‘TOP TIPS’ FOR AGILE & REMOTE WORKERS · repeated messages. Remembering that “working remotely part-time is a benefit, not necessarily a right” seemed to underlie this. The

‘TOP TIPS’ FOR AGILE & REMOTE WORKERS RESULTS FROM OUR AGILE & REMOTE WORKING SURVEY | 4 JULY 2018

Introduction

Earlier this year, we invited the Agile & Remote Working population at EDF Energy to participate in a survey to help

us to better understand the needs of our rapidly growing remote and agile workforce.

We worked in partnership with researchers at City, University of London who set up the survey, gathered data and

conducted analysis work on our behalf. We were delighted that 741 people took the time to share their views.

Respondents were invited to provide their ‘Top Tips’ for anyone just starting out as an agile or remote worker.

Nearly 1,700 suggestions were provided; we were overwhelmed by the quantity and quality of response.

This document contains a summary of suggestions made by the agile & remote working population for the agile &

remote working population. We hope you find them useful! They are categorised using the following themes:

• Setting up an agile or remote working arrangement and making it work

• Planning your day-to-day approach and setting boundaries

• Connecting with colleagues and managing others’ expectations

• Managing your time & organising your week

• Establishing a home working environment and the right technology

• Looking after your Health & Wellbeing

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Quotes from survey respondents

Setting up an agile or remote working arrangement – and making it work (1/2)

We had around 150 suggestions on the theme of setting up an agile or remote working arrangement and ‘making

it work’. Respondents suggested ways of thinking about whether this way of working is right for you, e.g. “does it

fit with your character/working style?” “only do it if you are (i) independent (ii) organised (iii) disciplined”; “will you

go crazy alone all day?” “be sure you are the kind of person who is happy in their own company and can work with

minimal supervision”. They also suggested considering the suitability of the work you do – “only go down this route

if you are in a role which enables communication via telephone/Skype, or where specific tasks can be completed in

blocks away from the office” – as well as considering the impact on both colleagues and family around you.

Many ‘Top Tips’ referred to agreeing flexible working arrangements with your line manager, setting expectations

and ‘ground rules’ (and exactly what they mean in practice) then making a formal application. Respondents often

observed their managers as role models for working arrangements, e.g. “look at what your manager does to guide

what you can do”. There were lots of useful pieces of advice on ‘starting out’ and the transition process – e.g. “the

first few weeks are the hardest”; ”expect to take a few weeks/months for it to feel 'normal'!”; “gradually transition

to working remotely: I would not recommend starting full-time” and “do not underestimate that this will be a

change and give yourself time to adjust/adapt”. Trying out a number of different options was suggested too.

“Be honest with yourself

about whether you are someone who enjoys

being alone and will be able to get down and

work if alone”

“Do a 3-month trial before fully committing to this style of working – it doesn't suit everyone”

“Have an honest conversation with your line manager

to set expectations“

”Fully explain what 'agile' means to you, so expectations

are set at the outset “

“If something isn't working, talk about it with your manager ... to find a

solution to make this a working arrangement

which truly works for you”

3

Setting up an agile or remote working arrangement – and making it work (2/2)

The importance of building honest, trusting and supportive relationships between agile and remote workers and

their line managers was a key theme. Regular communications and feedback were felt to be key, though the

preferred frequency varied. Discussing the level of autonomy needed plus how and when support might be required

(and how it could be provided) was felt to be a very useful area to address in advance too.

Tracking hours worked and keeping a record of progress on projects/tasks was deemed to be ‘best practice’ - e.g.

“find a good way to record your working time that works for you. Whether it's in a different diary or on an excel

spreadsheet, just set a rule then do it! Ensure you record how many hours you're doing a day/week as it’s easy to

work much longer days!” Keeping a personal log of any incidents or issues was also recommended.

Raising any concerns ‘sooner rather than later’ was another important message; along with “if something doesn't

work straight away don't be afraid to change it, keep tweaking it’” and “it's not for everyone – don't be afraid to

say if it isn't working for you”. Respondents were keen that people considering agile and remote working were

familiar with the relevant EDF Energy HR policies and getting to know their rights – but at the same time could

“rest assured in the knowledge the company will do their very best to support you”.


