Daytona Beach, Florida

(386) 506-8022

Build Strong Relationships with your Remote Team

Remote employees are mentally and physically happier, which is part of the new normal. It gives employers more hiring options, and a company will have productive and satisfied staff if done correctly. For example, research from Owl Labs found that remote and hybrid employees were 22% happier than workers in an onsite office environment and stayed in their jobs longer.

However, there are still challenges when it comes to remote workers, and it can be challenging to maintain consistent communication with your team to combat the increased feelings of loneliness and isolation. Therefore, staying productive and boosting morale is essential to building strong work relationships.

Whether your team is entirely virtual or hybrid, and you want to build strong relationships with your team, staying connected is critical. These strategies will help.

Schedule virtual breaks

Employees working remotely still need breaks during the day. Let people know when you take your coffee break, and invite them to join you. Keep your virtual coffee break between 10 and 15 minutes and use small-group features like breakout rooms to encourage more discussion.

Create moments of connection

Before each work meeting, take a moment to check in with each employee. This practice became a routine during the pandemic and continuing to ask personal questions such as “How are you doing ?” can help build the healthy connections needed to combat feelings of isolation.

 Leverage visual collaboration software

Encouraging collaboration in the workplace is shown to increase productivity. According to a Stanford study, people who are encouraged to collaborate stick to a given task 64% longer than people who work alone. In addition, those same workers report higher engagement levels, less fatigue, and higher success rates. Visual collaboration software offers features that can imitate those used when working together in person. Collaboration can be achieved with technology, and every employee can contribute regardless of location.

Be proactive with status updates

You don’t want to be out of sight, out of mind when working remotely. Instead, take a proactive approach to schedule time with your manager—even if it’s just a 15- or 30-minute weekly call to check in.

Adapting to the new world of work can be challenging in many ways. But you can build strong relationships within your organization with a bit of ingenuity.

Coworking Spaces Can Make Employees Happier

A 2019 survey by Gartner revealed that just 13% of employees are satisfied at work. Fortunately, a 2022 survey by Willis Towers Watson found that 90% of employers plan to put employee experience at the top of their agenda.

If you’re a business owner thinking about renting desks for your team, here are two reasons you should consider a coworking space membership without delay.

A sense of belonging

Our sense of belonging is vital for our well-being. These groups could be our peers, sports teams, religious groups, or coworkers. The latter is essential when it comes to the employee experience, and it’s something you don’t get proper when you work from home every day.
Belonging is about more than holding Zoom meetings.

A coworking space is where remote employees can visit to reconnect with colleagues after periods of working from home. It also allows employees to build relationships and social groups with other people who use the space.

Coworking spaces can improve people’s well-being

Our work lives can significantly impact our sense of well-being, which is why it’s so crucial for employers to create workplace environments that prioritize well-being and work-life balance.
Employers need to be flexible to achieve a work-life balance, and coworking spaces can meet this need. For example, employers can pay for only the desks they need at any time accommodating a hybrid working schedule. Options tend to be super flexible, and companies can take on more or less space when needed.

Spacious breakout areas, adaptable desks, and areas that cater to different working styles can help maintain a high level of productivity.

If you are looking for a shared office solution for your coworking needs consider Work Webb. We have two locations and a variety of options to choose from. Call us to schedule a tour and read what our happy clients have to say about our services.

Organize your Work Environment for Improved Productivity

How you organize your work environment affects how your team behaves in that space, so strategically managing your office will help you create the company culture your team needs to hit their goals. Having a cluttered desk is not a sight that inspires one to have a productive day, much like waking up to a dirty kitchen. The appearance of clutter signals to your brain that there’s extra work to do before you can even start your daily tasks. When your brain feels overwhelmed by all this work, it triggers a stress response. Organizing your workspace reduces the frequency of that stress response, gives you a feeling of control and makes you more efficient.

You can take some easy organizational steps to quickly get ready for your day and not take up valuable work time.

Hide the Wires

organize your work environment

Let’s face it; the wires can get out of control with all of the monitors, computer towers, mice, laptops, phones, and chargers that adorn the typical office desk. Because reducing visual clutter helps minimize stress, hiding all these messy wires is essential. Roll up the slack in each cord and slap on a binder clip. This tip will quickly organize the cord maze under your desk.

