Today if someone tells me only lazy people work at home, I will tell him to think again. Working remotely is on a continuous rise since the past decade. More than 23% of the U.S. working population were working remotely in 2015, up from 19% in 2013. So, if you are also working remotely or planning to work without going on-site, you are certainly on the right track.

But have you ever wondered how would you complete your tasks without even leaving your bedroom? While it may feel good to come out with your own ways of tackling the things and finding ways of success, but it is always better to not reinvent the wheel altogether.

Though their job description may differ – there are certain qualities that every remote employee has in common. Here is a list of 15 habits of highly effective remote employee which you can engulf and make the best out of it.

High Self-motivation
Self-motivation is a force that drives a person, without any outer influence, to do what needs to be done on time, when it needs to be done.

Self-motivation is a must for every remote worker. It becomes hard to meet deadlines and even enjoying the essence of working without self-motivation. With nobody keeping a continuous eye, remote employees must develop a high self-motivation. 

And you should too!

Think like managers, work like managers
A common trait that every remote employee share is that they think and work as managers. They understand well, to successfully complete their tasks and excel in their career, they have to become their own immediate managers.

Team Player
“Talent wins games; but teamwork and intelligence win championships.”, told Michael Jordan, a renowned American basketball player.

Successful remote individuals create successful remote teams and hence a successful company. Remote workers follow a strict culture of team-playing and they collaborate with each other on a continue basis. 

Trustworthy
All the world is made of faith and trust, and James Berries’ line was not false for remote work environment also.

Apart from a team player, remote employees trust each other, their competencies, and their decisions. And the companies are wise enough to know that trust is a big factor that will drive the force. Hence, they hire trustworthy people only.

Build a bond
Successful remote workers aspire to build strong bonds and they mesh well with each other socially too. 

Former Reserve Bank of India Governor and a famous economist Raghuram G. Rajan in his book ‘The Third Pillar’ argues that people become more flexible and comfortable when they form a community and not under a contract.

So, occasional informal drink and dinner establish social links and eventually turn into a community and this can enhance the team spirit and drive everyone in the team to succeed.  

Scheduling and Implementing
If you are working in a virtual environment, you must schedule a plan and implement it effectively. Good remote workers plan their schedule ahead and don’t start working on any random thing they see. They do this religiously which eventually becomes their habit. 

Scheduling your time helps you in
•    Make the best use of the resources
•    Meet your goals faster
•    Work on the right thing at the right time

Effective Communication
A remote team or even an individual can often live or die by how well they communicate with each other. As you are not sharing a space, the only way to be on the same page is through effective communication. 

Effective communication doesn’t include asking every knick-knack, but it includes tracking progress, sharing issues that need to be addressed, and asking for feedback. Communication helps you:

•    Build an impressive professional image.
•    Build healthy business relationships.
•    Solve problems faster
•    Enhance client experience

So, be it remote work or traditional working culture, communication is the key.

Make the best out of tools
Working in a virtual environment minimizes human contact but it makes you heavily dependent on the tools. A remote worker must know how to use the best tools in the best way to be more productive while working. 

With the advancement of ever-evolving technology, markets are now offering a wide range of tools and applications like Skype, Hootsuite, GitHub, etc. that make the remote work simpler than ever before.

Limit distractions and focus concentration
Remote employees understand that working remotely entails working at home, without any supervision. And this may become challenging at times to focus. With kids, TV, uninvited guests, and noise from kitchen, it becomes even more challenging.

But successful remote workers know how to keep distraction levels low and productivity higher. They tend to accomplish what they started and leave only when the task is 100% completed. They work in a straight line to focus their entire concentration to reach the destination.

Focus on results
Results are indicators of success. The more results you produce, the dearer you become to the company and more successful you tend to be.

So, don’t just focus on your to-do list, rather focus on the quantitative results your efforts are going to make for you and your company.

Habit is the usual behavior that a person persists. These 10 effective habits will help you in making a good career in remote working and in general life too. Adopt the habits listed above and remember – it takes only 21 days to make a new habit.