“Develop clear objectives for your role, this can help you to demonstrate that you are meeting all that

you need to (and probably more) for your role“

“Be open to other

suggestions. Be prepared

to compromise”

“Don't take advantage

(you'll spoil it for others as well as yourself)”

“Keep track of the number of hours you work – it‘s

easy to do so many more when not in an office. There is less chit-chat,

less coffee runs, less time taken for lunch ...”

“If you find that 'agile working' is becoming

'fragile working' & affecting your performance or health and well-being be brave and

flag it to your manager”

4

Planning your day-to-day approach and setting boundaries (1/2)

We had over 275 suggestions on planning your day-to-day approach and setting boundaries – including routines to

mark the start and end of your working day (e.g. “prepare as if you were going into the office to get you in the

mindset, equally close down at the end of the day to do the same”). Suggested activities included ‘walking the

dog’; dropping children to school; popping to a shop; walking round the block – or some other form of exercise.

People cautioned against getting up and logging on straight away: “do something to start the day and get your

mind ready for work ... don’t just fall out of bed and try to work” “ensure that you still get up and get ready for

work as you would if you were going to an office”. A number of tips addressed dress code, e.g. “dress like you're

going to work” “get washed and dressed before starting work – you may end up in your pyjamas all day if not!”

‘Switching off’ at the end of the day drew even more comments – e.g. “stop working when it is time to finish!”

“discipline, discipline and more discipline – otherwise you will overwork”. Many people commented on how easy it

was to blur the line between work and home during evening hours: “I often find I work for longer because I'm in

the zone and comfortable with no driving to do” “don't be tempted to keep going back to the laptop to check e-

mails or continue working late” “occasionally track hours as it is easy to consistently overwork without realising”.


“Establish a go to work and come home from

work routine – i.e. I use a treadmill to 'walk' to and from work”

“Keep an eye on the time – it's very easy to work longer and later

than you intended/should because of the lack of commute/end of day”

“Get dressed so you actually feel like you're at work ... years ago I read a piece where the

writer said wearing shoes helped her to feel

professional and 'at work‘”

5

“I have a walk to nursery in the morning and evening so that acts as my structure and fresh air, [it] also forces me to stop work at 5.30pm and gives a clear end to my

working day ...”

Planning your day-to-day approach and setting boundaries (2/2)

On boundaries with family and friends, suggestions included “be cautious who you tell that you are homeworking

as family and friends can misunderstand [when you are free]” and “make sure you set your owns rules; decide when

you are going to log on/log off; set family and work hours to set a balance”. Housework/domestic boundaries were

tackled too: “when working from home, remember it is a working day, not a day to catch up on chores”.

Some key themes on ‘day-to-day’ approaches emerged. Examples on ‘being flexible’ included “be clear on what

your requirements are but also be flexible to suit current and changing needs of the business” “be prepared to be

flexible and adaptable to deliver company and home needs” and “some meetings HAVE to be done face-to-face, i.e.

1-2-1s, CfPs, negotiations. Be prepared to be flexible to achieve desired outcomes”.

Being disciplined with hours worked was another key area. Being productive, proactive, self-motivated, reliable,

having strong integrity and “ensuring you continue to work as hard as you do in the office” were strong and

repeated messages. Remembering that “working remotely part-time is a benefit, not necessarily a right” seemed to

underlie this. The ‘Top Tips’ people shared on their day-to-day approach to agile and remote working were: “enjoy

it!” “embrace it” “Do it. Don't abuse it. Value it“ and “don’t feel guilty about not being present in an office”.


“Ensure that other people in the family understand that even though you are at home you are working

and are therefore not generally available for

other things”

“Self-discipline to divide work and home life; try to make a conscious break

between work and home activities if at all possible”

“Make sure family and friends are aware that

'working from home' means working and they can't just pop round in the middle of

the day for a coffee”

“Don't feel guilty – I know when I first started I felt like I

had to work even harder than usual. Making a cup of tea at home is no different to walking down the office

to do the same”

6

Connecting with colleagues and managing others’ expectations (1/2)

Connecting with others and managing others’ expectations is a hugely important topic and we had around 350

suggestions which emphasised this. Respondents cautioned against working alone too much (“make sure you have

plenty of touch points with colleagues so you don't feel isolated” “it can be quite lonely if you are at home for long

periods” “don't do too many consecutive days without getting to an office”). They also suggested ways of keeping

in touch, emphasising the importance of a support network and having social as well as work-related conversations.