Use Wall Space to Your Advantage

organize your work environment

Do you have free wall space near your desk? Don’t waste this valuable real estate. Instead, free up space on your desk by installing pegboards or wall shelves to sort mail, electronics, or office supplies. These times will still be handy and out of your way.

Organize your In-box

organize your work environment

Email consumes a lot of our time and can get overwhelming quickly. Think of your email as your digital desk and keep it organized as your physical workspace. Create folders in your email to sort your emails into easily digestible information like to-do lists and even prioritize them. Taking the time to unsubscribe to various marketing emails like newsletters that you no longer want to receive will also be a worthwhile spend of your time instead of deleting them because this will ultimately reduce the number of emails you have to deal with daily.

Declutter

First, look at your desk and throw away things you no longer need. That old grocery list, office depo receipt, or phone message should not be taking up space. Instead, get rid of the unnecessary paper from your workstation. Next, tackle the loose documents by using file folders. Bundle them according to topics that make sense to you and stack them. A pile of folders that look organized on a desk will look more pleasing than a pile of paper.

Implement a Workflow System

Pick a place on your desk as the “Things to Do” area and the file folder there. For example, folders with action items that must get done that day go on the right of your keyboard, and completed tasks go on the left. At the end of the day, the items on the left are removed from your workstation. This system will give you a sense of accomplishment, keep you on track to reduce the clutter on your desk, and organize your work environment.

Temporary Office Space: A Solution to Workplace Problems

 

temporary office space

Temporary office space may seem like something your business will never need when your office is all set up and running smoothly. But a simple issue like the AC breaking in the dead of summer in Florida will completely unravel productivity. Not all of your employees may have a productive workspace in their home, and utilizing a temporary office solution like Work Webb can help solve unplanned disruptions for your business.

Here are some examples of when your business may need Work Webb services:

  • Your business is in-between leases.
  • You have outgrown your office.
  • Need space for seasonal employees.
  • The current office is under construction or needs repairs.
  • Need a digital office while traveling.
  • A scalable office option for your start-up.
  • Relocating your offices and need a place to get your business started.
  • Need a conference room for a meeting with important clients or investors.
  • Your current office is flooded, too hot, without power, or any other issue that makes it unusable – but your business needs to stay productive to meet a deadline.

We could go on and list all the scenarios we have heard from clients, but you get the picture – temporary office solutions like Work Webb can help your business when you need it. We have flexible options to fit most budgets and two locations – Daytona Beach and Melbourne. Call today before a crisis, schedule a tour of our offices, and make us part of your “what if” productivity plan.

Things You Should Never Do in a Remote Meeting

Remote Meeting

The last decade has seen a slow and steady shift towards remote and flexible working, accelerated by the pandemic. The number of people working from home has reached unprecedented levels, and professionals have quickly adapted to this new way of operating. This includes a remote meeting with clients and co-workers among many other new ways of working.

Many have had to get learn new technologies, mainly using online and audio-conferencing calls as the primary tool for interacting with one another. This new tool has also meant learning a whole range of new behaviors and video meeting etiquette. There have been many funny videos and memes over the last year of remote workers going to the bathroom and getting caught not wearing pants. While these incidents make for great social media entertainment, it’s not what you want to happen during your professional meetings.

To make this easier, we have put together a list of six things you should never do in a remote meeting.

Wear pajamas

One of the most significant benefits of working from home is that you don’t have to get dressed up. Instead, you can throw your hair up in a messy bun and work in your pajamas if you want. But it would be best if you never showed up to a virtual remote meeting dressed like this.

Snack

It’s unlikely that you’d whip out a bag of chips when sitting in the boardroom, and the same rules apply when attending a virtual meeting.
The meeting will only go on for so long, so hold off. If you really must eat during the call, choose something quiet that isn’t distracting everyone involved.

Choose a busy or distracting location

Not everyone has the luxury of a home office; some may be working from their living room tables or bedrooms, but you still need to be cautious of your surroundings during a virtual meeting. Ensure you keep the area tidy and don’t sit in front of any distracting artwork or wallpapers. After all, you want all participants to be engaged in the meeting, not watching the TV behind you or staring at your ever-mounting pile of laundry.

Let your pets or family wander around freely

Similarly, you need to eliminate distractions for both you and other meeting participants, which means you can’t have your family, housemates, or pets just wandering around in the background. This can be very distracting and could draw attention away from the meeting at hand.

