Issue 97 – How is your productivity when working from home?
ISO 9001:2015…
How is your productivity when working from home?
I appreciate receiving emails with questions and/or comments from readers of this Newsletter… please continue to do so since it provides me with ideas on what these publications should cover. In my last Newsletter (ISO 9001:2015 Newsletter Issue 96) we discussed the topic of “Root Cause or Root Canal, which is worse?”, and now in this Newsletter we will discuss “How is your productivity when working from home?”.
The ISO 9001:2015 Element numbering…
Element 4 – Context of the organization
Element 5 – Leadership
Element 6 – Planning
Element 7 – Support
Element 8 – Operation
Element 9 – Performance evaluation
Element 10 – Improvement
Working from home? How’s your productivity?… This topic has come up a few times with some of my colleagues so I thought I would explore it a bit further. Way back in March, many were convinced that with employees working from home, productivity would plummet by at least 15 to 20 percent. The distractions of home — from child care to television — should have caused chaos on workdays. So far the research and the results have suggested the exact opposite has occurred. Without having lengthy, stressful commuting times, and with less small talk with others in the office and long coffee breaks, many workers — especially those who don’t have to worry about child care — are getting more of their work done.
Employees are also discovering that long meetings and multiple daily update sessions are no longer needed like they used to be. Plus there is less distractions from co-workers throughout the day, which allows a much higher level of focus and concentration, then in a busy office environment. There is however something to watch out for… don’t confuse “activity” with “productivity”… having busy people may feel good but that doesn’t always translate into getting the important work done. Another watch-out is the loss of in-person interactions when working remotely which will have social implications in the future. The best practice at this point appears to be a hybrid or mix between the two approaches… a few days a week in the office and a few days working from home… which can maintain a good home-life and work balance.
Top ways employees are staying productive while working remotely… Here is a list of some popular techniques people are using when working from home: 1. Using a designated workspace; 2. Structuring their day to resemble normal working hours; 3. Taking frequent breaks; 4. Setting a schedule; 5. Reducing distractions. [Source: https://themanifest.com/hr/productivity-tips-working-from-home]
Using a Designated Workspace is just like having an assigned space at an office so it’s important to have a separate work area in the home. Structure Your Day to Resemble Normal Working Hours because it can be easy to work less than your average work day, or even more. Many employees say they structure their day working remotely to resemble normal in-office working hours. Take Breaks because the most productive workers aren’t those who work 8 hours per day nonstop; taking frequent breaks actually increases work productivity. Set a Schedule – Planning your workday ahead of time can help you feel more productive. Reduce Distractions – It’s easy to become distracted when working from home, whether it’s by your children, pet, roommate, or even noise outside your home… actively try to reduce distractions when working remotely.
Be sure to watch for our next Newsletter issue where I will be answering some of the questions that I get from Readers of my Newsletters about how to implement the requirements of ISO 9001:2015 in a specific and practical way, that will also help improve business performance…
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Need Help?
ISO 9001:2015 Internal Audit Outsourcing (we can do it for you OR with you!)
For cost effectiveness, the Internal Audit function can be outsourced to an external experienced auditor on a periodic basis. This will provide an independent and objective assessment to management, of where process issues may exist, along with identifying opportunities for improvement. It will also provide the evidence needed to satisfy the Internal Audit requirements in the ISO Standards. We have used two different approaches with this service: a) We conduct the entire audit ourselves, or b) We act as the lead auditor, and along with your Team of internal auditors, we complete the entire audit together. This latter approach allows your people to receive guidance and direction from an experienced lead auditor while at the same time maintaining significant involvement in the internal audit process.
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Internal Process Auditor Training for ISO 9001:2015
The two (2) day Internal Process Auditing for ISO 9001:2015 Training Session is focused on a process approach to auditing with the objective being not only to assess conformance of the quality management system, but also to uncover process improvements during an audit. This goes hand in hand with the process auditing requirements found within ISO 19011 and the process approach covered in ISO 9001:2015, which promotes continual process improvement throughout this Standard. An enhanced checklist is developed, and there will be workshops throughout, to reinforce learning, as well as a live, practice audit. If you are looking to meet the ISO 9001:2015 internal audit requirements and to “raise the bar” for your internal audit program then this is the course you should consider.
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Until next time…
Tim Renaud
Helping Business Professionals Reduce Risk and Remove Waste!