Maintaining face-to-face contact with colleagues and ‘feeling included’ was felt to be essential (“you do actually

need human contact!” ”keep engaged with team, do not become forgotten!” “remember to find time to mingle

with like-minded colleagues”). Attending regular team meetings and/or social events; having lunch or coffee with

colleagues; being involved with local site activity (e.g. bake sales, charity events, networks) were all recommended.

Phone calls were seen as a very important way to keep in touch – for formal meetings, informal chats , to give and

receive support and to maintain a presence in the team (“don’t be embarrassed about ringing colleagues for a

catch up” “buddy up” “pick up the phone – speak to someone – don’t feel alone” “make the time to speak to

colleagues ... make sure people know that even though you're not physically present, you're very much at work”).


“Make extra effort to be in contact with people, it’s very easy to become 'invisible' when you are not physically present”

“Speak to people – try not to go all day without speaking to

someone else (yourself, the postman, and the dog do not count)”

“When planning office visits don't fall into the trap of cramming back-to-back

appointments. Make sure you give yourself time for casual corridor conversations and ... catch-ups with colleagues”

“Pick up the phone and talk to people, e-mail exchanges

aren't the solution for everything, this will also keep

you in contact with your work friends and make you feel less 'out of the loop‘”

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Connecting with colleagues and managing others’ expectations (2/2)


“Utilise tools like What’s App, Skype and Yammer effectively. They can supply those 'water cooler' moments of informal chat and banter that remind you that you are not alone”

Technology is an incredible enabler to agile and remote working and recommendations included:

“Connect with colleagues on Yammer, it’s important to participate in discussions/forums, even if not in person”

“Use Skype [video calls] to ensure you feel part of conversations, part of a team, use the technology available”

“Lync [instant messaging] is invaluable – it allows informal day to day contact with colleagues in the same way as

dropping by someone’s desk if we were all in the same location”

“Adopt a tool that allows you to stay connected to your colleagues from wherever you are: we use Slack and say

hi and chit chat to each other every day even though we are spread between 4 locations as a team”.

Important practical considerations related to:

- Being clear on how people can get in touch with you, through a number of mechanisms (Skype, email, phone)

- Setting colleagues and stakeholders’ expectations about your work pattern and availability – to enable them to

invite you to activities and to ‘maximise inclusiveness’

- Ensuring that people are aware of your whereabouts, by sharing your Outlook calendar and keeping it clear and

up-to-date – and showing your location on Skype

- Knowing the experts to call if you have any problems (and having their current contact details to hand, off-line).

“Find ways to feel connected and part of the team –

actively seek and agree these (for us we video conferencing

and have regular meetings planned in our diaries)”

“Open your diary up – let your team know where you are ... This is great for safety but also key to keeping the team feeling, as it helps to

see when you might be in the same place at the same time”

“Be contactable so colleagues know how to find you and when. This creates a trust

agenda right from the start and before you know it

everyone will be completely used to this arrangement”

8

Managing your time and organising your week (1/2)

We received around 260 suggestions about managing your time and organising your week. Matching the right type

of work with the right location in advance was a key theme – e.g. “book in the days you will work remotely and

think about the tasks you will do in those days” “recognise that often the different work settings are best suited to

different types of work” “consider your working week. What activities best suit themselves to home working/office

working? Plan accordingly” “arrange home working days around team meetings and other face-to-face situations”.

Activities that were felt to be particularly suited to home-working included: “catching up on e-mails, reports,

minutes etc. that are difficult in the office” “if you need to read large documentation for example the silence at

home is useful” “it may be that your office location is noisy so doing calls from home is beneficial. It may be that

your work lends itself to deferring tasks to a time and place where you won't be interrupted“.

Face-to-face activities were felt to be particularly suited to office-working: “manage your diary to stack up meetings

for the office” “organise your meetings to maximise communication time when in the office” “if you need support

or stakeholder engagement then coming to the office is best” “understand the limitations of what you can do

remotely”. However, personal preferences still come into play “understand how you work best – if you need/value

regular interaction and feedback from colleagues, managers, etc. ensure you schedule in regular meetings for this”.


“Plan ahead as working from home

can be better suited to certain types of work”

“Be organised – you need to plan your meetings to match where you will be working so that you still get good face-to-face

time with key people in your team and business”

“Utilise days working from home to get tasks

completed that would be more difficult in the

office e.g. difficult calls, report writing”

9

“Ask yourself, what work needs to be done in the

office where collaboration/ discussion is key vs. what can be done at home in undisturbed solitude?”

