build a new schedule to feel and perform at your best. Whether that’s throwing on your old work clothes or going for an early morning run, start the day with something productive that lifts your mood and primes you for the day ahead.
In this video, Catherine discusses why we think that remote working is here to stay.
3. Encourage curiosity
Helping colleagues to embrace lifelong, self-directed learning is key in L&D. This has always been the case. However, the self-directed bit is paramount now that we’re working remotely.
With that in mind, if your colleagues express interest in learning a new skill, meet that interest immediately with enthusiasm and facilitation, rather than dither and delay. Enabling colleagues to learn new skills can only ever benefit a business. Better yet, the range of virtual workshops accessible to facilitate this is vast and ever-expanding.
4. Improve communication
Everyone has there part to play in creating a positive work culture. The benefits of this to your business are clear. It’s also the right thing to do by your people. Learning plays a role here, and by encouraging continued learning creates organic collaboration between colleagues and teams. That interaction will build a sense of camaraderie that’s hard to beat.
Not only that but, by providing regular learning opportunities, you’ll give your people something to aim for. The sense of achievement and feeling of growth successfully completing a course garners will mean more to them than any number of ‘encouraging’ emails.
Times are changing. Are you ready?
The sudden move to a predominantly virtual world took everyone by surprise. However, remote working shouldn’t harm your learning momentum. If anything, our new virtual world presents us with an unrivalled opportunity for learning, collaboration, and development. Albeit the tools we use to do it now look a little different.
If you’re concerned about the challenges the remote working environment is placing on the learning momentum in your team, we’re here to help.
