Since our inception in 2015, Society 54 has had an all-remote team, which pretty much makes us experts on productivity from a virtual home office! Our team shares their best practices for staying productive.

Jill Huse, Partner

The transition to remote working can be a tough one, particularly for those who are extroverts. I have found that being intentional about a few things greatly helped in my adjustment to remote working when I started in 2015:

Asking for feedback is essential. Since we aren’t able to have face-to-face interactions, it’s important to proactively ask for feedback from those you are working with. What are you doing that is helpful and beneficial? In which areas could you improve? This isn’t just people asking for feedback from supervisors – this can be approached from all levels of your organizational structure.
Something that I personally find beneficial is to look for laughter and take breaks. It’s important to keep your mind healthy and, in times like these, laughter is a great release. Sometimes it’s as simple as watching my dogs chase squirrels across the deck or turning on some stand-up. Seek out moments that bring you laughter.
It’s important to stay educated on what’s going on around you. We aren’t getting watercooler talk working remotely, so we need to seek out information for ourselves. Sometimes our fear comes from a lack of knowledge. You don’t need to get a 24/7 play by play but check the news every morning and again in the evening. Know what is happening and know the most recent recommendations.
Grab some coffee and take a virtual break with a co-worker. One of the toughest things about working from home is that we aren’t able to get the interactions with our coworkers that we enjoy and, quite frankly, need. Schedule coffee dates (or lunches) with others. Put your work aside, call a friend over video or phone, and catch up.

Heather McCullough, Partner

Having worked from home for the past 5 years, finding what works (and doesn’t work) for me has been a journey. While your time working from home may be temporary or even sporadic, I offer the following for your consideration:

Society 54 - Our Team - Heather McCullough.jpg

Keep a similar schedule to your workplace routine. Get up around the same time each day and sit down at your desk (or behind your computer) around the same time each day. And end your day around the same time as you would at the office. (this leads me to my next recommendation).
End your day. Don’t feel that just because you are working from home that you need to work harder and/or longer than you would in the office. Don’t burn out on Day 1 or 2. Make sure that you set clear distinctions between office time and home time.
Take breaks throughout the day. You know the time that you get out of your office and walk to the break room and then chat with 5 people along the way? Do the same at home. Get out from behind your computer. Take a brisk walk outside or around your house. Maybe call a colleague and check in. All things to keep you from feeling stuck or isolated.
Get dressed. What I mean by that is to get out of whatever it is you wear to bed and/or around your house on the weekends. Make that psychological leap to ensure that you get your mind in the right place by going through the same motions as any other regular work day. Now…let’s be clear that your attire does not have to include a suit, heels, a tie, or other workplace attire but it should include something that you feel comfortable being seen in as many meetings may be taking place via video conference. Plus, you will just feel better.

Morgan Lewis, Director of Strategic Initiatives

I began working from home in 2016 when I joined the Society 54 team. I feel extremely grateful for the flexibility remote working has offered through a period of my life when we made two cross-country moves. It hasn’t all been easy, though, and I have certainly learned a few things through trial and error:

Don’t sleep in! Maintaining your regular morning routine – waking up at the same time, showering, getting dressed, eating breakfast, walking the dog – whatever you usually do before you head to work, stick with it. This will help keep your brain in routine mode, a very valuable thing when you work remotely. For instance, I get up at 6:05 each day, enjoy some quiet time with a cup of coffee, get dressed, get my daughter out of bed at 7:30 and then we eat breakfast. After that, my brain knows automatically that it’s time to start work.
Start the day by making a list. This is a great productivity tip no matter where you’re working, but can be especially helpful when you need extra focus. Decide each morning what you must get done, and which items are most important. Write your tasks in order of priority, and work in that order as much as possible. Set a timer for whatever is reasonable for you – if you have small children at home, this may be 10 min. If you don’t, maybe an hour – and get as much as you can done during that time. Take a break, handle what you need to handle (washing crayon off the walls, walk the dog, make snacks) and repeat.
Keep a tidy workspace. This may be your kitchen table, your couch or even your bed. Wherever you are working, try to maintain some order. Make the bed before you sit on it, clear the table of dishes and crumbs. And when you finish for the day, tidy up your work materials and set them aside for the coming day. I am grateful to have a desk at home that is dedicated to my work. I find that a cluttered desk greatly hinders my ability to concentrate or feel productive. And, when I approach my messy desk at the start of a workday, my brain instantly feels jumbled and more anxious.
Give yourself a break…in every way. Recognize and embrace the fact that this is all new and different – for everyone. Cut yourself from slack if you feel like you’re not doing all things well. We promise that others feel the same way! It’s important that we give one another some grace right now.