Managing your time and organising your week (2/2)

There were a great number of suggestions on good planning – both on a weekly and a daily basis: “plan your work

location in advance (e.g. have fixed days in fixed locations) and then push face-to-face meetings into those days”

”try to control your diary ... plan several meetings on the same day at one site rather than constantly bouncing

around” “it's important to have a good plan for your week ahead and to plan each day with clear achievable goals”

“plan your day – the hours you get back from not travelling can be used so much more effectively” “have a plan of

what you want to achieve on a working from home day”. Clear and realistic target setting (both between individuals

and their managers and by individuals) was felt to be a great enabler to this process.

Having a weekly and daily routine was felt to be of benefit too: “try to have regular days when you work remotely”

“try to set in place a schedule – same days in each location. This helps you and also the business plan” “have

regular office days – face-to-face 'copy machine' conversations are really valuable” “structure your day in a clear

timetable and clear for the family to see” “have a basic routine with same start time, finish time where possible”.

Having strong diary management skills and ‘being organised’ were seen as core skills for this working population, in

relation to having the right papers and equipment in the right place at the right time; for planning travel/parking

and gaining access to other site buildings; and for maintaining vehicles and stock levels for field-based teams.


“Structure your day as if you were in the office

(start and end times, meal times, break times)”

“Be organised – if you are planning a ’work from home’ day then make sure that you have a

clear structure and plan for the day to ensure you get the most out of it”

“Plan your travel in advance – if going to other office locations ensure that you have

booked parking spaces, know where there is a

desk space to use”

“If you can get into a routine of certain office on certain day of week, that can help everyone's

scheduling“

10

Establishing a home working environment and the right technology (1/2)

We received around 250 suggestions on creating a separate, safe, clutter-free and pleasant working environment –

and segregating work life and home life – e.g. “make sure you have a good office space at home, comfortable,

warm, well-lit” “get your work area as comfortable as possible and separate from anyone else at home (if

possible!)” “have a dedicated space and make sure you tidy away your work. You need to be able to 'leave' work

and make a separation at the end of the day” “set aside a separate space with all of your essentials to hand”.

As well as having a physically distinct area, recommendations focused on noise and distractions – e.g. “ensure you

have a place of calm and isolation to work in at home” “ensure a quiet set up to make sure you can maintain your

focus – working from home with interruptions is worse than being in the office!” “working from home, if possible

have an 'office' that family members respect “. Mixed views were expressed on having a radio or music on in the

background – which is a personal preference – but views about ‘no tv’ were unanimous!

There were also a large number of suggestions about having the right equipment, set up in line with good Display

Screen Equipment (DSE) practices – e.g. “for home working ensure you have a dedicated desk with a set-up similar

to what you would have in an office (monitor, keyboard, mouse, suitable chair)” “make sure you have a decent

seat/work station so you don’t develop neck or shoulder problems” “get a good chair and sit properly!”


“When working from home, arrange a home

office and treat it like an office. When in the office work ... when not don't”

“Have a good workstation at home to ensure you are comfortable and not likely

to cause injuries”

“Ensure you establish good habits – find a suitable space to work in where you won't be distracted by family or home life;

set yourself up a routine”

“If possible, set aside a separate space in your house for working so that you still ‘go to the office’ and have clear boundaries between

work and home”

11

Establishing a home working environment and the right technology (2/2)

A further 220 responses placed emphasis on having “the necessary Company IT Equipment” including software and

a secure remote connection – e.g. “have the right IT set-up to work to your full capacity“ “get organised with IT!”

Suggestions on ‘the right kit’ included a separate keyboard, mouse and proper screen (“use a USB KVM switch to

share these with your home computer”). Skype/phone headsets were recommended too. Those who travel a lot

suggested a lighter laptop with duplicate power packs at usual work locations, as “one less thing to carry”.

Advice focused on making sure IT kit was tested on-site (with expert support at hand) before it was used remotely;

this included checking access to relevant networks/shared drives. Logging off regularly, so software and policies

update, was highlighted as an important way to keep things working well. There were many wise words about

contingency planning (“have IT Helpdesk contact details to hand” “always have 'paper work' with you” “have the

wiki support pages printed” “ensure you save your frequently used links “ “ensure you save your work regularly”).