Speak over people

Last but not least, you need to make sure you’re not cutting anyone off when they’re speaking, which can be tricky if there’s a delay. Be sure that you leave a little pause before answering and don’t talk over other participants. Similarly, it’s best to avoid asking open-ended questions to everyone, especially during a meeting with numerous participants. Otherwise, you might find your co-workers are tripping over each other trying to answer, and it becomes confusing. Always be specific when addressing someone or asking them a question.

Sanitary Measures for Extraordinary Times.

Sanitary Measures

As many are starting to return physically to work, here are some guidelines and rules of thumb for your workplace sanitary measures.

Don’t wait.

Workplaces and spaces should be taking extra precautions now, not when illness strikes. The CDC recommends that employers implement sanitary measures and start doing these things now, as these measures can reduce working days lost due to sickness and stop or slow the spread of COVID-19 if it arrives at one of your workplaces.

Establish a cleaning routine.

Regularly, make sure to clean all frequently touched surfaces. This includes keyboards, remote controls, desks, countertops, and doorknobs. Using a disinfectant by its instructions will be the easiest way to ensure that the surface is cleaned effectively. See EPA’s 6 steps for Safe and Effective Disinfectant Use.

Be incredibly clear of the expectations of your employees and customers.

Transparency of your expectations when it comes to safety and sanitation is going to be imperative when you are back in some sort of open capacity. Make sure signage is prevalent of what you expect…masks? No masks? Six feet spacing signs are being sold everywhere; they can also be custom designed. Be sure to have sanitizer stations everywhere that make sense, at the very least, at the front when your customers or employees come in and at the register if applicable.

Have a sense of patience.

Remember, this is unchartered territory for absolutely everyone. Tensions are high, fear is present, and the ability to conduct business safely and sanitary lays in your hands.

Challenges of Working from Home in the Summer

Working from Home in the Summer

It’s summer and the kids are out of school.  Working from home during the summer can present a challenge. If this is your first summer working from home, you may not know what to expect for the next three months.  Let me enlighten you on what I have heard from clients that I only see here at Work Webb during the summer months.

Interruptions Are Constant

Older children that handled being home alone while you worked in a traditional office last summer will completely regress to needy toddlers now that you are working from home.   They will not be able to find anything, do anything without asking you for help.  Why you ask?  Because they know you are there to help them and answer their questions.  You will stop work to find the TV remote, Play Station controller and any number of meaningless tasks your children just can’t seem to do without you.

Family Visits

Now that you no longer have a traditional job, your extended family may think they can come to visit for extended stays.  Honestly, if they catch you off guard you may not have a quick answer as to why they can’t come for a visit.  Then you are stuck with family coming especially if you live in a desired area like Florida. Your office may be lost to your teenage nephew that likes to sleep the morning away and – POOF – there goes your productivity.  In addition, if you are a good host, your in-laws might expect home cooked meals every night because after all you are home.  Don’t’ forget since you are home, odds are you still do laundry, etc., so these tasks just doubled for you. All that does is eat up precious hours that should be used to get your work done.

Parental Guilt

Since you ARE working from home and this is your first summer with the kids, you might feel compelled to be the super parent.  Trips to bowling alley, movies or to the beach may eat up your daylight hours which means you will burn the midnight oil or get up with the birds to get your work completed.  In short – you will work twice as hard the next few months.  Trust me.

Taxi Services

A common complaint I hear from my summer clients is they become a taxi service for the children and their children’s friends.  After all you are home – and your children will volunteer your services without asking.  Your productivity and gas tank will bottom out fast.

Avoid these pitfalls of summer by finding a shared office solution near you.  If you are close to the Daytona Beach or Melbourne, Florida area, visit Work Webb’s website to see what we can offer you besides a quiet place to work.

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Updated: 3/29/21

3 Office Etiquette Mistakes You’re Making

You’ve Been Warned: Stay Clear of Committing Any of These 3 Office Etiquette Mistakes

If there are three big mistakes nearly all 9-5ers make, these have got to be the top office etiquette missteps most are guilty of. The sad part is, most people think they are actually making a good decision when they commit one of these office blunders.

Take a look and change your ways if you’re guilty of committing one of these cardinal office sins:

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Daytona Beach

W.H. Gardiner Building . 210 South Beach Street . Suite 202 . Daytona Beach, FL 32114

Phone: (386) 506-8022 . Fax: (866) 365-7793 . E-mail: scheduling@workwebb.net

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