Melissa Delaney, Director of Strategic Marketing

Like most legal marketers, I had experienced intermittent work from home in prior roles. Since joining Society 54 and transitioning to full-time remote working with a husband who also works from home full-time, finding personal, social balances and opportunities to simply “get out of the house” have been part of both of our new routines. Here are some ways I try to cohabitate, move and simply ‘get out’:

Get your steps in. Conference calls, especially ones that don’t require you to speak, make for great opportunities to walk and listen. I enjoy walking a couple of laps around the perimeter of my pool. Perhaps you can pull those weeds that have been staring at you for weeks or put in your headphones and walk around the block. Whatever you decide to do, just make sure your phone is always on mute!
Sit and stand…and repeat. Keep that blood circulating! Pop up desks are everywhere, as are tabletop desks. If you can find one that is inexpensive, they make for a great way to alternate your sitting and standing throughout the day. If you don’t have extra cash or space for a pop up desk, try changing your work space throughout the day and relocate to various places around your home. Sit at your dining table for a little bit of the morning, then stand at your kitchen counter until lunch. Alternating sitting and standing is great for your vascular health.
A scrunchie on the door doesn’t have the same college meaning anymore (wink). If you live in a house with other people and you need some quiet or private time while you are presenting on a video chat or conference call, make sure you tie a ribbon, scrunchie, neck tie or scarf around the outside of your door handle so housemates don’t barge in or knock while you’re working.

Shannon Blackwell, Director of Coaching

At my former firm, I worked remotely on occasion and when my husband and I moved out-of-state, I worked remotely for six months. I joined Society 54 in July and have since worked from home full-time. It’s a work in progress and I’m always finding better ways to do things as different challenges arise. For example, I may be on a conference call and a lawn mower starts next door or my child throwsing a tantrum right outside my office (not that this has ever happened or anything). Deep breaths – thank goodness for the ability to mute!

Set up your workspace. Even if you don’t have a home office, find a place where you can concentrate and have space to spread-out. My husband uses the home office, where for a time we had a partner’s desk set up. It was all the things Hallmark movies are made of, but wasn’t practical long-term. I set up my office space in the guest room.
Wake up at your normal time. Use the extra time you gain from your commute to do something for yourself. Can you squeeze in a workout? Enjoy a chaos-free cup of coffee before work? Start that book that’s been sitting on your nightstand?
Speaking of routine, I still get ready like I would for an in-office workday although my attire may be more on the casual side of business casual, i.e. sneakers instead of heels, jeans or leggings instead of dress pants. My Nana instilled this in me from childhood that pajamas are only for sleeping so in order for me to feel productive, getting ready for the day is a must.
Give yourself time to decompress at the end of the day. Your drive home from work used to be the time to decompress from whatever greeted you at your front door – kids, a dog to be walked, laundry to do, etc. I don’t do the same thing everyday, but I do something to end my day. Some of the things I do are to meditate (I use the Calm or Peloton app), catch up on Social Media if I haven’t looked at it, or call a family member or friend.

Below are some tried and true resources that the Society 54 team utilizes:

Zoom – We are all used to connecting via conference calls, but what they lack is the ability to look at someone and connect. We use Zoom for all client and team meetings. Not only can we see each other, we can share screens, and record if necessary. Because you can see people’s reactions you also have avoid talking over each other as much as you do on a conference call. A free version is available for calls under 45 minutes, but our calls can easily go over so we opted for a plan. Another option is Google Hangouts Meet.
SharePoint – We use SharePoint to house documents that are easily accessible by the entire team. Folders allow you to easily organize your documents too. Another great option that we use when needing to collaborate with those not on the Society 54 team is OneDrive.
FaceTime, Skype or Facebook Messenger Video – We all know and love FaceTime for calls with far-away family & friends, but it is also a great way to connect with co-workers and clients and doesn’t requiring scheduling or sending a link!
INform – We use our software system to track our team’s real-time marketing and BD efforts and time; show project status, separated by category; and filter by client.
INhabit – We use this gamified platform internally to track our BD efforts as well as to engage our clients’ by holding them accountable for their business and professional development efforts.

Tips + Resources for Remote Working