The COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia encouraged a number of companies in Jakarta to begin the “Work From Home” or WFH policy from Monday, 15 March 2020. This policy was no exception for unicorn startups, including Gojek.

This decision was inevitably taken by company officials to reduce the spread of the COVID-19 virus which was increasingly unstoppable, especially in the Jakarta area as the economic center in Indonesia.

Meanwhile, Gojek is one that captures the attention regarding WFH’s policies. It is not stated whether this policy applies to all employees or not. The management of Gojek said the work-from-home trial will last for a short period.

“Compared to a combination of employees working from the office and home, or from home for 1-2 days, it feels like working full time from home has its own unique challenges. Having a team that is spread out in various locations means it requires a number of different ways to communicate with each other, make decisions and connect with each other, “Gojek management stated.

For this reason, DailySocial summarizes a number of important notes from Gojek for managers and staff. This note can be guidance for new startups.

Set limits when working at home

Prepare your own workspace in one of your home spots. This is important to create a comfortable, focused work atmosphere and avoid distractions. Don’t forget, for those who are married and have children, you need to give a “signal” that this is your time to start working.

However, don’t hesitate or worry, if your child makes a sound or suddenly appears on the screen while you are having a conference call with the team. They certainly understand.

Prepare a channel for communication

Communication is the most important element in work. And now Slack is the “virtual workspace” most used by professionals. Now, make sure your status remains “online” so the manager knows that you are always active to be contacted.

It should also be understood that the response in the office will certainly be different from at home. To manage your expectations in communication, make sure the entire team and manager prepare an alternative communication channel if the internet connection is unstable. Email and WhatsApp for example.

Over-communicating doesn’t matter

Because it is not under one office roof, of course, there will be adjustments when communicating between teams. For example, coordinating work problems. In some cases, don’t assume that your team knows everything.

So, there’s nothing wrong to say it back – if necessary over and over – about what you are doing. This is to reduce the potential for ambiguity/miscommunication/misinformation from your team.

Managing daily productivity

As a manager, one of the other challenges of WFH is managing and measuring the productivity of each person on your team. To make it easier for you to get started, you can set a work schedule, if necessary, set time on Google Calendar to your team.

Then, manage your expectations of team productivity. First, set and share everything to your team. For example, telling what will be done today or how to deal with a crisis in a situation. The more clear and concise the daily process and plan on your team, the less likely your team will be confused and ask questions.

Next, ensure to your team that time is worth the effort. One of the advantages of working in the same room is a fast response from your team. Since working from a different location, encourage your team to work on an easy task intelligently, not linger.

Manage your focus on work

When you work from home, one day will just run out just to check Slack and email. As the head of the team, you need to arrange a time with your team about when you will receive a report. If you need to make provisions, such as reports in the morning and evening.

On the other hand, you also have a load of work that needs to be completed. Decide on a priority job and temporarily turn off Slack or e-mail so that you are more focused. This can be done while waiting for your team to finish their work and report back to you.

Break the ice with emojis

In situations like this, we will be more sensitive. Thus, this becomes a reminder for the head level and staff to always be careful in speaking and gesturing, both oral and written. To reduce tension, you can use softer tones by saying “Help” and “Thank you”. If you need to include emojis like this 🙏.

Don’t forget to take a break

Working from home is indeed very challenging considering the house is a place to rest, not work. Now, in this case, there are times when you will be very focused on doing something. Do not forget to take about 1-2 hours to rest from the computer.

Occasionally you can do small exercises by stretching your body. Or you can do other relaxing things, like cooking or watering plants, before returning to your computer.

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Original article is in Indonesian, translated by Kristin Siagian