Having a fast and stable home internet connection was highlighted as a key enabler; as was having a back-up plan ,

such as connecting by Mi-Fi or a mobile phone hotspot. Suggestions on mobile phones focused on challenges with

adequate signal and making sure that desk phones were diverted to mobiles so that calls weren't missed – though

with increasing use of Skype video and audio calls, this challenge is reducing for teams at some EDF Energy offices.


“Make sure you have the equipment and set up you need to effectively work in an agile way – there is nothing more frustrating

than IT or network issues”

“Make sure you have all the IT you need to be able

to work on the go – good laptop, Mi-Fi, Wi-Fi, messenger tools (Skype or

Slack) to easily stay in contact with the team”

“Make sure your IT equipment and software is up-to-date as this will

reduce stress”

“Ensure all the 'tech' is in full working order in advance of needing

to use it (i.e. before hosting a teleconference)

to avoid panic”

12

Looking after your Health & Well-being (1/2)

We had around 175 suggestions on the theme of working safely and ‘Looking after your Health & Well-being’.

Over half of these suggestions highlighted the importance of taking regular breaks and lunch breaks; lots of people

also mentioned keeping warm, staying hydrated and/or well-nourished as part of their response.

Many people talked about making time for proper breaks – ‘out of the house’ or ’in the fresh air’ – or at least away

from desks/working areas and phones. Others tied in ideas about setting timers, alarms or calendar reminders to

prompt them to get up, move around or stretch and to adjust their posture during the course of the day – e.g. “set

timers on your phone or calendar for breaks ... you will end up working harder than you do in the office”.

Many ‘Top Tips’ were around taking personal responsibility for Health & Well-being and having the right Display

Screen Equipment (DSE) set-up – e.g. “do the desk ergonomics check on My Campus to minimise neck/back/eye

strain” and “make your home office a safe place to work, just as you would do at work” “be careful of any cables”.

Some respondents highlighted the need to stay active on ‘more static’ working from home days – e.g. “don't sit at

the desk all day, make sure you get some fresh air and exercise” “replace the lost exercise of the daily office routine

if you walked to work or used plenty of stairs”. Others suggested embracing this idea more widely – e.g. “take the

opportunities to improve your health”.


“Plan lunch breaks into your diary and stick to them. Also by putting

them into your calendar your team or manager can see that you are

unavailable for a reason”

“I always get out of the house in the morning to run/cycle/walk the dog ...

it makes me feel like I have travelled to work and keeps me sane!”

“Get up and get out. Make sure that you leave

and go for a walk ... Getting out really splits up your day and it makes the

cabin fever vanish!”

“Ensure you take regular breaks, away from your workstation, giving your

eyes a rest from the screen ... it‘s very easy to get totally

engrossed in something and not move for hours!”

13

Looking after your Health & Well-being (2/2)

Whilst the majority of suggestions were written from the perspective of Home or Office-based workers, ideas were

also provided to assist with the process of travelling and for Field-based workers.

Additional ‘Top Tips’ for people travelling between offices included:

“Travel as light as you can (bags can get heavy)” and “only take the bare essentials with you”

“Keep water and food with you”

“Get a good laptop bag which fits all your paperwork and equipment but is comfortable to carry“.

Additional ‘Top Tips’ for people staying away from home included:

“When staying in hotels try to eat sensibly”

“Take advantage of the exercise you will do (walking!) & can do (if your hotel has a gym/swimming pool)”

“Try and exercise and eat healthily when you're not travelling ... otherwise you will get quite run down”.

’Top Tips’ for Field-based workers focused on safety when working alone (e.g. “stay in touch with the office, stay

safe”) and being comfortable (e.g. having a good breakfast; “wear comfy shoes”; getting adequate sleep the night

before; know where to get a hot drink/warm food – and where the public toilets are).


“Get a good rucksack – your will be carrying

your office around on your back”

“Make sure you have Health and Safety addressed when working alone”

“Don't rush, focus on each job in hand and you will get more proficient.

Always think Safety First”

“When working away from your normal office, do not carry around more than you need for that day’s

activities unless away for a period of time”

14

What are your ‘3 Top Tips’ for anyone just starting out as an agile or remote worker? (1680 suggestions by 594 respondents; 2.8 on average)

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Documents

‘TOP TIPS’ FOR AGILE & REMOTE WORKERS · repeated messages. Remembering that “working remotely part-time is a benefit, not necessarily a right” seemed to underlie this. The